Research
Faculty Members
Drug Innovation Center Systems Brain Science
Kasai AtsushiAssociate professor
BA, University of Shizuoka, Pharmaceutical Sciences (2002)
Ph.D, Osaka University, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, (2007)
Assistant professor, Setsunan University, Osaka, Japan (2007-2011)
Postdoctoral fellow, University of California, Los Angeles, Semel Institute (2011-2012)
Specially appointed Assistant Professor, Osaka University (2012-2014)
Assistant Professor, Osaka University (2014-2020)
Junior Associate Professor, Osaka University (2020-2020)
Associate Professor, Osaka University (2020-)
Research theme
Emotional regulation and affective disorders
His research aims to understand the pathogenesis of stress-related psychiatric disorders. His group employs state-of-the-art approaches such as whole-brain imaging, calcium imaging in freely-moving mice, chemo/opto-genetic manipulation, and single-cell transcriptome analysis, to find the mechanistic explanations for how neuronal ensembles and circuits influence emotional behaviors in health and disease.
Early brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders
His research aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders and contribute to new and effective strategies for future embryonic therapies. His group focuses on the mechanisms underlying abnormalities in cortical structure and neuronal spatial arrangement during brain development of mouse models of autism spectrum disorders.
Representative achievements
Endo F, Kasai A, Soto JS, Yu X, Qu Z, Hashimoto H, Gradinaru V, Kawaguchi R, Khakh BS. Molecular basis of astrocyte diversity and morphology across the CNS in health and disease.
Science, 378:eadc9020 (2022)
Niu M, Kasai A*, Tanuma M, Seiriki K, Igarashi H, Kuwaki T, Nagayasu K, Miyaji K, Ueno H, Tanabe W, Seo K, Yokoyama R, Ohkubo J, Ago Y, Hayashida M, Inoue KI, Takada M, Yamaguchi S, Nakazawa T, Kaneko S, Okuno H, Yamanaka A, Hashimoto H*. Claustrum mediates bidirectional and reversible control of stress-induced anxiety responses.
Sci Adv, 8:eabi6375（2022）
Tanuma M, Kasai A*, Bando K, Kotoku N, Harada K, Minoshima M, Higashino K, Kimishima A, Arai M, Ago Y, Seiriki K, Kikuchi K, Kawata S, Fujita K*, Hashimoto H*. Direct visualization of an antidepressant analog using surface-enhanced Raman scattering in the brain.
JCI Insight, 5:e133348 (2020)
Seiriki K, Kasai A*, Nakazawa T, Niu M, Naka Y, Tanuma M, Igarashi H, Yamaura K, Hayata-Takano A, Ago Y, Hashimoto H*. Whole-brain block-face serial microscopy tomography at subcellular resolution using FAST.
Nat Protoc, 14:1509-1529 (2019)
Seiriki K, Kasai A*, Hashimoto T, Schulze W, Niu M, Yamaguchi S, Nakazawa T, Inoue KI, Uezono S, Takada M, Naka Y, Igarashi H, Tanuma M, Waschek JA, Ago Y, Tanaka KF, Hayata-Takano A, Nagayasu K, Shintani N, Hashimoto R, Kunii Y, Hino M, Matsumoto J, Yabe H, Nagai T, Fujita K, Matsuda T, Takuma K, Baba A, Hashimoto H*. High-speed imaging and scalable whole-brain imaging in rodents and primates.
Neuron, 94:1085-1100 (2017)
Kasai A*, Kakihara S, Miura H, Okada R, Hazama K, Nakazawa T, Hayata-Takano A, Niu M, Shintani N, Hashimoto H*. Double in situ hybridization for detecting microRNAs and mRNAs in brain tissues.
Front Mol Neurosci, 9:129 (2016)
Kasai A*, Ishimaru Y, Higashino K, Kobayashi K, Yamamuro A, Yoshioka Y, Maeda S. Inhibition of apelin expression switches endothelial cells from proliferative to mature state in pathological retinal angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis, 16:723-734 (2013)
Kasai A*, Ishimaru Y, Kinjo T, Satooka T, Matsumoto N, Yoshioka Y, Yamamuro A, Gomi F, Shintani N, Baba A, Maeda S*. Apelin is a crucial factor for hypoxia-induced retinal angiogenesis.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 30:2182-2187 (2010)
Kasai A, Shintani N, Kato H, Matsuda S, Gomi F, Haba R, Hashimoto H, Kakuda M, Tano Y, Baba A. Retardation of retinal vascular development in apelin-deficient mice.
Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 28:1717-1722 (2008)
