Tatsuya Tsukui

Tatsuya Tsukui, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. His research focuses on pulmonary fibrosis, lung biology, and fibroblast heterogeneity, with an emphasis on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fibrotic lung diseases.

Tsukui received his BA in Pharmaceutical Sciences (2010), MSc in Medicine (2012), and PhD in Medicine (2016) from The University of Tokyo, followed by postdoctoral training in Medicine at UCSF (2021).

His research program investigates the role of fibroblast heterogeneity in pulmonary fibrosis using advanced single-cell genomic approaches. His work has revealed distinct fibroblast subsets in the lung, their lineage relationships, and their contributions to fibrotic disease progression. Tsukui's research spans multiple disciplines including pulmonary biology, immunology, and cell signaling, with particular emphasis on fibroblast-immune interactions, alveolar biology, and extracellular matrix remodeling. His laboratory employs cutting-edge techniques including single-cell RNA sequencing, lineage tracing, and sophisticated mouse models of lung disease to uncover fundamental mechanisms of fibrosis.

Analysis of Tsukui's recent publications (2022-2025) reveals a strong focus on fibroblast biology in pulmonary fibrosis, with an increasing emphasis on cellular heterogeneity, single-cell genomics, and cell-cell interactions. His work has evolved from characterizing basic fibroblast functions to sophisticated lineage tracing studies and investigations into metabolic reprogramming in fibrosis. The research consistently appears in high-impact journals including Nature, Journal of Clinical Investigation, and Science Translational Medicine, reflecting the significance of his contributions to understanding fibrotic mechanisms.

Scientific Awards:

• Poster Presentation Award, GRC Lung Development, Injury & Repair (2025)
• Hastings Innovation Award for Interstitial Lung Disease, American Lung Association (2024)
• Travel Grants for Early Career Researchers Overseas, The Molecular Biology Society of Japan (2024)
• RCMB Early Investigator Award in memory of Dr. Jo Rae Wright, American Thoracic Society (2020)
• Scholarship Award, Keystone Symposia: Fibrosis and Tissue Repair (2020)
• Tadamitsu Kishimoto International Travel Award, Japanese Society for Immunology (2015)
• International Travel Award, The Japanese Society of Inflammation and Regeneration (2015)

Tsukui serves as Principal Investigator on multiple significant research grants, including NIH R00HL155786 (2023-2026) and NIH K99HL155786 (2021-2023), both focused on 'Cellular and molecular delineation of pathologic fibroblasts in pulmonary fibrosis.' His research program has also received funding from the California Foundation for Molecular Biology, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Mochida Memorial Foundation, and Uehara Memorial Foundation, demonstrating sustained support for his innovative work in pulmonary fibrosis research.