Professional Training and Experience

• PhD, MS, University of Tokyo
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School

Research Interests

The Rikihisa Laboratory

• Understanding the molecular pathogenic mechanisms of ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis, vector-borne emerging infectious diseases of man (zoonosis) and animals. 
• Elucidation of Ligand and Receptor, and Invasion Mechanisms of Intracellular Bacteria.
• Determination of Nutritional Virulence of Intracellular Bacteria-Hijacking Autophagy Pathway by Bacterial Molecules Secreted by Type IV Secretion System.
• Analysis of Regulation of Intracellular Growth and Development by Bacterial Two-component Regulatory System.
• Investigation of Ehrlichia strain-variable Disease Pathogenesis In vivo Virulence Linked to Comparative Genome Sequence and Transcriptome Analysis
• Isolation, and Molecular and Antigenic Characterization of New Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Neorickettsia spp., Aegyptianella and Haemotropic Mycoplasma.
• Test Disease Intervention Strategy by using Animal models of Potomac horse fever, canine ehrlichiosis, human monocytic ehrilichiosis, and human granulocytic anaplasmosis.
• Development of Vaccines and Diagnostic Procedures: PCR, dot blot, Western blot, IFA, ELISA, culture isolation, cloning protective and diagnostic antigens. 
• Analysis of Molecular Mechanisms of Vector (tick, trematode) transmission, and determination of Natural Reservoirs.