Dr. YANAGAWA Masataka
Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Pharmacology Appointed April 1, 2025.
I earned my Bachelor’s degree from the Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University in 2006, followed by a Ph.D. in 2011 under the supervision of Prof. Yoshinori Shichida. My doctoral research focused on the “Activation Mechanism of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors.” I subsequently completed postdoctoral research on “Thermal activation of rhodopsin and cone pigments” in Prof. Shichida’s laboratory.
In 2013, I joined RIKEN as a Special Postdoctoral Researcher under Prof. Yasushi Sako, where I developed innovative methods for evaluating drug effects based on single-molecule dynamics of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in living cells. From 2023 to early 2025, I worked at Tohoku University with Prof.Asuka Inoue, investigating the “Spatial Regulation Mechanism of GPCR Signaling.”
At Kyoto University, I will continue my research on “Single-molecule Pharmacology of GPCRs” in collaboration with colleagues and students. GPCRs represent major drug targets that convert extracellular stimuli into various intracellular signaling pathways. These receptors regulate the balance of signaling pathways based on drug structure, suggesting that selective pathway targeting could significantly reduce side effects.
I have developed four-color single-molecule fluorescence microscopy to observe how activated GPCRs interact with signaling molecules within 50-200 nm compartments on the plasma membrane. My research has revealed that different drug stimulations recruit different signaling partners to these compartments, a phenomenon critical for pathway selection.
My vision at Kyoto University is to quantitatively understand signal transduction upon drug stimulation through an information science perspective, extending beyond conventional pharmacological approaches. Additionally, I plan to develop advanced microscopy techniques for drug discovery through strategic industry-academic partnerships.