Young Scientists at BRI

Satoshi Miyashita

Assistant Professor, Dept of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders -Ueno Lab

Interview

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.

Tell us about the research you've been doing.

I have been studying how the development and evolution of the cerebellum, which is located at the back of the head, are regulated from embryonic to postnatal period. The cerebellum is a very good model to study, but its developmental and evolutional mechanisms are not fully understood. My earlier research has uncovered that the cerebellum has a very efficient system to produce abundant cells.

What attracts you to do research at BRI?

I think one of the advantages of BRI is the fact that basic researchers and clinicians are within close reach. It has only been less than two years since I took up a post at BRI, but I have already been able to collaborate with clinical doctors. A research group of neurosurgeons had focused on an interesting tumor-related gene. I assisted them with bioinformatic analysis and suggested its expression machinery in some subgroup of medulloblastoma (Natsumeda, 2022). I would like to continue to collaborate with clinical doctors on exciting research projects.

What research are you currently working on and what are your future goals?

Currently, I am not only engaged in research on the development of the cerebellum, which I have been working on, but also in big data analysis of clinical research by utilizing my knowledge of bioinformatics. The future of medicine and biology requires experts in all technologies to collaborate and develop integrated research. I would like to carry out research at BRI, making use of my own expertise.

Interviewed03 in December 2022.

Rie Saito

Assistant Professor, Dept of Pathology

Interview

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.

What attracts you to do research at BRI?

BRI is the only research institute in Japan dedicated to studying the brain and neurological diseases, where basic and clinical departments work together. This privileged environment faciliates us to develop research that integrates basic and clinical skills. We also have a wide range of researchers with a high level of expertise, which allows us to take a multifaceted approach beyond the boundaries between laboratories. I have been able to develop a 3D pathological analysis of human autopsy samples applying the tissue clearing protocol established in basic research, in addition to the conventional 2D pathological analysis. Besides, Asahimachi campus, where BRI is located, is in an educational district with a mix of residential areas, providing a calm and comfortable environment for parenting. I think this is a significant aspect of achieving a good work-life balance.

What is the most interesting and challenging aspect of your current work or research?

Neuropathology is the medical specialty that deals with pathological diagnosis of the nervous system collected at autopsy or surgery. It is also important to ensure that valuable autopsy brains are stored properly and used for tomorrow's medical research. BRI is a hub for both clinical and basic research of the nervous system, so I find it a fascinating to work here where I can make new discoveries and meet people from many different fields every day. I am currently working on the pathology of cerebral small vessel disease. Despite the fact that abnormalities of cerebral small vessels are involved in various diseases, it has been difficult to capture dynamic and three-dimensional abnormalities of cerebral small vessels from pathological specimens. It is a difficult and challenging task but I am gradually gaining new knowledge through my clinical experience and the basic research expertise that BRI offers.

What kind of research would you like to do in the future?

As a physician engaged in research, I would like to develop my research based on the knowledge gained from the most advanced pathological techniques, so that the research findings can serve to clinical medicine. The degeneration of cerebral small vessels has been summarized and described as arteriolosclerosis pathologically, but analysis has shown that there are several types of morphology and development of the lesions. There are patients with vascular dementia along with stroke survivors experiencing movement disorders, but there is still no fundamental treatment that addresses the cerebral small vessels themselves. I hope to elucidate structural abnormalities in the cerebral microcirculation system, which will help us to understand the pathogenesis and develop therapeutic strategies.

Motokazu Uchigashima

Associate Professor, Dept of Cellular Neuropathology

Interview

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.

Tell us about the research you've been doing.

There is a lot of information being exchanged in our brains. A synapse plays a prominent role in this. Understanding synapses is an important topic in neuroscience, as they are known to undergo functional changes during memory and learning, and abnormalities in synapses are thought to be a cause of neuropsychiatric disorders. I have been using antibodies to visualize the distribution of molecules to reveal the molecular composition of synapses.

What attracts you to do research at BRI?

I think that the size of the institute is just right. BRI is smaller than other research institute on neuroscience, but it is a good place to carry out cutting edge research by a small group of people, and we have many opportunities to connect with other labs, which creates a good environment for interdisciplinary research. Our research is backed up not only by the facilities of high quality, but also by the competent administrative and technical staff who are like family.

What research are you currently working on and what are your future goals?

I find it fascinating to see neurons through a microscope that no one else in the world has seen yet. Molecular labeling techniques, in which BRI excels, are making it possible to observe the functional molecules of synapses from whole living neurons.
The ultimate goal of my research is to observe and understand the behaviour of all the molecules that make up the synapse, the fundamental element of neurotransmission, under brain activity. This is a technically challenging goal at the moment, but I hope to apply research at various level being carried out at BRI to create new breakthroughs.

Interviewed 02,01 in January 2021.

TOP