Jared Toettcher is an Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology at Princeton University. Dr. Toettcher’s research focuses on dissecting how signaling pathways work together to orchestrate complex cell decision-making, particularly using optogenetic tools to deliver precise perturbations. Currently, his work focuses on replacing developmental signaling patterns with light, understanding how complex signaling dynamics are generated and interpreted by cells, and developing new light-switchable reagents. Dr. Toettcher’s honors and awards include being named a 2019 Vallee Scholar, a 2018 NSF CAREER Award, a 2016 NIH Director's New Innovator Award, a Cancer Research Institute postdoctoral fellowship, an MIT Presidential Fellowship, and a UC Berkeley Regents’ Scholarship.