Masashi Tabuchi

Masashi Tabuchi, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine. His research focuses on understanding how neural coding mechanisms regulate persistent internal drives such as sleep, hunger, and molecular signaling. He employs interdisciplinary approaches using Drosophila models and human iPS cells, combining electrophysiology, optogenetics, and machine learning to decode neural activity patterns.

Education:

• PhD in Neuroscience, The University of Tokyo (2013)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University (2019)

Research Interests:

Dr. Tabuchi's lab investigates neural coding's impact on behavior and health, with projects spanning circadian rhythms, protein-specific hunger circuits, Alzheimer's disease mechanisms, and neurotechnology development. Techniques include intracellular electrophysiology, functional imaging, and advanced data analysis platforms.

Key Contributions:

Recent work includes pioneering membrane-coated electrodes for electrophysiology (2024), uncovering age-related neural coding degradation (2022), and identifying DA-WED neurons' role in protein hunger (2017). His interdisciplinary approach bridges basic science and translational medicine.

Awards:

• Neuroscience Society Young Investigator Award (2023)
• NIGMS MIRA Award (2021)
• Whitehall Foundation Fellowships (2021, 2019)

Lab & Collaborations:

The Tabuchi Lab integrates neurotechnology, molecular biology, and behavioral analysis. Current projects target sleep quality mechanisms, Alzheimer's pathophysiology, and hunger circuit plasticity. Collaborations include advanced electrophysiological method development and clinical/translational neuroscience.