东京大学、京都大学、大阪大学等日本QS前10名大学的研究室信息。
Professor Yoshiteru Kagawa's research lab focuses on the role of intracellular lipid-binding proteins, particularly Fatty Acid Binding Protein 7 (FABP7), in brain development, glioma biology, and neuroinflammation. The lab investigates how FABP7 regulates lipid metabolism, membrane microdomain dynamics (e.g., lipid rafts), and signal transduction in astrocytes and glial cells, with implications for brain tumor progression and neurodegenerative processes. A central theme is the interplay between FABP7 and metabolic pathways such as acetyl-CoA production via ATP-citrate lyase, as well as its role in modulating responses to bioactive lipids and cannabinoids. The lab also explores FABP4 in microglial immunometabolism, highlighting its contribution to neuroinflammatory diseases.
Professor Yoshitaka Adachi's research lab specializes in advanced materials science and intelligent mechatronics, focusing on the microstructure-property relationships in functional alloys—particularly Ti-Ni shape memory alloys and low-carbon steels—through experimental and computational approaches. The lab also pioneers haptic interface technologies for immersive human-machine interaction, integrating control systems with real-time force feedback. Recent work emphasizes data-driven materials design using machine learning and deep learning for microstructure classification and inverse materials optimization.
Professor Yoshihisa Hirakawa's research lab focuses on long-term care, palliative care, and geriatric health services, with an emphasis on improving the quality of life for older adults in community and home-based settings. The lab investigates care coordination, advance care planning, and person-centered rehabilitation—particularly for frail, elderly, and dementia-affected individuals. Key research directions include the impact of non-pharmacological interventions such as home massage therapy, job satisfaction among home-care workers, and systemic barriers to effective end-of-life care. The lab employs qualitative and mixed-methods approaches to address challenges in integrated, community-based care delivery in Japan and beyond.
Professor Sumio Yamada's research spans diverse scientific domains, including clinical cardiology and frailty assessment in heart failure patients, where his work highlights prognostic markers and risk stratification. He also investigates infectious diseases, particularly enteric pathogens like Aeromonas species in travellers, contributing to global health epidemiology. In materials science, his research explores magnetic properties and energy loss mechanisms in magnetic materials, focusing on domain wall dynamics and eddy current behavior. Additionally, he contributes to theoretical mathematics, particularly in Teichmüller theory and the geometry of moduli spaces via the Weil-Petersson metric.
Professor Teppei Kitahara's research lab specializes in beyond-the-Standard-Model (BSM) physics, with a strong focus on flavor physics, CP violation, and the interplay between precision flavor observables and new physics. The lab investigates anomalies in kaon decays—such as the ε′/ε discrepancy and the KOTO signal—using effective field theory, renormalization group methods, and lattice QCD inputs to probe new physics scenarios. They also explore dark matter models mediated by light bosons, including protophobic 16.7 MeV vector bosons, and examine connections between flavor anomalies and dark sector phenomenology. Their work emphasizes model-independent constraints and the development of analytic tools for precision calculations in quantum field theory.
Professor Yoshikatsu Matsubayashi's research lab specializes in plant cell signaling, with a primary focus on peptide-mediated intercellular communication in plant growth, development, and environmental adaptation. The lab investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying systemic nutrient sensing—particularly nitrogen signaling—and the role of small signaling peptides such as CLE, phytosulfokine, and NRT1.11-related peptides in regulating root and shoot development through specific receptor kinase pathways. Using biochemical, genetic, and cell biological approaches, the lab identifies and characterizes novel peptide ligands and their receptors, revealing fundamental principles of plant signaling networks.
