Ms. Karen Kikuta | UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine | United States
Ms. Karen Kikuta is an accomplished MD Candidate at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine with expertise in neuroscience, immunology, and global health research. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience with minors in Public Health and Biology from Santa Clara University and conducted advanced immunological studies at Stanford University’s Binns Program for Cord Blood Research, investigating immune cell subsets using flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing. Her work has resulted in publications in high-impact journals, including Frontiers in Immunology and the International Journal of Infectious Diseases. Karen has contributed to seven major research projects spanning neurodevelopment, infectious disease, and translational medicine, notably pioneering studies on antenatal Zika virus exposure and its long-term neurobehavioral and cardiac outcomes in children. Her research portfolio includes 2 published documents, 45 citations, and an h-index of 2. She has presented findings at national and international conferences, reflecting her dedication to bridging laboratory discoveries with clinical application. As a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association, Karen is committed to integrating scientific innovation with compassionate care to advance understanding and treatment of neuroinfectious and developmental disorders.
Featured publication
Kikuta, K., Hernandez, C. J., Dunshee de Abranches, A., Damasceno, L., de Britto, J. A., Jardim Duarte, C., Vasconcelos, Z., Zin, A., Brasil, P., Moreira, M. E., & Nielsen-Saines, K. (2025). Academic and social-behavioral assessment in a prospective cohort of normocephalic school-aged children with antenatal Zika virus exposure. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 159, Article 108026.