Joshua Kaplan

Joshua Kaplan, PhD, is a Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School and affiliated with the Department of Molecular Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). His research focuses on understanding neural circuit function and behavior using the nematode C. elegans as a model system. Key projects include investigating synaptic mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorders (ASD), neuropeptide regulation of sleep-like states (lethargus), and the cellular basis of behavior.

Dr. Kaplan's work integrates genetics, biochemistry, and imaging to study how neuronal signaling translates to behavior. His lab has identified critical roles for inhibitory synapse defects and gene expression changes in ASD models, as well as neuropeptide pathways controlling arousal states in C. elegans.

Recent publications highlight studies on calcium signaling at neuromuscular junctions, GABAergic synaptic regulation, and Shank protein roles in action potential control. His research bridges basic neuroscience with translational insights into neurodevelopmental disorders.