Professor Hirokazu Matsushita's research lab focuses on deciphering the immunological mechanisms underlying anti-tumor immune responses, particularly in the context of T cell exhaustion, neoantigen recognition, and the tumor microenvironment. The lab employs multi-omics approaches—integrating whole-exome and RNA sequencing, gene expression profiling, and functional immunology—to identify predictive biomarkers and novel immunotherapeutic targets in solid tumors such as melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. A central theme is understanding how tumor-intrinsic factors like neoantigen load and frequency, combined with immune cell dynamics, influence patient outcomes and response to immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint blockade. The lab also develops innovative in vivo models, including fluorescent cell-cycle reporters, to visualize real-time immune-tumor interactions.
Professor Takehiro Torisu's research lab focuses on gastrointestinal immunology and mucosal inflammation, with a particular emphasis on the molecular mechanisms underlying insulin resistance, autoimmune hepatitis, and gastric lymphomagenesis. The lab investigates the roles of SOCS proteins in metabolic and immune disorders, explores the gut microbiota in H. pylori-negative gastric MALT lymphoma, and develops AI-assisted tools for small bowel capsule endoscopy. Their work bridges basic immunology with clinical gastroenterology, aiming to uncover novel therapeutic targets and diagnostic tools.
Professor Takuya Hosokai's research lab specializes in the design and characterization of advanced organic semiconductors, with a focus on thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials, luminescent radicals, and organic thin films. The lab investigates the electronic and photophysical properties of these materials to enable efficient light-emitting devices, particularly through controlling excited-state dynamics such as reverse intersystem crossing and exciton management. Key research directions include molecular engineering for enhanced photostability and quantum yield, structural control of organic thin films, and in situ structural-optical correlation studies using advanced spectroscopic techniques.
Professor Fumina Tanaka's research lab specializes in non-destructive imaging and material characterization, focusing on the internal structural changes in agricultural products such as cucumber fruit during post-harvest storage. The lab employs X-ray computed tomography (CT) to quantitatively analyze physical properties like density, porosity, and elastic modulus, enabling real-time monitoring of quality deterioration. Their work bridges food science, materials science, and biomedical imaging, with applications in optimizing storage conditions and improving shelf-life prediction. The lab also explores the correlation between X-ray absorptivity and mechanical properties to support sustainable food preservation strategies.
Professor Osamu Ichii's research lab focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying kidney diseases, particularly glomerulonephritis and chronic kidney disease (CKD), with an emphasis on microRNAs, uremic toxins like indoxyl sulfate, and podocyte injury. The lab investigates non-coding RNAs as regulatory molecules and biomarkers in renal pathophysiology, using both murine models and translational studies in dogs. Key research directions include the role of miR-26a and other microRNAs in podocyte function, the impact of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation by uremic toxins, and the identification of urinary exosome-derived microRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for kidney disease. The lab also explores genetic susceptibility loci in autoimmune kidney disease models, such as B6.MRLc1 mice, to dissect the molecular basis of lupus nephritis.
Professor Masaki Eda's research lab specializes in molecular archaeology and evolutionary biology, focusing on the origins and domestication of birds, particularly chickens and geese, using integrated approaches such as histology, stable isotope analysis, and mitochondrial DNA sequencing. The lab investigates the genetic and biological markers of domestication, including medullary bone formation and mitochondrial tandem duplications, to trace the evolutionary history and population structure of endangered seabirds like albatrosses. Their work bridges archaeology, ecology, and genomics to understand human-animal interactions and species adaptation in prehistoric East Asia.
Professor Masabumi Minami's research lab focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation, cytokine signaling, and neuroimmune interactions in the central nervous system. The lab investigates the roles of cytokines, chemokines, and signaling pathways such as JAK-STAT in neurological disorders, including ischemic brain injury and chronic pain. Using molecular cloning, transgenic models, and electrophysiological techniques, the lab explores neuronal plasticity in brain regions like the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and their contributions to comorbid pain and psychiatric symptoms. A key focus is identifying novel therapeutic targets for CNS diseases through the study of endogenous modulators such as interleukins, opioid receptors, and lipid mediators.
