<p>Dr. Hideki Mutai, DVM, PhD, is a Lecturer in Kitasato University School of Medicine. His research focuses on the molecular genetics and pathophysiology of hereditary hearing loss, integrating otorhinolaryngology, genomics, molecular biology, and cell biology.</p> <p>He has worked on identifying the genetic causes of hearing impairment, particularly through genomic studies of Japanese patients with hereditary and syndromic hearing loss using whole-exome sequencing. His research has contributed to improved molecular diagnosis and a better understanding of the genetic heterogeneity of deafness.</p> <p>A major focus of his work is SLC12A2-associated hearing loss, DFNA78. He contributed to the identification of pathogenic SLC12A2 variants in patients with nonsyndromic hearing loss and has further investigated their disease mechanisms using experimental model mouse.</p>