Associate Professor at University of Tsukuba, Japan
Dr. Aki Takahashi is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. He earned his Ph.D. in Biology from The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Japan, specializing in behavior genetics of emotionality. With a background in comparative cognitive science and psychology from the University of Tsukuba, Dr. Takahashi has held academic positions and conducted research internationally, including at Tufts University, USA. His research focuses on understanding the genetic and neurobiological mechanisms underlying aggression and emotional regulation in animals. Dr. Takahashi is actively involved in professional societies and has received several awards for his contributions to behavioral neuroendocrinology and genetics.
Professional Profiles
Education
Dr. Aki Takahashi pursued his academic journey with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Tsukuba, Japan, completing his thesis on “Altered sensitivity to anxiolytics in mice selectively bred for open-field activity” under the guidance of Dr. Junshiro Makino. He furthered his studies with a Master of Science in Comparative Cognitive Science at the same institution, focusing on “Multivariate analysis of temporal descriptions of open-field behavior in wild-derived mouse strains,” supervised by Dr. Junshiro Makino and Dr. Tsuyoshi Koide. Dr. Takahashi earned his Doctor of Philosophy in Biology from The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Japan in 2007. His doctoral research titled “Genetic analysis of emotionality using consomic mouse strains established from C57BL/6J and MSM/Ms,” was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Tsuyoshi Koide, exploring behavior genetics of emotionality.
Professional Experience
Dr. Aki Takahashi currently serves as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan, a position he has held since 2019. Prior to this role, he was an Assistant Professor at the same institution from 2014 to 2018. During his tenure as Assistant Professor, Dr. Takahashi also undertook visiting assistant professorships at the Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and the Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA from 2015 to 2017. Before joining the faculty at University of Tsukuba, he was an Assistant Professor at the Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Japan from 2010 to 2014. Dr. Takahashi commenced his academic career as a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Department of Psychology, Tufts University, USA from 2007 to 2010, following a brief postdoctoral fellowship at the Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, NIG, Japan from April to October 2007.
Research Interest
Dr. Aki Takahashi’s research interests primarily focus on understanding the biological mechanisms underlying aggression, emotional regulation, and related behaviors in animals. His work spans across behavior genetics, neuroendocrinology, and neuroscience, exploring topics such as the genetic basis of emotionality using consomic mouse strains, the role of brain-gut interactions in aggression induced by social isolation, and the neural and molecular mechanisms involved in exercise-driven reduction of aggression. His research aims to elucidate how these mechanisms contribute to behavioral phenotypes and potential therapeutic implications for aggression-related disorders.
Award and Honors
Dr. Aki Takahashi has been recognized with several prestigious awards and honors throughout his career. In 2022, he was honored with the Aya Irisawa Memorial Promotion Award for Excellence by Women Physiologists from the Physiological Society of Japan. His contributions to the field were further acknowledged with the Young Faculty Award from the Faculty of Human Sciences at the University of Tsukuba in 2018. Dr. Takahashi received the Kazuo Moriwaki Award in 2014 from the Society for Molossinus for his significant research contributions. His oral presentation at the Japanese Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology earned him the Presentation Award in 2013. In 2007, he was recognized with the Nature Genetics Award for his poster presentation at the International Mammalian Genome Conference held in Kyoto, Japan. Earlier in his academic journey, Dr. Takahashi received the Kamitake Incentive Award in 2005 from the Institute of Psychology at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. These accolades underscore his excellence in behavioral neuroendocrinology and genetics, reflecting his impactful contributions to the field of human sciences.
Research Skills
Dr. Aki Takahashi possesses a robust set of research skills encompassing behavior genetics, neuroendocrinology, and neuroscience. His expertise includes genetic analysis of emotionality using consomic mouse strains, multivariate analysis of behavioral data, and studying the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying aggression and emotional regulation. He is proficient in conducting comprehensive experimental designs, utilizing advanced statistical analyses for behavioral studies, and applying bioinformatics tools in his research. Dr. Takahashi’s research also involves collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches, as evidenced by his involvement in international research projects funded by grants from organizations like JST and JSPS. His skills contribute significantly to advancing knowledge in understanding the biological bases of behavior and potential therapeutic implications for related disorders.
Research Grants
Dr. Aki Takahashi has secured several prestigious research grants to support his investigations in behavioral neuroendocrinology and related fields. His recent grants include the Astellas Foundation for Research on Metabolic Disorders 2023 Research Grant, focusing on the relationship between aggression escalation and microglia. He has also been awarded the JST Fusion Oriented Research for disruptive Science and Technology (FOREST JPMJFR214A), aiming to understand biological mechanisms to suppress the explosion of anger. Additionally, Dr. Takahashi has received funding from the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) (KAKEN 22H02660) to explore the role of brain-gut interaction in escalated aggression induced by social isolation, and the JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research (KAKEN 15K12773), investigating neural and molecular mechanisms of exercise-driven reduction of aggression. These grants underscore his leadership in securing competitive funding for innovative research that contributes significantly to the understanding of behavior and its physiological underpinnings.
Publications
- Associations of the immune system in aggression traits and the role of microglia as mediators
- Author: Takahashi, A.
- Journal: Neuropharmacology, 2024
- Citations: 0
- Toward understanding the neural mechanisms involved in early life stress-induced aggression
- Author: Takahashi, A.
- Journal: Journal of Neurochemistry, 2024
- Volume: 168(6)
- Pages: 957–960
- Citations: 0
- Aggression modulator: Understanding the multifaceted role of the dorsal raphe nucleus
- Authors: Mitsui, K., Takahashi, A.
- Journal: BioEssays, 2024
- Volume: 46(4)
- Pages: 2300213
- Citations: 0
- Lateral habenula glutamatergic neurons projecting to the dorsal raphe nucleus promote aggressive arousal in mice
- Authors: Takahashi, A., Durand-de Cuttoli, R., Flanigan, M.E., Ogawa, S., Russo, S.J.
- Journal: Nature Communications, 2022
- Volume: 13(1)
- Pages: 4039
- Citations: 12
- Neuromodulatory effect of interleukin 1β in the dorsal raphe nucleus on individual differences in aggression
- Authors: Takahashi, A., Aleyasin, H., Stavarache, M.A., McEwen, B.S., Russo, S.J.
- Journal: Molecular Psychiatry, 2022
- Volume: 27(5)
- Pages: 2563–2579
- Citations: 10
- The role of social isolation stress in escalated aggression in rodent models
- Author: Takahashi, A.
- Journal: Neuroscience Research, 2022
- Citations: 10
- Social Stress and Aggression in Murine Models
- Author: Takahashi, A.
- Book: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, 2022
- Volume: 54
- Pages: 181–208
- Citations: 5
- Toward Understanding the Sex Differences in the Biological Mechanism of Social Stress in Mouse Models
- Author: Takahashi, A.
- Journal: Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2021
- Volume: 12
- Pages: 644161
- Citations: 11
- Orexin signaling in GABAergic lateral habenula neurons modulates aggressive behavior in male mice
- Authors: Flanigan, M.E., Aleyasin, H., Li, L., Clem, R.L., Russo, S.J.
- Journal: Nature Neuroscience, 2020
- Volume: 23(5)
- Pages: 638–650
- Citations: 85
- Serotonin and aggression—an update
- Authors: Quadros, I.M., Takahashi, A., Miczek, K.A.
- Book: Handbook of Behavioral Neuroscience, 2020
- Volume: 31
- Pages: 635–663
- Citations: 8