My name is Junichi Ikenouchi and I am deeply honored and humbled to take on the position of Professor of Biochemistry, effective September 1st, 2024. Being entrusted with the leadership of this esteemed Biochemistry Department is both a privilege and a responsibility that I embrace with great pride.

I graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Kyoto University in March 2003. It was during my time as an undergraduate that I was profoundly inspired by the late Professor Shoichiro Tsukita’s lectures, which ultimately led me to pursue a career in basic medical research. Under Professor Tsukita’s mentorship, I completed my doctorate in 2007, focusing on cell adhesion structures. Following this, I developed a keen interest in lipids, key components of the cell membrane whose roles remain elusive in many respects. Driven by this curiosity, I began my postdoctoral research in lipid biochemistry under the guidance of Professor Masato Umeda at Kyoto University’s Institute for Chemical Research.

In 2013, I was granted the opportunity to lead my own laboratory in the Department of Biology within the Faculty of Sciences here at Kyushu University. Since then, I have been conducting interdisciplinary research, striving to integrate the fields of cell biology and lipid biochemistry to explore new scientific frontiers. My work has focused on cellular membrane structures such as the tight junction, a crucial element of the epithelial barrier, and membrane blebs, which play a role in cancer invasion.

As I now embark on this new chapter in the Faculty of Medicine, I am eager to contribute to pioneering research that will expand the horizons of biochemistry, while also dedicating myself to the education and mentorship of the next generation of medical scientists. I kindly ask for your ongoing guidance and support as I take on these new endeavors.