About us
Classroom Overview
Located on the second floor of the main building of the Faculty of Pharmacy, directly above the main entrance, the classrooms are spacious and include four laboratories, a culture room, a microscope room, and a living room. For the Social Cooperation Course, there are two laboratories on the first basement floor of the West Wing and a living room on the sixth floor.
While specializing in the analysis of the metabolic pathway of APP, historically one of the causative genes of Alzheimer's disease, we are mainly conducting research on pathobiochemical and neuropathological conditions related to Alzheimer's disease, autism, and Parkinson's disease.
In addition, an introductory classroom presentation for third-year pharmacy students has been uploaded here (partially revised and excerpted for October 18, 2018).Please refer to.
About the Classroom Tour
Students and graduate students who would like to be involved in basic disease research are encouraged to contact us if they are interested after reviewing the following basic policies and Our Team.
Seminars are held on Mondays from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm and Thursdays/Fridays from 1:30 pm to 4:00 pm. Anytime outside of those times is acceptable, but please contact 03-5841-4868 or taisuke@mol.f.u-tokyo.ac.jp (Tomita) to make an appointment.
Message
Our group aims to make discoveries that lead to the development of therapeutic, preventive, and diagnostic methods through basic disease research, and at the same time, to develop new basic research fields.
Our basic approach is to identify the molecular causes of various diseases, especially neuropsychiatric disorders, and to elucidate the disease mechanisms that arise in the process, leading to the identification of new drug target molecular mechanisms. At the same time, we are also interested in the basic biological discoveries that are revealed in the process of this research.
Disease research is often viewed as applied research. However, we know that the development of treatments always requires advances in basic biology. For example, research on diabetes led to the discovery of insulin, and research on hyperlipidemia led to the discovery of the LDL receptor. Going further back, Mendel's work with peas and Morgan's discovery in Drosophila began with the classification of “diseases” in each organism.
To know what is abnormal, one must know what is normal, and vice versa. This cycle is the basis of both basic disease research and basic biology, and as a result, both have broadened the scope of each other's research and opened up new areas of biology.
Drug discovery research, which begins with disease research, is research that brings together the collective efforts of various fields. We are actively engaged in collaborative research with organic chemistry researchers, structural biology researchers, clinical medicine researchers, and pharmaceutical companies, and we believe it is important to learn from each other about research developments in each field to broaden our perspectives. We believe this is a style of research that is possible only at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Basic Policy on Research Procedures
The research procedure in this group is designed as follows
Undergraduate：Students learn how to proceed with biological experiments, as well as basic biological knowledge and molecular pathology related to diseases.
Master's Program：Students will test and elucidate hypotheses on themes set by the staff. Through this process, students will discover the direction of their own interests.
Graduate School Doctoral Program：Students will formulate their own hypotheses and construct experiments to verify the hypotheses, not only on the themes set by the staff. At the same time, they objectively evaluate the work of others and get a bird's-eye view of their own themes. Finally, they will develop a hypothesis to take the next step and present it persuasively to others as a thesis defense.
A tennis beginner cannot suddenly hit a smash. Only after going through basic training, knocking, and learning how to build a match and how to win can they proceed on their own. Research is the same way. I try to first understand the meaning of a given project and be able to verify it before assembling my own project.
Sneaky experiments based on one's own interests should be conducted. However, it is not a good idea to be too absorbed in sneaking experiments. It is normal for working people to do what they want to do after doing what they are told to do. Also, all research always has a background. It is also important to learn about the history. I also want them to remember that all research is based on the efforts and cooperation of many people, and at the same time, it is funded by the public's taxes.
The most exciting part of research is to create and test hypotheses based on one's own data and using one's imagination. On the other hand, we believe it is important to produce and present results that can be followed up by anyone. For this reason, we try to create an environment where we can discuss experimental data and share information and techniques with each other, regardless of grade level, etc., while at the same time honestly pointing out what is lacking. Everyone can make mistakes in hypotheses and misinterpret data. We also believe that we should be open to disproofs based on objective data.
Our team
So far our group has consisted of an average of 15-20 students. Most of them are from inside the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of Tokyo, but we also accept graduate students from outside. In addition to graduate students and freelancers from our Graduate School of Medicine, we have accepted graduates from the University of Tsukuba, Kumamoto University, Kyoto University, Teikyo Heisei University, Keio University, Tohoku University, Tohoku Pharmaceutical University, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Hokkaido University, Osaka University, Kyushu University, Tokyo University of Science, Waseda University, and Yokohama City University. We also enjoy being such a heterogeneous group, accepting sabbatical researchers from abroad, international short-term students, and summer students.
As of March 2021, the post-graduation employment destinations of students who have belonged to the Tomita Group so far include 13 in academia, including post-doctoral fellows, 31 in pharmaceutical companies (21 in research, 9 in development/career/other), 7 in private companies (excluding pharmaceuticals), 2 in public service, 2 in hospital pharmacy, and 10 in others. The total number of PhD students is 27 (including 10 from companies).
The ultimate goal of my personal research is to conduct research that leads to the development of therapeutic drugs for diseases. However, I would like all laboratory members to find their own direction based on their own interests, making the most of their experience and knowledge gained in this laboratory. I would be happy if they can contribute to the health of mankind and the development of basic science.
Collaboration with the Department of Neuropathology
The Department of Functional Pathology conducts research in close collaboration with Professor Takeshi Iwatsubo's Department of Neuropathology (7th floor, Building 3, School of Medicine). Click here for the website of the Department of Neuropathology, Graduate School of Medicine.
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