Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal profile
Dr. Masahiro Fujita is PET Core Director for the Translational Imaging Center and Chair of the Radiation Safety Committee at Houston Methodist Research Institute. Dr. Fujita is a world-renowned expert on brain molecular imaging using positron emission tomography (PET) with expertise in the evaluation of PET tracers and kinetic analysis. Using PET, Dr. Fujita aims to guide the development of novel therapies by bridging expertise in basic and clinical sciences.
Dr. Fujita earned MD and PhD from Osaka University, Japan, in 1987 and 1992, respectively. In Japan, he earned board certification in nuclear medicine and diagnostic radiology and also obtained qualification as Type-1 Radiation Protection Supervisor. Prior to joining HMRI, Dr. Fujita held positions of Staff Scientist at National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health from 2002 to 2018 and Assistant Professor at Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine from 1999 to 2002.
Research interests
Dr. Fujita has made significant contributions to advance knowledge on brain disorders by imaging and discovering pathological changes in brain molecules. Increasing number of basic studies have shown that neuroinflammation is a key player in many brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and major depressive disorder. Dr. Fujita has done pioneering research studies to detect neuroinflammation by imaging translocator protein using PET. Dr. Fujita has also discovered abnormalities in signal transduction inside of cells and the correction by antidepressants in major depressive disorder. By collaborating with clinical and basic scientists within and outside of Houston Methodist, Dr. Fujita visualizes molecules, which are used as novel markers of disease status and therapeutic effects or as targets for novel therapies.
Education/Academic qualification
MD, Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University
PhD, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine
External positions
Professor of Radiology Research in Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College
Dec 1 2020 → …
Research Area Keywords
- Imaging & Radiology
- Neurosciences
Free-text keywords
- Molecular imaging
- Positron emission tomography
- Brain imaging
- Image quantification
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 8 Active
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Selective PET imaging of astrocytes and microglia in Alzheimer's disease
Fujita, M., Masdeu, J. C., Pascual, B. & Sangu, M.
1/19/23 → …
Project: Clinical Trial
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Brain structural and functional changes underlying post-stroke depression
9/20/22 → 8/31/24
Project: Federal Funding Agencies
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Imaging for Precision Medicine in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders
Masdeu, J. C., Faridar, A., Fujita, M., Karmonik, C., Nakawah, M. O., Pascual, B. & Roman, G. C.
5/25/22 → …
Project: Clinical Trial
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Houston Alzheimer Disease Study
Masdeu, J. C., Faridar, A., Fujita, M., Karmonik, C., Nakawah, M. O., Pascual, B., Roman, G. C., Toledo, J. B. & Wong, S. T.
5/17/21 → …
Project: Clinical Trial
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18F-MK-6240 Tau PET and Brain Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease
Masdeu, J. C., Faridar, A., Fujita, M., Nakawah, M. O., Pascual, B. & Roman, G. C.
10/29/19 → …
Project: Clinical Trial
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Alterations in brain synaptic proteins and mRNAs in mood disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of postmortem brain studies
Leung, E., Lau, E. W., Liang, A., de Dios, C., Suchting, R., Östlundh, L., Masdeu, J. C., Fujita, M., Sanches, M., Soares, J. C. & Selvaraj, S., Mar 2022, In: Molecular Psychiatry. 27, 3, p. 1362-1372 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
3 Scopus citations -
Imaging Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Masdeu, J. C., Pascual, B. & Fujita, M., Jun 1 2022, In: Journal of Nuclear Medicine. 63, Suppl 1, p. 45S-52SResearch output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access17 Scopus citations -
Neuroinflammation co-localizes highly with tau in amnestic mild cognitive impairment
Appleton, J., Funk, Q., Bradbury, K., Yu, M., Faridar, A., Beers, D., Appel, S. H., Fujita, M., Masdeu, J. C. & Pascual, B., Dec 2022, In: Alzheimer's and Dementia. 18, S1, e068025.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review
1 Scopus citations -
Imaging transcriptomics: Convergent cellular, transcriptomic, and molecular neuroimaging signatures in the healthy adult human brain
PET Templates Working Group, Dec 28 2021, In: Cell Reports. 37, 13, 110173.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access20 Scopus citations -
In vitro and pilot in vivo imaging of 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) in inflammatory vascular disease
Schollhammer, R., Lepreux, S., Barthe, N., Vimont, D., Rullier, A., Sibon, I., Berard, X., Zhang, A., Kimura, Y., Fujita, M., Innis, R. B., Zanotti-Fregonara, P. & Morgat, C., 2021, In: EJNMMI Research. 11, 1, 45.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access9 Scopus citations