Ryuichi Shigemoto

Ryuichi Shigemoto is a Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) since 2013, focusing on Molecular Neuroscience within the School of Life Sciences. He previously held professorships at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Kyoto University (1998–2013) and Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine (1990–1998). His research pioneers high-resolution methods like SDS-digested freeze-fracture replica labeling to study synaptic molecule localization.

• MD (1985) and PhD (1994) from Kyoto University

His research interests include:

• Ultrastructural localization of glutamate receptors, GABAB receptors, and calcium channels
• Synaptic plasticity mechanisms in cerebellum and hippocampus
• Left-right brain asymmetry and its impact on memory formation
• Neurotransmitter release dynamics using Flash & Freeze techniques

His recent 15 publications span calcium channel organization, receptor subunit composition, and synaptic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s models. Notably, he received two ERC Advanced Grants (2016, 2015) and was elected to Academia Europaea (2017) and Leopoldina (2022). His lab includes PhD students like Abdylla Parahadov and postdocs such as Cihan Önal, investigating topics from neurotransmitter release to synaptic pathologies.