Hirofumi Morishita M.D. Ph.D

Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, & Ophthalmology
Mindich Child Health & Development Institute
Friedman Brain Institute
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai Faculty Profile
Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, & Ophthalmology
Mindich Child Health & Development Institute
Friedman Brain Institute
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mount Sinai Faculty Profile
Hirofumi Morishita is an Associate Professor (tenured) of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He is also a faculty member of interdisciplinary Mindich Child Health & Development Institute, and Friedman Brain Institute. His research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of developmental critical periods for cortical maturation to establish perception and cognition relevant to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. His laboratory takes an integrated approach, combining molecular, anatomical, imaging, electrophysiological, and behavior methodologies using mouse models. His research revealed key molecular and circuit level mechanisms of cortical maturation supporting perception (Journal of Neuroscience 2020, 2016, 2015, Science 2010), cognition (Neuron 2021, Nature Communications 2020), and social behavior (Nature Neuroscience 2020, Nature Communications 2020). Hirofumi Morishita received his PhD from Osaka University after Psychiatry residency at National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry in Tokyo and medical school training at Kyushu University (MD). Before joining Mount Sinai, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at Takao Hensch lab, Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School.
Awards & Honors
- 2021-: Full Membership, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)
- 2020: One Mind Bipolar Research Award
- 2020-: Regular Member, NIH study section Neuroscience of Basic Visual Processes (NBVP)
- 2016-: Associate Member, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)
- 2015: Inaugural Faculty Innovative Collaborations-Idea Prize, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- 2012: Travel Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP)
Funding
Active
- 2021: Richard and Susan Friedman Research Scholar Award (with Dr. Rita Goldstein)
- 2020-2023: R01 EY031009, National Eye Institute
- 2019 - 2024: R01 MH119523, National Institute of Mental Health
- 2019 - 2024: R01 MH120265, National Institute of Mential Health
- 2015 - 2021 (NCE): R01 EY024918, National Eye Institute
- 2019 - 2021: SFARI pilot award
Completed
- 2017 - 2019: R21 NS105119 (BRAIN Initiative), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- 2015 - 2019: R01 EY026053, National Eye Institute
- 2017 - 2019: R21 EY026702, National Eye Institute
- 2015 - 2017: R21 MH106919, National Institute of Mental Health
- 2014, 2016, 2019: Mindich Child Health & Development Institute Pilot Grant
- 2013 - 2015: Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Awards, March of Dimes
- 2012 - 2015: Research Grant, Whitehall Foundation
- 2012 - 2014: Early Career-Starter Research Grant, Knights Templar Eye Foundation
- 2012 - 2014: Young Investigator Award, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD)