Chemical biology
Education
1986-1990: B.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
1990-1995: Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Professional Experiences
1995-1998: Postdoctoral Training in Chemical Biology, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
1998-2005: Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
2005-2009: Associate Professor (tenured), Department of Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
2005-present: Professor, Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
2007-present: Professor, Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
2013-present: Deputy Director, Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Teaching Activities
2005-present: The Chemistry of Life, Kyoto University
2014-present: The Chemistry of Life, KyotoUX 001, Kyoto University (edX Online Course)
Grants & Projects
2011-2014 JSPS Funding Program for Next Generation World-Leading Researchers (NEXT Program), JPY 162,500,000
2011-2016 JSPS Asian CORE Program, JPY 46,764,000
2014-present JST/ AMED-CREST Invitation for Applications for the Strategic Basic Research Programs, JPY 200,000,000
2014-2016 MEXT Project for Development of Innovative Research on Cancer Therapeutics, JPY 60,000,000
2014-present NEDO/AMED Project Focused on Developing Key Evaluation Technology: Manufacturing Technology for Industrialization in the Field of Regenerative Medicine, JPY 54,040,000
2014-present JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S), JPY 150,000,000
2014-2016 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, JPY 4,940,000
2014-2016 JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research, JPY 3,640,000
2016-present JSPS Core-to-Core Program B. Asia-Africa Science Platforms, JPY 21,440,000
2017-present MEXT Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, JPY 7,618,000
2017-present JSPS Grant-in Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory), JPY 6,500,000
Awards & Honors
1992-1995 Predoctoral Fellow Award, The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science
1995-1996 Postdoctoral Fellow Award, The Naito Foundation
1996-1999 Postdoctoral Fellow Award, The Leukemia Society of America
2001-2002 Lymphoma Research Foundation Junior Faculty Award
2006 Gold Medal Award, Tokyo TechnoForum 21
2011 The Pharmaceutical Society of Japan Award for Divisional Scientific Promotions '11
2011 German Innovation Award Gottfried Wagener Prize 2010 (1st Prize)
2017 Ichimura Prize in Science for Distinguished Achievement
Professional Activities
2009-present Editorial Board Member, Cell Chemical Biology (Cell Press)
2010-2015 Editorial Board Member, MedChemComm (Royal Society of Chemistry)
2011-present Chief Organizer, Asian Chemical Biology Initiative
2011-present Co-Founder, FGH Biotech, Inc. (USA)
2014-2017 Deputy Chair, Biochemical Journal Editorial Board (London)
Selected Publications
1. VMAT2 identified as a regulator of late-stage beta cell differentiation. Sakano, D., Shiraki, N., Kikawa, K., Yamazoe, T., Kataoka, M., et al., Uesugi, M., Kume, S. Nat. Chem. Biol. 10, 141-148 (2014).
2. A chemical probe that labels human pluripotent stem cells. Hirata, N., Nakagawa, M., Fujibayashi, Y., Yamauchi, K., Murata, A., et al., Uesugi, M. Cell Reports 6, 1165-1174 (2014).
3. Selective elimination of human pluripotent stem cells by a marine natural product derivative. Kuo, T.F., Mao, D., Hirata, N., Khambu, B., Kimura, Y., Kawase, E., et al., Uesugi, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 9798-9801 (2014).
4. Synthetic molecules that protect cells from anoikis and their use in cell transplantation. Frisco-Cabanos, H.L., Watanabe, M., Okumura, N., Kusamori, K., et al., Uesugi, M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 11208-11213 (2014).
5. Live-cell imaging of endogenous mRNAs with a small molecule. Sato, S., Watanabe, M., Katsuda, Y., Murata, A., Wang, D. O., Uesugi, M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 54, 1855-1858 (2015).
6. Intracellular generation of a diterpene-peptide conjugate that inhibits 14-3-3-mediated interactions. Parvatkar, P., Kato, N., Uesugi, M., Sato, SI., Ohkanda, J. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137, 15624-15627 (2015).
7. A potent and site-selective agonist of TRPA1. Takaya, J., Mio, K., Shiraishi, T., Kurokawa, T., Otsuka, S., Mori, Y., Uesugi, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137, 15859-15864 (2015).
