Masaaki Kurahashi, M.D., Ph.D. | GI Grand Rounds

"From PDGFRα+ Cells to Precision Motility: Mechanisms, Translation, and a Vision for the Future"

Speaker:

Masaaki Kurahashi, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Director of Neurogastroenterology & Motility
University of Iowa

About Masaaki Kurahashi:

Dr. Kurahashi received his medical degree from Nagoya University in Nagoya, Japan, where he also earned his doctorate in medical science. He completed internal medicine residency training at Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, where he also obtained fellowship training in gastroenterology and hepatology. He conducted postdoctoral research in physiology and cell biology at the University of Nevada in Reno.

Dr. Kurahashi studies how nerves, muscles, and specialized support cells work together to regulate movement and function in the gastrointestinal tract. His research has advanced understanding of PDGFRα+ cells, a specialized cell type that helps coordinate communication within the gut and plays an important role in controlling intestinal motility. Using a combination of cellular, molecular, imaging, and physiological approaches, he investigates how these signaling networks develop, how they are altered in digestive diseases, and how they might be targeted to treat conditions such as functional bowel disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. His work aims to identify new therapeutic strategies by uncovering the cellular mechanisms that govern normal and abnormal gastrointestinal function.