[ Research Area ]
Endogenous or functional psychoses, such as schizophrenia and mood disorders, are relatively common diseases that show a chronic course. Once the disease develops, the patient's quality of life deteriorates substantially. This is because there are no ideal medical treatments, a reflection of the largely unknown etiology of these illnesses. Considering the immense personal and social loss induced by mental disorders, it is imperative to identify the mechanisms of the diseases, so as to develop fundamental therapies and effective prevention.
Our current efforts focus on strategies that aim to identify susceptibility genes for psychiatric disorders, by employing molecular and behavioral genetic approaches that utilize both human samples and animal models. We hope that these endeavors will lead to a better understanding of neuropsychiatric diseases at the molecular level and eventually contribute to improving the welfare of patients suffering from these disorders.

[ Research Subjects ]
(1) Genome-wide linkage disequilibrium scanning of functional psychoses
(2) Genetic and functional analyses of candidate genes
(3) Studies on animal models