Welcome to Toyooka Lab – Autism & Parkinson's Disease Translational Research


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 ******* Attention *******

We are seeking lab members, including PhD and MS candidates as well as any other positions. If you are interested in our research project, feel free to contact me (Kazuhito Toyooka at Contact Form or [email protected]). 

Thank you for visiting the website of the Toyooka Lab at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.

Our team studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying healthy cortical development. Current research focuses on identifying the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 17p13.3 deletion/duplication syndromes, as well as neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's Disease, as well as developing treatments for these diseases, including the development of drugs and peptides as medications and gene therapies based on CRISPR/Cas9.

We have used an array of techniques to achieve this goal. A few examples are hiPSC disease models, mouse genetic approaches including transgenic and knockout mice, in utero electroporation, time-lapse live imaging of culture neurons and on brain slices, GRAPHIC technique for neural connectivity, FingR technique for synapse formation, as well as calcium imaging in primary neurons and on brain slices. 

 Neuronal Morphogenesis - Methods and ProtocolsRecent Updates

10/7/2024:  We are pleased to welcome Lilit Drak, a MD candidate at Drexel University, to our lab.   

9/5/2024:  We are pleased to welcome Emily Taylor, an undergraduate volunteer, to our lab. 

8/29/2024:  Samridhi Sudan, an undergrad lab member & STAR Scholar, presented a poster at the Drexel STAR Scholars Summer Showcase.

8/17/2024:  A book on neuronal morphogenesis has recently been published.
Neuronal Morphogenesis - Methods and Protocols

7/10/2024:  The photos from the lab meeting have been uploaded.

7/8/2024: The photos from the lab meeting have been uploaded.

5/22/2024:  We are pleased to welcome  Diane Kim, an MS candidate at Drexel University, to our lab. 

4/2/2024:  Congratulations to Vasu, MD student, on getting a fellowship for his summer research about YWHAG(14-3-3gamma) mutation disease. 

3/4/2024:   We are pleased to welcome  Samridhi Sudan, STAR scholar, to our lab. 

2/27/2024:  Congratulations to Bill Telfer, MD student, on getting a fellowship for his summer research about ADNP syndrome/ASD.

1/18/2024:   We are pleased to welcome  Shiena Watanabe, MD,  a research intern, to our lab.   

1/12/2024:   We are pleased to welcome  Vasu,  MD student at Drexel, to our lab.   

1/10/2024:   We are pleased to welcome   Laasya Reddy Pesaladinne,  a high school student intern, to our lab.     

1/9/2024:   We are pleased to welcome  Vicky Shih,  MD-PhD student at Drexel, to our lab.   

1/8/2024:   We are pleased to welcome  Maurice Lindner-Jackson,  PhD candidate in the Neuroscience program, to our lab.

1/5/2024:   We are pleased to welcome  William R. Telfer,  MD student at Drexel, to our lab.    

Publications


Neuronal Morphogenesis - Methods and Protocols


Kazuhito Toyooka (Editor & author)

Methods in Molecular Biology, Neuronal Morphogenesis - Methods and Protocols, Springer, 2024


Localization of activity-dependent neuroprotective protein (ADNP) in neurospheres


Sarah A. Bennison, Sara M. Blazejewski, Xiaonan Liu, Gal Hacohen-Kleiman, Shlomo Sragovich, Sofia Zoidou, Olga Touloumi, Nikolaos Grigoriadis, Illana Gozes, Kazuhito Toyo-oka

Molecular Psychiatry, vol. 28(5), 2023, p. 1829


The cytoplasmic localization of ADNP through 14-3-3 promotes sex-dependent neuronal morphogenesis, cortical connectivity, and calcium signaling


Sarah A. Bennison, Sara M. Blazejewski, Xiaonan Liu, Gal Hacohen-Kleiman, Shlomo Sragovich, Sofia Zoidou, Olga Touloumi, Nikolaos Grigoriadis, Illana Gozes, Kazuhito Toyo-oka

Molecular Psychiatry, vol. 28(5), 2023, pp. 1946-1959


KIFC1 regulates the trajectory of neuronal migration.


H. Muralidharan, Shrobona Guha, Kiran Madugula, Ankita Patil, Sarah A. Bennison, Xiaohuan Sun, K. Toyo-oka, P. Baas

Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 42(11), 2022, pp. 2149-2165


Pyramidal neuron morphogenesis requires a septin network that stabilizes filopodia and suppresses lamellipodia during neurite initiation


Megan R. Radler, Xiaonan Liu, Megan Peng, Brenna Doyle, Kazuhito Toyo-Oka, Elias T. Spiliotis

Current Biology, 2022, In Press


Nuak kinase signaling in development and disease of the central nervous system


Sarah A. Bennison, Xiaonan Liu, Kazuhito Toyo-oka

Cellular Signaling, 2022, In Press


Rpsa Signaling Regulates Cortical Neuronal Morphogenesis via Its Ligand, PEDF, and Plasma Membrane Interaction Partner, Itga6.


Sara M. Blazejewski, Sarah A. Bennison, Ngoc T. Ha, Xiaonan Liu, Trevor H. Smith, K. Dougherty, K. Toyo-oka

Cerebral cortex, vol. 32(4), 2022, pp. 770-795


View all



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