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Kafui Dzirasa

A. Eugene and Marie Washington Presidential Distinguished Professor
Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences
Box 3209 Medctr, Durham, NC 27710
Bryan Research Bldg, Room 361, Durham, NC 27710

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


A. Eugene and Marie Washington Presidential Distinguished Professor · 2023 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · 2023 - Present Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Behavioral Medicine & Neurosciences, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Professor in Neurobiology · 2023 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments
Professor in Neurosurgery · 2023 - Present Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery
Professor of Biomedical Engineering · 2025 - Present Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Investigator in the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2013 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers

Recent News Items


Published May 22, 2026
New ‘Wire’ Points to New Treatment Approach for Neurological Disorders
Published August 26, 2024
Duke 100 Trailblazer: Kafui Dzirasa
Published March 19, 2024
Duke Awards 32 New Distinguished Professorships for 2024

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Recent Scholarly Works


Long-term editing of brain circuits using an engineered electrical synapse.

Journal article Nature · May 13, 2026 Electrical signalling across distinct populations of brain cells underpins cognitive and emotional function. However, approaches that selectively regulate electrical signalling between two cellular components of a mammalian neural circuit remain sparse. He ... Full text Link to item Cite

Sleep-Wake States Are Encoded across Emotion Regulation Regions of the Mouse Brain.

Journal article eNeuro · November 2025 Emotional dysregulation is highly comorbid with sleep disturbances. Sleep is composed of unique physiological states that are reflected by conserved brain oscillations. Though the role of these state-dependent oscillations in cognitive function has been we ... Full text Link to item Cite

Developing algorithmic psychiatry via multi-level spanning computational models.

Journal article Cell Rep Med · May 20, 2025 Modern psychiatry faces challenges in translating neurobiological insights into treatments for severe illnesses. The mid-20th century witnessed the rise of molecular mechanisms as pathophysiological and treatment models, with recent holistic proposals keep ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


2/3 CTSA K12 Program at Duke University

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030

Pharmacological Sciences Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030

Editing affective network relays to prevent stress induced behavioral pathology

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Hope for Depression Research Foundation · 2026 - 2029

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Education


Duke University, School of Medicine · 2009 M.D.
Duke University · 2007 Ph.D.