Laboratory of Energy Metabolism

Professor Takashi Matsuzaka serves as a Professor of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory within the Integrated Biomedical Science Division of TMRC and as a Professor of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Department in the Faculty of Medicine at University of Tsukuba.

Prof. Matsuzaka specializes in metabolism, endocrinology, and lipid biology and is conducting research on the regulation of lipid metabolism, placing research focus on the role of ELOVL fatty acid elongase 6 (Elovl6) in lifestyle-related disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative disease. Professor Matsuzaka is also aiming to develop new therapeutic approaches for treatment of various diseases based on quality control of fatty acids in the body and cells.

Professor Matsuzaka graduated from University of Tsukuba School of Agro-Biological Resources in 1998. He then entered the Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba and received a Doctorate in Medicine in 2005. He became an Assistant Professor at University of Tsukuba in 2005 and an Associate Professor in 2011. He received his Professorship in 2019.

Professor Matsuzaka has various awards for his achievements. The most noted being the Young Investigator Award of the Japan Endocrine Society in 2009, the Young Researcher’s Award of the Liver, Diabetes and Metabolism Forum in 2014. Professor Matsuzaka recently won the Lilly Award presented by the Japan Diabetes Society in 2020 for his research contributions.

Professor Matsuzaka offers important research knowhow and capability to the Transborder Medical Research Center goals in the quest of finding therapy and treatment solutions to some of Japan’s most pressing health and disease conditions.