The Laboratory of Dr. Akira Sawa

Translational Neuroscience for Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders

Knocking down DISC1 (a major risk factor for schizophrenia) expression in cortex leads to miswiring of neurons (Top is control, bottom is DISC1 knock-down), from:
A. Kamiya et al., "A Schizophrenia-Associated Mutation of DISC1 Perturbs Cerebral Cortex Development,"
Nature Cell Biology 7, 1167 (2005)
Featured as Runner-Up for Science's Top Breakthrough of 2005.

Message from the PI

The Akira Sawa lab is affiliated with both the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  In the Department of Psychiatry, we lead basic and translational research for schizophrenia, appointed as the “Program in Molecular Psychiatry”.  Taking advantage of our roles in both basic and clinical departments, we cover from basic molecular dissection of pathogenesis to translational and clinical studies aiming to establish biomarkers for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.  In our laboratory, some members work on basic studies and others on clinical studies, communicating with each other closely.

The lab is also involved in the Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine (CMM).  Our lab accepts graduate students from both Neuroscience and CMM programs, clinical fellows for research from psychiatry, and undergraduate students from the Homewood campus.  In addition, the PI is in charge of lecturing on schizophrenia in both Neuroscience and CMM programs.

Akira Sawa, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Program in Molecular Psychiatry
Principal Investigator, the Akira Sawa Lab
Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Neuroscience
Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Phone: 410-955-4726
Email: asawa1@jhmi.edu
Address: 600 N. Wolfe Street, CMSC 8-117, Baltimore MD 21287, USA