Sakaguchi LabKobe University · Neurophysiology

People

We are a small, multinational team based in Kobe, Japan — bridging basic neuroscience, AI, clinical research, and device development. Our alumni span ten countries and continue to lead memory and sleep research worldwide.

Principal Investigator

Portrait illustration — Masanori Sakaguchi, Professor and Chair
Masanori Sakaguchi, MD, PhD
Professor & Chair
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Masanori Sakaguchi received his medical degree from the University of Tsukuba in 2001 and completed his PhD in Medicine at the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, in 2005. He then served as a research associate in the Department of Physiology at Keio University School of Medicine (2005–2007), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Paul Frankland’s laboratory at the Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute (SickKids), Toronto (2007–2009).

From 2013 to 2025, he was Associate Professor at the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (IIIS), University of Tsukuba — initially co-leading a research group with Professor Takeshi Sakurai (2013–2018), and from October 2018 leading his own laboratory. From 2022 he held a tenured Associate Professorship in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba. In January 2026 he was appointed Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurophysiology at Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine. Since May 2026 he has also held a Visiting Professorship at the University of Tsukuba, and he concurrently holds a visiting researcher position at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS).

Researcher ID: 60407088 (KAKEN)  ·  ORCID: 0000-0002-7211-9452

Selected funding: JSPS Kiban-A (PI 2026–), Grant-in-Aid for Transformative Research Areas (B) (PI 2024–2026), AMED translational research grants, Moonshot R&D Goal 7 (Co-PI), JST CREST (Co-PI 2026–).

Current members — Kobe campus

Portrait illustration — Yuto Momohara, Assistant Professor
Yuto Momohara, PhD
Assistant Professor
Portrait illustration — Kazuki Nagai, PhD Candidate
Kazuki Nagai
PhD Candidate
Portrait illustration in preparation — Hiroko Iwamura, Research Technician
Hiroko Iwamura
Research Technician
Portrait illustration in preparation — Izumi Yamamoto, Administrative Officer
Izumi Yamamoto
Administrative Officer

Portrait illustrations for our two newest members are still in preparation.

Current members — Tsukuba campus

Members based at the University of Tsukuba who collaborate with the Kobe lab and participate in our research and lab meetings remotely. The PI holds a Visiting Professorship at the University of Tsukuba (from May 2026).

Portrait illustration — Haruka Sekiba, Graduate Student (Frontier Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba)
Haruka Sekiba
Graduate Student — Frontier Medical Sciences, University of Tsukuba
Portrait illustration — Hayato Kanbe, Undergraduate (Medical Sciences 4-year program, University of Tsukuba)
Hayato Kanbe
Undergraduate — Medical Sciences (4-year program), University of Tsukuba
Portrait illustration — Iyo Koyanagi, currently at University of Tsukuba
Iyo Koyanagi, PhD
University of Tsukuba — through September 2026
Scholar
Portrait illustration — Ikuko Sekiguchi, Secretary
Ikuko Sekiguchi
Secretary — University of Tsukuba (through September 2026)

Visiting Professors

Portrait illustration — Yoshiharu Kim, Visiting Professor
Yoshiharu Kim, MD, PhD
Visiting Professor (since April 2026) — Honorary Director, National Institute of Mental Health, NCNP