Member Spotlight: Haruhisa Inoue, MD, PhD

Haruhisa Inoue, MD, PhD
Center for iPS cell Research and Application (CiRA) & RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC), Japan

Hometown
Kyoto, Japan

Current Residence
Kyoto, Japan

Graduate Degree
MD and PhD

Postdoc Work
Since graduation, I have been involved in research into pathophysiology and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, ALS and dementia.

Current Position
Professor and Deputy Director, the Center for iPS cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University

Team Leader, iPSC-based Drug Discovery and Development Team, RIKEN BioResource Research Center(BRC)

ISSCR Participation
Stem Cell Reports Editor for Neural Stem Cells

• What is the current focus of your research?

  Translational and reverse translational research of neurodegenerative diseases with patient iPSCs.

• How would you explain the significance of this work to a lay audience?

  Our findings could lead to the discovery and development of treatments for neurodegenerative diseases for which there is no cure.

• What do you find most rewarding about your work?

  It is rewarding when our research and development team overcomes one by one the challenges in the process of conducting therapeutic research and when we receive words of support from patients, families and caregivers for the results.

• What led you to become a scientist and to stem cell research?

  The need to analyze the motor neurons of patients in the process of researching animal models of ALS led to research into the generation of neural cells from skin stem cells, which is how my stem cell research began.

• What guidance would you share in talking with trainees interested in pursuing your area of research?

  Findings, ideas and approaches from different fields often provide significant clues. Keep an open mind, have fresh eyes, and try to learn.

• Do you have any mentors or individuals who have inspired you in your stem cell work?

  It was while I was in the laboratory of my study-abroad mentor, Professor Ole Isacson, that I came up with the idea of using stem cells from patients as disease models. A while after returning to Japan, I started stem cell research in the laboratory of Professor Yamanaka, the current Director Emeritus of our institute, who allowed me to generate iPSCs from ALS patient skin cells.

• How do you spend your free time?

  Walking on the thoughtful strolls along the side of the Kamo River, around the Imperial Palace, or along unfamiliar paths in Kyoto.

• What is something your peers would be surprised to learn about you?

  It is about farming the fields, building compost, growing organic vegetables and cooking with them. Cooking from the preparation of materials is an experiment with infinite possibilities.

• You will soon join the Stem Cell Reports editorial team as an Associate Editor. Please share more about your new role, what it means to you, and what types of manuscripts you are looking to publish.

  I would like to contribute to the publication of benchmark papers in stem cell research and papers that are unexpected and unpredictable in terms of their data. By doing so, I hope to further develop this area with authors, readers and my colleagues.

• What do you most value about your membership with the ISSCR?

  It is invaluable to be able to connect with colleagues from around the world who share common goals and objectives, and to have face-to-face, direct discussions with researchers of different generations.