Members
13th
Term: Apr. 2023 ～
:Global Type
:Tenure-track Type
● Misa ARIZONO Associate Professor
Research Interests: Neuroscience
Research Topic: Role of astrocytes—the unsung hero of the brain—in neuronal circuits
Host Department: Department of Pharmacology Graduate School of Medicine
Previous Affiliation: Department of Pharmacology Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University
Short Introduction
While brains are generally associated with neurons, as much as half of the brain consists of non-neuronal cells called 'astrocytes'. Astrocytes have long been considered merely supporting cells of neurons, providing them with an optimal environment to function properly. Recent research, however, has shown that astrocytic activity is necessary for important brain functions such as learning and memory. Understanding the physiology of astrocytes is therefore considered an urgent mission, yet the progress is hindered by the intricate and complex morphology of astrocytic processes which cannot be resolved by conventional light microscopy. Taking advantage of so-called 'super-resolution microscopy', which can achieve resolution beyond that of conventional light microscopy, I have revealed the morpho-function of astrocytic processes. In the Hakubi project, I will decipher how the properties of these astrocytic processes determine the nature of neural circuits.
Research activity status (external page)
Latest News
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Mar. 30, 2023
Associate Professor Hirokazu Tahara (Institute for Chemical Research) gave a talk at the JPS Spring Meeting 2023.
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Mar. 20, 2023
Associate Professor Hirokazu Tahara (Institute for Chemical Research) gave a talk at the 70th JSAP Spring Meeting 2023.
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Apr. 28, 2022
Hakubi Seminar Announcement (217th meeting)
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Jan. 24, 2022
The research of Associate Professor Hirokazu TAHARA (Institute for Chemical Research) was published in the Yomiuri Shimbun.
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Dec. 21, 2021
Associate Professor Hirokazu TAHARA (Institute for Chemical Research) published a paper online. (Physical Review B)
