Interview | Brain Research Institute, Niigata University

Young Scientists

2023.09.28

Yuka Koike

I earned an MD degree from Niigata University, followed by intensive neurology training, during which I served at various hospitals in Niigata Prefecture, including Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital. Concurrently, I embarked on my PhD research journey, focusing on unraveling the molecular pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. After earning my PhD, I continued my academic pursuits at Mayo Clinic Florida. I am presently involved in neurodegenerative disease research in the Department of Molecular Neuroscience while also practicing as a neurologist.
Young Scientists

2023.09.20

Godfried Dougnon

I completed my Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at Kyoto University, where I primarily focused on investigating the sedative, anxiolytic, and antidepressant properties of naturally occurring chemical compounds. I joined the Brain Research Institute (BRI) in 2022 because of my interest in brain disorders, and since, I have been a part of some fascinating studies on Alzheimer's disease, as well as neurodevelopmental disorders like autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), using drug-induced or genetically engineered zebrafish and mouse models.
Young Scientists

2022.12.01

Satoshi Miyashita

Dr Miyashita earned his PhD from Waseda University and worked as a research fellow at Dept of Biochemistry & Cellular Biology, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry. He joined BRI's Dept of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders in 2021, where he carries out his research on neural development and brain disorders with bioinformatic approach.
Female Scientists

2022.11.01

Kanako Oda

Research using genetically modified animals has become an indispensable tool for producing human diseases and elucidating their mechanisms. The main tasks of my research are to create genetically modified animals for the assigned research and to preserve them as bioresources.
Young Scientists

2021.01.01

Rie Saito

Dr Rie Saito obtained her MD degree from Niigata university and joined a neurology residency program at Toranomon Hospital before starting her PhD at Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences. She studied neuropathology at BRI and is currently working as a neuropathologist in the Dept of Pathology Neuroscience.
Young Scientists

2021.01.01

Motokazu Uchigashima

Dr Uchigashima obtained his PhD from Hokkaido University and worked as an assistant professor at Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, followed by a visiting scholar at University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is currently working on research on the distribution of synaptic molecules in the BRI Department of Cellular Neuropathology.
Female Scientists

2018.02.01

Yuriko Iwakura

In the central nervous system, "neurotransmitters" are vital for normal transmission, and so are "neurotrophic factors" for regulating the survival and growth of neurons. Recent studies show that they don't only independently but mutually regulate one another by means of "cross talk".