Grad At A Glance: Daniel Pfau

Many teenagers start asking questions about themselves during puberty. Daniel Pfau never stopped looking for answers.

“When your body’s changing, people want to know why,” said Pfau, a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University. “I am no exception.”

In MSU’s Breedlove Jordan Lab, Pfau’s analyzes changes in a mouse’s brain during puberty. His work builds off research suggesting pubertal developments in mice can be delayed if they detect suboptimal living conditions like malnutrition in their mothers’ bodily secretions.

“Mothers subconsciously release pheromones that control the timing of juveniles’ development,” Pfau said. “It’s a safeguard to protect against overpopulating in poor living environment.”

Pfau, a neuroscience researcher since 2009, is a fellow of the National Science Foundation and has presented his work at national conferences. His current research is meaningful to him because of its application to his own development.

“I study puberty because it’s an age when people go through a lot of changes in thinking,” Pfau said. “As a gay man, I always needed something to explain why I was different.”

Pfau hopes to use his knowledge of pubertal brain changes to alter views of the LGBT community. He draws passion for his work from a refusal to believe his sexual orientation is flawed.

“A Christian counselor sent me to ex-gay therapy after I told my parents I had homosexual thoughts,” Pfau said. “I was conditioned to associate those thoughts with never feeling love and being alone. It was nothing but scare tactics.”

Pfau found solace in science, as he said it “told him it was OK.” He received a bachelor’s in animal science and a master’s in biological sciences, both from California Polytechnic State University, while continuing to publicly advocate for LGBT equality.

When he expressed interest in researching neuroscience to Cal Poly faculty members, they recommended he investigate the work of MSU neuroscientist Marc Breedlove.

“Doctor Breedlove was the first name they gave me for neuroscience research, and now I’m working with him,” Pfau said. “It’s surreal. Having someone who is excited about what you’re working on as you are has been incredibly helpful.”

Comfortable with research, outreach and communication, a faculty position would be a dream job for Pfau. His experiences with MSU faculty members have him enthused about future career prospects.

“Learning is infectious, and you can’t help but see that in Doctor Breedlove,” Pfau said. “Seeing his passion makes me happy to know I will be doing what I love in the future as I am now.”