8. A small molecule that represses translation of G-quadruplex-containing mRNA. Katsuda, Y., Sato, S., Asano, L., Morimura, Y., Furuta, T., Sugiyama, H., Hagihara, M., Uesugi, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 138, 9037-9040 (2016).
9. A synthetic hybrid molecule for the selective removal of human pluripotent stem cells from cell mixtures. Mao, D., et al., Uesugi, M. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 56, 1765-1770 (2017).
10. Vitamin D metabolite, 25-Hydroxyvitamin D, regulates lipid metabolism by inducing degradation of SREBP/SCAP. Asano, L., et al., Uesugi, M. Cell Chem Biol. 24, 207-217 (2017).
11. Chemical decontamination of iPS cell-derived neural cell mixtures. Mao, D., et al., Uesugi, M. Chem. Commun., 54, 1355-1358 (2018).
12. Small-molecule screening yields a compound that inhibits the cancer-associated transcription factor Hes1 via the PHB2 chaperone. Perron. A., et al., Uesugi, M. J Biol Chem. (2018) in press.
Patents
1. WO2003097855, Small molecule inhibitors of HER2 expression, Motonari Uesugi, Shinichi Asada, 2003/11/27, Baylor College Of Medicine
2. WO2008097835, Compositions and methods for the treatment of metabolic disorders, Motonari Uesugi, Salih J. Wakil, Lutfi Abu-Elheiga, Qian Mao, Shinji Kamisuki, Akira Kugimiya, 2008/8/14, Baylor College Of Medicine
3. WO2009154201, Cell adhesion promoting agent and method of promoting cell adhesion, Motonari Uesugi, Sayumi Yamazoe, 2009/12/23, Kyoto University
4. WO2011071118, Agent for promoting differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiac muscle cells which includes nitrovin, Norio Nakatsuji, Motonari Uesugi, Itsunari Minami, Tomomi Otsuji, 2011/6/16, Kyoto University, Stem Cell And Drug Discovery Institute
5. WO2012026491, Pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocyte differentiation-promoting agent, Norio Nakatsuji, Motonari Uesugi, Kouhei Yamada, Itsunari Minami, Tomomi Otsuji, 2012/3/1, Kyoto University, Stem Cell And Drug Discovery Institute
6. WO2012029994, Pharmaceutical composition for prevention and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Haruhisa Inoue, Shiho Kitaoka, Kayoko Tsukita, Ryosuke Takahashi, Gaku Murakami, Norio Nakatsuji, Motonari Uesugi, Yasuyuki Asai, Yuji Amagai, Kazuhiro Aiba, 2012/3/8, Kyoto University
7. WO2012150707, Low molecular weight compound which promotes induction of differentiation of stem cells into insulin-producing cells and method for inducing differentiation of stem cells into insulin-producing cells using low molecular weight compound, Shoen Kume, Daisuke Sakano, Nobuaki Shiraki, Kahoko Umeda, Taiji Yamazoe, Kazuhiko Kume, Motonari Uesugi, 2012/11/8, National University Corporation Kumamoto University, Kyoto University
8. WO2013103156, Method for sorting of pluripotent cells, Motonari Uesugi, Nao Hirata, Asako Murata, Young-Tae Chang, Norio Nakatsuji, Hirofumi Suemori, Eihachiro Kawase, Kaori Yamauchi, Kazumitsu Ueda, Yuto Fujibayashi, Shinya Yamanaka, Masato Nakagawa, 2013/7/11, Kyoto University
9. WO2013111875, Method for inducing differentiation of pluripotent stem cell into cardiac muscle, Norio Nakatsuji, Itsunari Minami, Motonari Uesugi, Kazuhiro Aiba, 2013/8/1, Kyoto University
10. WO2013168807, Additive for graft cell suspension, and therapeutic composition, Motonari Uesugi, Makiya Nishikawa, Shigeru Kinoshita, Noriko Koizumi, Naoki Okumura, 2013/11/14, Kyoto University, Kyoto Prefectural Public University Corporation, The Doshisha
11. WO2015037706, Compound promoting differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes, Norio Nakatsuji, Itsunari Minami, Motonari Uesugi, Shinya Otsuka, 2015/3/19, Kyoto University
