Takeshi Sawada

This study shows SIK3 links synaptic strength to sleep pressure via RhoA signaling, with two opposing pathways affecting spine size and sleep delta density.

The paper develops uniSynK, a single-vector chemogenetic tool that optimizes the expression ratio of two components to robustly induce dendritic spine enlargement with fewer off-target effects.

This study shows that rapid associative spine enlargement is necessary for maintaining cognitive function and stable wakefulness in mice.

This study shows microglia regulate the shift from Hebbian to three-factor plasticity rules in the medial prefrontal cortex during development, affecting social learning and pain sensitivity.

The paper identifies a 1-second time window for reward conditioning in the nucleus accumbens of mice, dependent on dopamine D1 receptor and CaMKII signaling.