Dr. Edward Twomey

“Turning a once ‘undruggable’ brain receptor into a treatment target—opening new doors for therapies in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression

Communication between neurons occurs at synapses, where specialized proteins regulate the transmission of signals that underlie thought, emotion, and adaptation. Disruption of synaptic signaling is linked to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. One protein, glutamate receptor delta-1 (GluD1), encoded by the GRID1 gene, plays a key role in organizing synapses and is strongly associated with these illnesses. Long believed to be a non-functional receptor, Dr. Twomey’s recent work revealed that GluD1 is in fact a ligand-gated ion channel—making it a potential direct target for drug development. This project will determine GluD1’s detailed structure and function, investigate how disease-associated mutations alter its activity, and identify compounds that can modulate it. By establishing GluD1 as a druggable target, this research could open a new frontier in the treatment of psychiatric disorders at the level of core brain circuitry.

Edward Twomey’s Bio

Edward C. Twomey, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biophysics & Biophysical Chemistry, and Neuroscience, at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he also co-directs the Beckman Center for Cryo-Electron Microscopy. He leads the Twomey Lab, which combines cryo-electron microscopy, biochemistry, and structural biology to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, and neurodegeneration. His research focuses on ionotropic glutamate receptors, which enable neuronal communication, to provide foundations for therapeutic design across neurological disorders. Dr. Twomey earned his BS in biochemistry with distinction from Seton Hall University, his PhD with distinction from Columbia University in the laboratories of Dr. Alexander Sobolevsky and Dr. Joachim Frank, and completed postdoctoral training with Dr. Tom Rapoport at Harvard Medical School. His work generates atomic-level insights that inform new therapeutic strategies for brain disorders.