Dr. Toyoda was born in Osaka, Japan to a South Korean mother and Japanese father. Her parents hoped that she would have a future working internationally and named her Erika, since it is a common name in Japan as well as other countries. She moved to Rapid City, South Dakota at the age of 7 and enjoyed growing up there in the beautiful Black Hills just half an hour away from the iconic Mount Rushmore. She attended the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, SD for her undergraduate training, going onto the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine for her medical degree.

When she isn't taking care of patients, Erika enjoys singing, jewelry making and various forms of art. She played the violin from 4th-12th grade and hopes to play again someday. Erika enjoys traveling and has returned to Japan and visited South Korea numerous times. She hopes to travel all around Europe in the future.