Dr. Tetsuya Kimura is a Japanese neurologist and researcher at Juntendo University in Tokyo, specializing in movement disorders with a particular focus on progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and other atypical parkinsonisms. His research bridges Western scientific advances with insights from East Asian populations, contributing to global understanding of 4R-tauopathies[1][2].
Dr. Kimura's work is particularly notable for establishing diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic approaches appropriate for Asian populations, who have been historically underrepresented in neurodegenerative disease research. His translational research integrates neuroimaging, fluid biomarkers, and genetic studies to advance early diagnosis and therapeutic development for PSP.
Dr. Kimura's research program addresses critical gaps in PSP understanding for Asian populations:
His pioneering work on tau PET imaging has established validation data for Japanese patients[1:1][3]:
Dr. Kimura has advanced biomarker validation for Asian populations[2:1][4]:
His clinical research encompasses[5][6]:
Dr. Kimura contributes to understanding genetic determinants of PSP in Asian populations[7][8]:
Tau PET imaging in Japanese patients with progressive supranuclear palsy (2024) — First comprehensive tau PET study in Japanese PSP patients, demonstrating characteristic patterns of [^18F]APN-1607 uptake in subcortical regions[1:2].
Distinct phosphorylation profiles of tau in brains of patients with different tauopathies (2021) — Investigated tau phosphorylation patterns across tauopathy subtypes, providing mechanistic insights[9].
Tau PET imaging in tauopathies (2021) — Review of current status and future directions for tau imaging[3:1].
CSF neurofilament light chain as a biomarker for PSP in Asian populations (2023) — Validated NfL cutoffs specific for Japanese patients, establishing clinical utility[2:2].
Phosphorylated tau 181 in CSF for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis (2020) — Foundational work on p-tau181 as diagnostic biomarker[10].
Neurofilament light chain as biomarker (2021) — Comprehensive review of NfL utility in neurodegenerative disease[4:1].
Clinical characteristics of PSP Richardson's syndrome in Japanese patients (2022) — Systematic characterization of PSP-RS phenotype in Japanese cohort[5:1].
Diagnostic criteria for PSP: evolution and validation (2020) — Historical review and validation of diagnostic criteria[6:1].
Tauopathies in Asian populations (2022) — Cross-cultural considerations in tauopathy research[11].
Genetic studies of neurodegenerative disease in East Asian cohorts (2021) — Framework for genetic research in Asian populations[7:1].
Genetics of PSP: recent advances (2021) — Update on genetic discoveries in PSP[8:1].
| Institution | Role | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Juntendo University | Assistant Professor | 2019-Present |
| Juntendo University Hospital | Neurologist | 2018-Present |
| International PSP Genetics Consortium | Member | 2020-Present |
Dr. Kimura actively collaborates with international research networks:
His contributions to the field include:
Dr. Kimura is involved in medical education:
Current and planned research initiatives include:
Juntendo University is one of Japan's leading medical institutions, founded in 1839. The Department of Neurology has a distinguished history in movement disorder research. Key institutional resources include:
Japan has a robust tradition of movement disorder research, with major centers at Juntendo University, Nagoya University, Osaka University, and the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP). Key contributions include:
The Japan PSP Registry (JPSR), coordinated from Juntendo, has enrolled over 500 PSP patients since 2019.
Dr. Kimura has systematically compared PSP phenotypes and biomarkers between Japanese and Western cohorts, identifying important differences:
Dr. Kimura has contributed to multiple international PSP clinical trials:
Tau PET imaging in Japanese patients with progressive supranuclear palsy. 2024. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
CSF neurofilament light chain as a biomarker for PSP in Asian populations. 2023. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Tau PET imaging in tauopathies: current status and future directions. 2021. ↩︎ ↩︎
Neurofilament light chain as biomarker in neurodegenerative disease. 2021. ↩︎ ↩︎
Clinical characteristics of PSP Richardson's syndrome in Japanese patients. 2022. ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Diagnostic criteria for PSP: evolution and validation. 2020. ↩︎ ↩︎
Genetic studies of neurodegenerative disease in East Asian cohorts. 2021. ↩︎ ↩︎
Genetics of PSP: recent advances. 2021. ↩︎ ↩︎
Distinct phosphorylation profiles of tau in brains of patients with different tauopathies. 2021. ↩︎ ↩︎
Phosphorylated tau 181 in CSF for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. 2020. ↩︎
Tauopathies in Asian populations: clinical and genetic considerations. 2022. ↩︎ ↩︎