Makoto Inoue

Makoto Inoue serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Biosciences within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He maintains additional appointments as Associate Professor in Nutritional Sciences, Associate Professor at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, and Affiliate of the Personalized Nutrition Initiative at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology.

His research centers on neuroimmunology with emphasis on molecular and cellular mechanisms in autoimmune disorders (particularly multiple sclerosis models), infectious disease complications, and neurodegenerative conditions. Key investigations explore estrogen-mediated immune modulation, neuroinflammatory pathways in EAE, T cell dynamics in CNS infections, and astrocyte-inflammasome interactions. His work bridges immunological principles with neural disease pathogenesis through sophisticated murine models and molecular techniques.

Recent publications reveal a cohesive research trajectory examining bidirectional neuro-immune communication, with particular focus on sex hormone influences, infection-triggered neuroinflammation, and late-stage disease mechanisms. The 2022-2025 publications demonstrate consistent exploration of how peripheral immune events (lymph node estrogen levels, T cell infiltration) manifest as neurological dysfunction, while incorporating environmental and hormonal variables in disease progression.

As an active Neuroscience Program faculty member, Dr. Inoue collaborates across multiple institutional platforms including the Beckman Institute's advanced imaging facilities and the Institute for Genomic Biology's personalized nutrition initiatives, positioning his work at the intersection of basic neuroimmunology and translational therapeutic development.