Rate My Professor Wolfgang Stein

Wolfgang Stein is a Professor of Neurophysiology in the School of Biological Sciences at Illinois State University. He leads the Crab Lab, renowned for advancing research on neural resilience to climate-induced environmental changes. Stein obtained his Ph.D. in biology from the University of Kaiserslautern in 1998, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Bielefeld (1998–1999) with Dr. Holk Cruse and at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine with Dr. Michael Nusbaum. In 2012, he joined Illinois State University as an assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences, where he received tenure in 2015 and was promoted to full professor of neurophysiology in 2019. He also serves as Assistant Director for Graduate Studies and contributes to public outreach through the Speakers Bureau with talks such as “How neurons keep their cool when it is getting hot.”

Stein's research specializes in neurophysiology and neuroethology, focusing on how neuromodulators—such as neuropeptides and monoamines—enable central pattern generators in crustacean nervous systems to withstand perturbations like temperature fluctuations. His lab employs extracellular electrophysiology, optical imaging, and computational modeling on model organisms including the crab Cancer borealis and marbled crayfish. Key publications encompass “Clonal genome evolution and rapid invasive spread of the marbled crayfish” (Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2018), “Modulation of stomatogastric rhythms” (Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 2009), “Neuromodulation to the rescue: compensation of temperature-induced breakdown of rhythmic motor patterns via extrinsic neuromodulatory input” (PLoS Biology, 2015), “Phase maintenance in a rhythmic motor pattern during temperature changes in vivo” (Journal of Neurophysiology, 2014), and “Neuromodulator-induced temperature robustness in a motor pattern: a comparative study between two decapod crustaceans” (Journal of Experimental Biology, 2024). Stein has garnered prestigious recognitions, including the Kavli Foundation Neurobiology and Changing Ecosystems Kavli Exploration Award (2023, shared with international collaborators), the Outstanding University Researcher Award (2023), and selection as a 2024 Researcher to Know. He has secured significant funding from the National Science Foundation, including a $510,000 grant in 2014 and $495,000 in 2018, supporting his investigations into temperature impacts on neural function.