Ken-ichiro Fukuchi MD, PhD | Faculty Bios

Biographical Info

Education/Training

1985 – Osaka University Medical School, Ph.D.
1979 – Graduated from Osaka University Medical School, M.D.

Positions Held

2010-Present – Professor, Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Peoria, IL

2005-2010 – Associate Professor, Department of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, Peoria, IL

2002-2005 – Associate Professor, Department of Genetics, University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL

1995-2002 – Associate Professor, Department of Genomics and Pathobiology (former Comparative Medicine) University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL

1991-1995 – Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1986-1991 – Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Departments of Pathology and Medicine (Medical Genetics), University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1981-1986 – Research Associate, Department of Medicine and Geriatrics, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

1980-1981 – Intern at Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan

1979-1980 – Intern at Department of Medicine and Geriatrics Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

Grants and Contract Support

NIH/NIA 1R21AG031979 “Statins for Alzheimer’s disease immunotherapy” P.I. Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, 15% effort, 03/15/08-02/28/11 Total Direct Costs $233,750 (Total costs $362,313)

NIH 1R01AG030399 “Innate immunity in Alzheimer’s disease: Role of toll-like receptor signaling” P.I. Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, 30% effort, 08/01/09-07/31/14 Total Direct Costs $1,025,000 (Total Costs $1,609,250)

NIH 1R21 AG037814-01 “Catalytic and non-catalytic Ig gene delivery for Alzheimer’s disease” P.I. Ken-ichiro Fukuchi, 15% effort, 07/01/10-06/30/12 Total Direct Costs $233,750 (Total costs $366,988)

Research

I am interested in studying the molecular mechanisms underlying aging and age-associated diseases and in developing new preventive and therapeutic measures against such diseases.

My current research includes development of novel preventive and therapeutic measures against Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and study of the pathogenesis of AD. We are advancing novel vaccination modalities against AD and optimizing the efficacy and safety of gene therapy modalities against AD and inclusion body myositis (IBM). We are deciphering the molecular mechanism by which the innate immune system clears accumulated amyloid protein from the brain. We are working on genetic modifications of mice in order to develop better animal models of AD and IBM, which are essential for studying the disease mechanisms as well as searching for new treatment and prevention.