Professor Kohei Yamamoto's research lab specializes in intelligent signal processing and machine learning for biomedical and environmental applications. The lab focuses on non-invasive vital sign monitoring using radar and sensor-based technologies, particularly Doppler radar for contactless heartbeat and R-R interval detection. Key research directions include deep learning-based signal reconstruction, quantization techniques for efficient deployment on edge devices, and advanced signal processing for low-SNR environments. The lab also contributes to environmental noise prediction modeling, reflecting a multidisciplinary approach combining health technology and acoustic science.
Professor Yuqi Zhou's research lab specializes in biomedical data science and intelligent diagnostics, focusing on the application of machine learning and imaging technologies to understand platelet dynamics in thrombotic and inflammatory diseases. The lab integrates high-throughput imaging flow cytometry, convolutional neural networks, and multi-modal single-cell analysis to classify platelet aggregates and immune cells in complex biological samples, particularly in the context of COVID-19 and cardiovascular disorders. A key research direction involves leveraging AI-driven image analysis to uncover disease-specific cellular phenotypes and improve diagnostic accuracy. The lab also explores the optimization of scientific research efficiency in higher education institutions through data-driven evaluation models.
Professor Hiroyasu Onaka's research lab specializes in the discovery and biosynthesis of bioactive natural products, particularly antibiotics and secondary metabolites from actinomycetes such as *Streptomyces* and *Lechevalieria*. The lab focuses on elucidating the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying the production of complex natural products, including indolocarbazole antibiotics like staurosporine and rebeccamycin, as well as novel polypeptide antibiotics such as goadsporin. A key research direction involves harnessing microbial interactions—especially coculture systems—to activate silent or cryptic biosynthetic gene clusters and unlock new natural product diversity. The lab also investigates regulatory systems and signaling molecules that control secondary metabolism and sporulation in streptomycetes.
Professor Fumitoshi Ishino's research lab specializes in mammalian epigenetics, with a primary focus on genomic imprinting and its role in development and disease. The lab investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying allele-specific gene expression, particularly the regulation of imprinted genes on mouse chromosomes, using advanced genomic and molecular techniques. Key research directions include identifying imprinted gene clusters, characterizing differentially methylated regions (DMRs), and modeling human imprinting disorders through genetically engineered mouse models. The lab also explores the functional impact of imprinted genes on growth, metabolism, and embryonic viability.
Professor Sinan Cai's research lab focuses on smart grid technologies, with a strong emphasis on renewable energy integration, demand response, and electric vehicle (EV) applications in power system operation and market participation. The lab investigates advanced forecasting methods for electricity prices and renewable generation to enhance market efficiency and system stability, particularly under deregulated market frameworks. Key research directions include model predictive control for EV aggregators, delay-compensation strategies in frequency regulation, and optimizing self-wheeling schemes for photovoltaic systems under imbalance penalty mechanisms.
Professor Noriko Yoshimura's research lab focuses on the epidemiology and pathophysiology of locomotive and metabolic disorders, particularly osteoarthritis and metabolic syndrome, with a comparative approach across populations such as Japan and Britain. The lab investigates the interplay between musculoskeletal health, metabolic factors, and age-related disability, emphasizing risk factors, morphological differences, and the co-occurrence of locomotive organ disorders. Longitudinal studies, including the ROAD study, underpin their work on understanding the progression and prevention of conditions like knee and hip osteoarthritis and their links to cardiovascular and cognitive health.
Professor Tetsuya Takakuwa's research lab focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying immune-related diseases, cancer pathogenesis, and developmental biology. Key research directions include the role of cell death receptors (e.g., Fas) and signaling molecules (e.g., TNF-α, CD14) in autoimmune disorders and lymphomagenesis, as well as chromosomal dynamics and condensin function in genomic stability and lymphoid malignancies. The lab also investigates vascular and neurological complications in congenital and acquired conditions, such as vertebral artery occlusion due to spinal anomalies. Advanced imaging and molecular techniques are employed to study embryonic development and disease progression at the cellular and molecular levels.
