125 Paterson Street, Room 7120
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Email: Kenichi.sakamoto[at]rutgers.edu
Education
- University of Tokyo, Bachelor of veterinary medicine
- School of Medicine, Chiba University (MD)
- Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University (PhD)
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 2018-2020
Honors & Awards
- The 50th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Travel Grant Award, Vienna, Austria, 2014
- The 51th European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Travel Grant Award, Stockholm, Sweden, 2015
- Young Investigators Award. The 54th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Molecular Medicine, Tokyo, Japan, 2017
- Young Investigators Award. The 91th Annual Meeting of the Japan Endocrine Society, Miyazaki, Japan, 2018
- Featured Oral Presentation. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Department of Medicine Research Day, New York, U.S.A, 2019
- Selected Oral Presentation. 4th Annual NYC Regional Obesity Forum, New York, U.S.A, 2019
- Outstanding abstract award, travel grant. Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting, ENDO 2020, San Francisco, U.S.A. (the meeting was canceled due to COVID-19), 2020
- Selected Oral Presentation. The NYC regional Diabetes research symposium, New York, U.S.A. (the meeting was canceled due to COVID-19), 2020
Certification
- Medical Doctor, Japan
- Board Certified Member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
- Board Certified Diabetologist, Japan
- Board Certified Endocrinologist, Japan
Short Biography
I’m an endocrinologist and I’m highly motivated by the need to improve diabetes which guides the basic science research that I feel is necessary to make significant strides in advancing our understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetes and obesity.
I joined the Buettner lab in 2018 to obtain training in the integrated physiology of obesity and diabetes.
There are 2 major projects that I am involved in besides a number of collaborations.
First, characterize the role of the sympathetic nerve system in regulating peripheral metabolism and diabetes pathogenesis. To this end, we have developed innovative mice models, the peripherally restricted tyrosine hydroxylase knock-out mice (Figure), to study the role of adrenergic signaling in metabolic control.
Second, to develop new approaches to monitor autonomic nervous system activity and adrenergic signaling in vivo in real-time. To this end, I adapted the new scientific techniques to monitor neurotransmitter sensing using cell-based systems and two-photon microscopy.
