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Project Managing Group
The Project Managing Group has three members (Hitoshi Okazawa, Takeshi Iwatsubo, and Nobuyuki Nukina) and a further three co-investigators (Yasunori Hayashi, Haruhisa Inoue and Masahisa Katsuno). This group takes charge of supporting research projects and of managing and planning symposia and area meetings.
It will also take a role in decision-making on project management, together with evaluation committee members outside of the projects in question, in the evaluation of member’s research projects, and in providing advice to members.
A01 Synapse Pathology
Members: Hitoshi Okazawa, Takeshi Iwatsubo
The team aims to elucidate the molecular process from gene mutation to synapse abnormality, having gone through various dysfunctions of neuron in different degenerative diseases, developmental disorders and mental disorders. Also, by integrating knowledge provided from different brain diseases researches, the team will try to clarify similarities beyond difference of progression of pathology and of lesion distribution. Based on the above, we also intend to establish a new classification of neuropsychiatric diseases based on synapse pathology. In addition to approaches extended from existing ideas in pathological neuroscience, original research projects by basic neuroscientists are also expected.
A02 Circuit Pathology
Members: Nobuyuki Nukina, Masahisa Katsuno
Research on molecular pathology which causes selective dysfunction of neurocircuit. Bulbospinal muscular atrophy (BSMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) selectively attack motoneurons. Huntington’s disease affects striatum predominantly from the early stage. From research aiming to elucidate a basic mechanism of the selectivity, the team expects to identify certain factors which promote neurocircuit-specific dysfunction of neurons as well as those which keep the neuronal viability of specific neurocircuits. The team is willing to invite into their research public basic medical scientists who specialize in circuit selectivity as seen in other brain diseases.
A03 New Techniques
Members: Yasunori Hayashi, Haruhisa Inoue
In addition to the approaches seen in A01 and A02, we plan to add to this project research on new molecular imaging and stem cells, in order to raise the academic level of the overall project. Also, by inviting in public researchers, our project will be able to utilize innovative imaging techniques and original model animals. These new techniques will promote the sharing of achievements between each group, and accelerate the overall pace of research. At our technical core will be a high-end Multiphoton Laser Scanning Microscope, which the steering committee will purchase so that exchange among project members can be promoted. We also intend to foster the next generation of researchers and to hand over the baton of brain diseases research to them through this project.
