Dr. Susumu Tonegawa

Professor

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Biography

Susumu Tonegawa is the Picower Professor of Biology at MIT and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He received his Ph.D. from UC San Diego and undertook postdoctoral work at the Salk Institute in San Diego. He is known for his groundbreaking discoveries in immunology, particularly his Nobel Prize-winning research on the genetic principles of antibody diversity in 1987. His recent research focuses on understanding the neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory, utilizing advanced techniques in gene manipulation. Tonegawa's work has significant implications for understanding psychiatric and neurological diseases, as he studies how memory is formed, consolidated, and recalled, as well as the impact of various factors on these processes. His laboratory primarily uses genetically engineered mice to explore these complex brain mechanisms, employing techniques like conditional transgenic methods and optogenetics to manipulate neural transmission. Tonegawa’s expertise and innovations place him at the forefront of neuroscience research, making vital contributions to our understanding of cognition and behavior in both normal and pathological states.

Research Interests

Experience

Picower Professor

— Present

Massachusetts Institute of Technology • Cambridge, MA

Investigating neural mechanisms underlying learning and memory.

Awards

#1

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

#1

Member

#1

David M. Bonner Lifetime Achievement Award

#1

Gold Medal

#1

RIKEN Fellow

#1

Presidential Lecturer

#1

Order of Southern Cross

#1

Kihara Prize

#1

Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research