UMCUniversity of Massachusetts Chan Medical School · Neuroscience
Serotonin and Sex Differences in Autism Lab
Kensuke Futai · Worcester, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Kensuke Futai's lab at the University of Massachusetts Medical School focuses on understanding how serotonin signaling differs between males and females, particularly in the context of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The lab studies the molecular mechanisms involving Neurexins, which are proteins that play a vital role in the formation and regulation of synapses in the brain. Through their research, the lab aims to uncover how these mechanisms contribute to the gender bias observed in ASD diagnoses and could help identify new treatment targets for cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.
serotoninautism spectrum disordersex differencesNeurexinssynapse developmentsocial behaviormolecular mechanismsneurodevelopmental disorderscognitive behaviortrans-synaptic interactions
Research Aims
3AIM 01Identify Neurexin genes important for the sex-dependent development of serotonin release.
AIM 02Investigate sex-dependent structural development of the serotonin system in the hippocampus.
AIM 03Determine the role of Neurexin genes in sex-dependent social behavior.
Skills the Lab Values
mouse modelsmolecular biology techniqueselectrophysiologyprotein interaction assayssuperresolution microscopyRNA sequencingbehavioral testingcell culturegenetic manipulation techniquesdata analysis with Python
Output against the department
Publications73bottom 20% of dept.533rd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.8kbottom 29% of dept.476th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.