Takeshi Iwatsubo

Takeshi Iwatsubo is director of the National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center for Neurology and Psychiatry, Project Professor of the University of Tokyo, and chairman of the Japan Society for Dementia Research. Trained as a neurologist and neuropathologist, Iwatsubo has contributed to the study of human neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, using multidisciplinary approaches. He demonstrated that Aβ42 is the initial species deposited in senile plaque amyloid, elucidated the process of γ-secretase complex formation, and identified phosphorylated α-synuclein as a component of Lewy bodies. He was the Principal Investigator of the Japanese AD Neuroimaging Initiative (J-ADNI) and the Japanese Trial Ready Cohort for Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (J-TRC), and currently is the PI of the Japanese Resitry for AD-DMT. He is the recipient of the MetLife Award for Medical Research (2008), AAIC Lifetime Achievement Award (2010), the Potamkin Prize (2012), the Medal with Purple Ribbon from the Japanese government (2024), and CTAD Lifetime Achievement Award (2025).