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Field

Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences :
Biological Dynamics

Research

JAPANESE
Professor OKUMURA Misako
Campus Aobayama campus
Laboratory Environmental Genetics
I joined Tohoku University in April 2026. My research focuses on how organisms respond to their environment, with a particular interest in phenotypic plasticity—traits that are shaped not only by genetic information but also by environmental conditions.
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Career
  • 2010: Graduated from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
  • 2012: Completed the Master’s Program in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo
  • 2015: Completed the Doctoral Program in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo; JSPS Research Fellow (DC1)
  • 2015–2016: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
  • 2016–2017: JSPS Overseas Research Fellow, Department for Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology,
  • 2017–2019: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University
  • 2019–2021: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University
  • 2021–2026: Associate Professor, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University
  • 2026–present: Current position
Selected Publications
  1. Eren GG, Böger L, Roca M, Hiramatsu F, Liu J, Alvarez L, Goetting DL, Cockram LA, Zorn N, Han Z, Okumura M, Scholz M, Lightfoot JW (2026) Predatory aggression evolved through adaptations to noradrenergic circuits. Nature 651:154–163.
  2. Ishita Y, Hiraga H, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2026) Characterization of Heat Shock Protein Expression and Its Application to Temporal Gene Expression in the Nematode Pristionchus pacificus. Dev, Growth & Differ 68:e70045.
  3. Manabe A, Ko K, Nakayama K, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2025) The nematode Pristionchus pacificus requires the Gβ and Gγ proteins for light adaptation but not for light avoidance. Zoolog Sci 42:60-67.
  4. Nakayama K, Hiraga H, Manabe A, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2024) cGMP-dependent pathway and a GPCR kinase are required for photoresponse in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus. PLoS Genet 20:e1011320.
  5. Kamemura K, Kozono R, Tando M, Okumura M, Koga D, Kusumi S, Tamai K, Okumura A, Sekine S, Kamiyama D, Chihara T (2024) Secretion of endoplasmic reticulum protein VAPB/ALS8 requires topological inversion. Nat Commun 15: 8777.
  6. Ishita Y, Onodera A, Ekino T, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2023) Co-option of an Astacin Metalloprotease Is Associated with an Evolutionarily Novel Feeding Morphology in a Predatory Nematode. Mol Biol Evol 40: msad266.
  7. Ito A, Matsuda N, Ukita Y, Okumura M, Chihara T (2023) Akaluc/AkaLumine bioluminescence system enables highly sensitive, non-invasive and temporal monitoring of gene expression in Drosophila. Commun Biol 6:1270.
  8. Ishita Y, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2021) Different combinations of serotonin receptors regulate predatory and bacterial feeding behaviors in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, 11:jkab011.
  9. Hiraga H, Ishita Y, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2021) Efficient visual screening of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus. Dev Growth Differ 63:488–500.
  10. Rödelsperger C, Ebbing A, Sharma DR, Okumura M, Sommer RJ, Korswagen HC (2021) Spatial Transcriptomics of Nematodes Identifies Sperm Cells as a Source of Genomic Novelty and Rapid Evolution. Mol Biol Evol 38:229–243.
  11. Nakayama K-I, Ishita Y, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2020) Screening for CRISPR/Cas9-induced mutations using a co-injection marker in the nematode Pristionchus pacificus. Dev Genes Evol 230: 257-264.
  12. Ishita Y, Chihara T, Okumura M* (2020) Serotonergic modulation of feeding behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans and other related nematodes. Neurosci Res 154:9–19.
  13. Okumura M, Wilecki M, Sommer RJ (2017) Serotonin Drives Predatory Feeding Behavior via Synchronous Feeding Rhythms in the Nematode Pristionchus pacificus. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, 7:3745–3755.
  14. Lightfoot JW, Wilecki M, Okumura M, Sommer RJ (2016) Assaying Predatory Feeding Behaviors in Pristionchus and Other Nematodes. J Vis Exp 115:e54404.
  15. Okumura M, Sakuma C, Miura M, Chihara T (2015) Linking cell surface receptors to microtubules: Tubulin folding cofactor d mediates Dscam functions during neuronal morphogenesis. Journal of Neuroscience 35:1979–1990.
Activities in Academic Societies
Japanese Society of Developmental Biologists
Japan Neuroscience Society
The Molecular Biology Society of Japan
The Japanese Nematological Society
Genetics Society of America
 
Teaching
General Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences
Advanced Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences I
 

Recent Activities

Animals alter their behavior and development in response to environmental conditions, and my research aims to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this regulation. I primarily use the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, which has been established as a comparative model in evolutionary biology, and integrate forward genetics, genome editing, phenotypic analysis, and bioinformatics in my research. My current work focuses on light as an environmental factor, with particular emphasis on elucidating the mechanisms of light signaling in nematodes and how light conditions during development determine mouth-form morphology.

Message to Students

Living organisms are shaped not only by their genes, but also by their ability to respond flexibly to the environment. In a supportive and stimulating research environment, let us explore our potential and pursue exciting research together.

Research