Joshua Levitz

Joshua Levitz, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Weill Cornell Medical College, affiliated with Weill Cornell Medicine. His research focuses on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) using optical techniques to study synaptic signaling molecules. He leads the Levitz laboratory, which investigates GPCR roles in physiology and neuropsychiatric diseases at molecular, synaptic, and circuit levels.

Education: Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of California, Berkeley (2014); B.S. from American University (2009).

• Research Areas: Membrane Biology, Molecular Neuroscience, Optical Methods, Structural Biology
• Affiliated Graduate Programs: BCMB Allied Program, PBSB Graduate Program, Tri-Institutional Chemical Biology Program

Research Interests: Developing optical tools to probe GPCR oligomerization, signaling pathways, and receptor dynamics. Key projects include photopharmacology of neuromodulatory circuits, opioid receptor control, and endocannabinoid system modulation. The lab employs advanced imaging and biochemical approaches to dissect GPCR mechanisms in health and disease.

Key Publications (2024–2025) highlight breakthroughs in GPCR structural biology, opioid efficacy modulation, and optogenetic control of neural circuits. His work bridges basic science and translational medicine, with applications in neuropharmacology and drug development.

• Grants: NIH-funded studies on GPCR regulation, prefrontal circuit function, and opioid analgesia/reward mechanisms
• Labs/Teams: Supervises 10+ researchers including graduate students and postdocs in molecular neuroscience and optogenetics