Takashi Yamamura, MD PhD

Director, Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP
Director, Multiple Sclerosis Center, NCNP

4-1-1 Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
Phone: +81-423-46-1723
FAX: +81-423-46-1753
E-mail: yamamura(a)ncnp.go.jp

Biography

Dr. Takashi Yamamura was appointed Director of the Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP, Tokyo, in 1999, after being Chief of the Section of Demyelinating Disease. He was also appointed Director of Multiple Sclerosis Center, NCNP, in 2010. He graduated Kyoto University, Faculty of Medicine in 1980, and received MD,PhD from Kyoto. He was trained at Max-Planck Society, Clinical Research Unit for multiple sclerosis (MS), Germany, as a recipient of Alexander von Humboldt fellowship, and also worked at Harvard Medical School as a research fellow. He also worked as a visiting scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1995 and has recently been invited to Munich by the special Alumni program of Humboldt fellowship.
Dr. Yamamura's main interests are the immunological pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and related disease (neuromyelitis optica) and development of new treatment options for neuroimmunological disorders. NKT cell biology, nuclear receptors, and gut flora with regard to MS pathogenesis are the major targets of his research. He is an international advisory board member of International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI). He is past co-chair or Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCiS) (2007). He also served as Vice President of 5th International Symposium on CD1/NKT cells (2009), Chair or Neuroimmunology Satellite symposium for ICI 2010, and Congress President for Japanese Society for Neuroimmunology in 2010. As PI, he has received a number of prestigious research grants in Japan, including those from the government, The Mitsubishi Foundation and Uehara Memorial Foundation. He is also known as a semi-professional jazz piano player.

Teaching

・Visiting Professor of Waseda University
・Visiting Professor of Chiba University

Board certification

　Neurology, Board certified, 1984

Clinical and research interest

  Neuroimmunology, Multiple Sclerosis, Immunoregulation

Education & Training

・MD, Kyoto University, Faculty of Medicine, 1980
・PhD, Kyoto University, Faculty of Medicine, 1991
・Visiting Scientist, Max-Planck Society, Clinical Research Unit for Multiple Sclerosis, 1987-1989; Harvard Medical School, 1989-1990; The Weizman Institute of Science, 1995
・Fellowship, Alexander von Humboldt fellowship, 1987-1989

Contribution to international academic societies

An international advisory board member of International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI)
(since 2007)
A steering committee member of Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCiS)
(since 2011)

in the past
co-chair of Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCiS) (2007)
Vice President of 5th International Symposium on CD1/NKT cells (2009)
Chair of Neuroimmunology Satellite symposium for ICI 2010 (2010)

Journal Editor

Editorial board member, Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders
Editorial board member, Immunotherapy
Editorial board member, Multiple Sclerosis International
Associate Editor, Clinical and Experimental Neuroimmunology

Selected original publication (last 10 years)

■ Interleukin 6 signaling promotes anti-aquaporin 4 autoantibody production from plasmablasts in neuromyelitis optica. Chihara N, Aranami T, Sato W, Miyazaki Y, Miyake S, Okamoto T, Ogawa M, Toda T, Yamamura T. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 108:3701-3706, 2011
■ NKT cell-dependent amelioration of a mouse model of multiple sclerosis by altering gut flora. Yokote H, Miyake S, Croxford JL, Oki S, Mizusawa H, Yamamura T. Am J Pathol 173: 1714-1723, 2008
■ Orphan nuclear receptor NR4A2 expressed in T cells from multiple sclerosis mediates production of inflammatory cytokines. Doi Y, Oki S, Ozawa T, Hohjoh H, Miyake S, Yamamura T. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 105: 8381-8386, 2008
■ Cutting Edge. Human Th17 cells are identified as bearing CCR2+CCR5-phenotype. Sato W, Aranami T, Yamamura T. J Immunol 178:7525-7529, 2007
■ Direct Suppression of CNS Autoimmune inflammation via the cannabinoid receptor CB1 on neurons and CB2 on autoreactive T cells. Maresz K, Pryce G, Ponomarev ED, Marsicano G, Croxford JL, Shriver LP, Ledent C, Cheng X, Carrier E, Mann MK, Giovannoni G, Pertwee RG, Yamamura T, Buckley NE, Hillard CJ, Lutz B, Baker D, Dittel BN. Nat Med 13:492-497, 2007
■ Invariant V 19i T cells regulate autoimmune inflammation. Croxford JL, Miyake S, Huang Y-Y, Shimamura M, Yamamura T. Nat Immunol 7: 987 -994, 2006
■ The regulatory role of natural killer cells in multiple sclerosis. Takahashi K, Aranami T, Endoh M, Miyake S, Yamamura T. Brain 127: 1917-1927, 2004
■ The clinical implication and molecular mechanism of preferential IL-4 production by modified glycolipid-stimulated NKT cells. Oki S, Chiba A, Yamamura T, Miyake S. J Clin Invest 113: 1631-1640, 2004
■ A synthetic glycolipid prevents autoimmune encephalomyelitis by inducing TH2 bias of natural killer T cells. Miyamoto K, Miyake S, Yamamura T. Nature 413:531-534, 2001
■ Natural killer type 2 (NK2) bias in remission of multiple sclerosis. Takahashi K, Miyake S, Kondo T, Terao K, Hatakenaka M, Hashimoto S, Yamamura T. J Clin Invest 107:R23-R29, 2001

Invited lectures (selected)

■Invited speaker for the major symposia of International Congress of Immunology (ICI) in 2004 (Montreal), 2007 (Rio), and 2010 (Kobe)
■Invited speaker for International NKT cell/CD1 meeting in 2002 (Woods Hole) and 2009 (Kamakura)
■Invited speaker for the plenary session of International Society of Neuroimmunology (ISNI) meeting in 2007 (Texas)
■Opening lecturer for 2nd German-Japanese Neuroimmunology symposium in 2009 (Eibsee)
■Invited speaker for Keystone Symposium of Multiple sclerosis in 2009 (New Mexico) and 2013 (Montana)
■Keynote lecturer for Multiple Sclerosis Immunology Symposium in 2010 (Nottingham)
■Invited speaker for NMO Round Table meeting in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (Los Angeles).

Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry

4-1-1 Ogawa-higashimachi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8502 Japan　　Tel: 042-341-2711　Fax: 042-346-1753

Copyright (C) Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry　 All Rights Rserved.