Hiro Furukawa

Hiro Furukawa is a Professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and a member of the Cancer Center and Neuroscience departments. He leads the Furukawa Lab, focusing on the structure and function of neurotransmitter receptors, particularly NMDA receptors, which are critical for neuronal communication. His research aims to understand how these receptors contribute to neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and schizophrenia, and to design therapeutic compounds targeting these receptors.

Education:

• Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Tokyo (2001)
• B.S., Chemistry, Tufts University (1995)
• Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Vollum Institute and Columbia University (2001–2006)

Research Interests: Structural biology of NMDA receptors, X-ray crystallography, allosteric modulation, neurodegenerative diseases, and drug discovery. His lab uses cutting-edge techniques to elucidate receptor mechanisms and develop treatments.

Publications: Furukawa has published extensively on NMDA receptor structures, channel gating mechanisms, and their roles in diseases. Recent work includes breakthroughs in understanding autoimmune encephalitis and drug targeting.

Awards: Includes the Nakaakira Tsukahara Memorial Award (2021) and recognition in the Blavatnik Awards (2017).

Advising & Grants: Mentored numerous students and postdocs. Active in collaborative research and securing grants for structural biology and drug development.

Labs/Teams: Furukawa Lab, CSHL Cancer Center, and collaborations with institutions like the Stanley Institute for Cognitive Genomics.