Effects of pressure, temperature, and small molecules on liquid-liquid phase separation of proteins

Ryo Kitahara is the Dean and Professor at the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ritsumeikan University, Japan. He received his Ph.D. in Science from Kobe University in 2002 and subsequently worked as a Research Scientist at RIKEN, Japan from 2002 to 2008. He joined Ritsumeikan University in 2008 as a faculty member, established his research laboratory, and was promoted to Professor in 2017. He has served as Dean since 2023.
Dr. Kitahara has more than 25 years of research experience in high-pressure bioscience. His work focuses on conformational equilibria and the thermodynamics of proteins, investigated through a variety of physicochemical approaches. In recent years, his research has centered on proteins associated with neurodegenerative diseases, particularly their liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) behavior and aggregation mechanisms. His group aims to elucidate how structural fluctuations, phase transitions, and environmental factors drive pathological condensates and amyloid formation.