Makoto Fukuda

Makoto Fukuda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine, affiliated with the Children's Nutrition Research Center. His research focuses on neural mechanisms underlying obesity and type 2 diabetes, particularly gut-brain signaling pathways. He holds postdoctoral training from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

• Education: BS from Kyushu University, PhD from University of Tokyo
• Postdoctoral Fellowships: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, UT Southwestern

Key research interests include gut-derived hormones like GIP and their effects on hypothalamic leptin sensitivity. His lab uses organotypic brain slice cultures and in vivo approaches like optogenetics.

Current grants include NIH/NIDDK funding for studies on neural mechanisms of metformin and GIP pathways (2021–2024). Over 54 publications span molecular mechanisms of MAP kinase signaling to CNS metabolic control.