大槻 元

これまで、京都大学大学院医学研究科 創薬医学講座の特定教授として、脳の炎症と精神疾患発症機序の究明を目指し、げっ歯類とヒトでの精神障害の回復を目指す研究を行ってきました。2025年度からは、高次脳科学講座 神経生物学分野にて、神経変性疾患と精神疾患に関するマウスモデルとヒト病態の機序解明と回復法の開発に取り組んでいます。

研究手法は、電気生理学的手法（多細胞パッチクランプ、樹状突起記録、シナプス伝達、膜興奮性、長期可塑性など、脳切片下の記録）と in vivo 電気生理学記録、イメージング（共焦点顕微鏡、二光子顕微鏡、超解像顕微鏡、小動物核磁気画像法（fMRI））、ミクログリア解析、げっ歯類での行動実験、光・薬理遺伝学的操作、大規模データ解析（細胞レベルイメージングデータ、深層学習、生成AI、ヒトコホートデータ解析（安静時MRI）、超多重抗体染色（空間プロテオミクス）、RNA空間解析、Patch-seqなど）を行っています。他に、細胞レベル数理モデルシミュレーションなども行いました。現在はマルチオミクスと細胞種特異的遺伝子改変を用いた精神疾患と神経変性疾患のプログラミングや人工知能を使った解析および治療法開発を目指しています。特に小脳と脳免疫の機能連関に興味があります。

尊敬する多くの先生方の背中を見て、日々チームの皆で研究開発に精励しております。いつか世界中の疾患に苦しまれる多くの方々の力になる研究開発を推進させます。変わらぬご指導ご鞭撻のほど戴けましたら、幸甚にございます。

English:

As a Professor (Program-specific) of the Department of Drug Discovery Medicine at the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, I have been conducting research aimed at elucidating the mechanisms underlying neuroinflammation and the onset of psychiatric disorders, with the ultimate goal of promoting recovery from mental illness in both rodents and humans.

Starting in the 2025 academic year, I have joined the Division of Neurobiology within the Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Sciences. Here, I am engaged in research focusing on elucidating the mechanisms of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders using mouse models and human pathology, as well as developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Our methodologies include electrophysiological techniques (such as multi-cell patch-clamp recordings, dendritic recordings, synaptic transmission analysis, membrane excitability, and long-term plasticity in brain slices), in vivo electrophysiological recordings, imaging techniques (including confocal, two-photon, and super-resolution microscopy, as well as small animal fMRI), microglial analysis, behavioral experiments in rodents, opto- and pharmacogenetic manipulations, and large-scale data analyses (including cellular-level imaging data, deep learning, generative AI, human cohort data analysis using resting-state MRI, highly multiplexed antibody staining for spatial proteomics, spatial transcriptomics, and Patch-seq). Additionally, we have conducted simulations using mathematical modeling at the cellular level.

Currently, we are aiming to develop new approaches for understanding and treating psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders by integrating multi-omics data and cell type–specific genetic modifications, alongside AI-based analysis and therapeutic development. In particular, we are deeply interested in the functional interaction between the cerebellum and brain immune systems.

Guided and inspired by the many distinguished researchers I deeply respect, I work diligently with my team to advance our research and development. It is my sincere hope that our work will one day contribute to alleviating the suffering of people affected by brain disorders worldwide. I would be most grateful for your continued guidance and support.