Kazuhito Toyooka

Kazuhito Toyooka is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at Drexel University College of Medicine. His research focuses on translational studies for neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), epilepsy, and Parkinson's disease (PD). He employs peptide therapy, CRISPR gene editing, and 14-3-3 modifiers to develop treatments using mouse models and patient-derived hiPSCs. His lab investigates gene functions in axon/dendrite growth, synapse formation, and neurobehavioral outcomes.

Education: PhD in Immunology from Osaka University, Japan. Languages spoken: Japanese.

Research Themes:

• Peptide therapy and CRISPR for ASD and PD
• 17p13.3 microdeletion/duplication syndromes
• 14-3-3 protein roles in epilepsy and neurodegeneration
• ADNP protein’s role in neuronal development

Key Publications (2024-2018): Focus on neuronal morphogenesis methods, ADNP-14-3-3 interactions, and 14-3-3 signaling in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Lab Personnel: Includes undergraduate/graduate students, MD/PhD trainees, and postdoctoral fellows working on ASD, PD, and 14-3-3 protein research.