Shigeki Iwase PhD
Associate Professor of Human Genetics and Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Medical School
Human Genetics
1241 E. Catherine St. Med. Sci. II 5815
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
[email protected]

Available to mentor

Shigeki Iwase PhD
Associate Professor
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    About

    EDUCATION
    04/2006-08/2012 Postdoctoral Fellow
    Chromatin Biology
    Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA
    Mentor: Yang Shi, Ph.D

    04/2001-03/2006 Ph.D.
    School of Life and Environmental Science
    University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
    Thesis: Functional analysis of a transcriptional corepressor BHC80 Mentor: Tadashi Baba, Ph.D.

    04/1997-03/2001 B.S.
    School of Life and Environmental Science
    University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
    09/2012-08/2019 Assistant Professor in Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
    09/2019-present Associate Professor in Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
    09/2020-present Associate Professor in Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
    01/2022-present Affiliate, Michigan Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    Links
    • Lab website
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    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design
    • Center Member
      Biosciences Initiative
    Research Overview

    The goal of research group is to elucidate chromatin regulatory mechanisms engaged in development and function of the brain. Chromatin deregulation has emerged as a major cause of neurodevelopmental disorders such as intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia. Post-translational modifications of histones have been recognized as a "language" describing a variety of nuclear events. Numerous mutations associated with neurodevelopmental fall into such histone modification regulators. Accurate interpretation of the histone modification network, therefore, appears to be essential for proper brain development and function. However, little is known about what chromatin regulators do in the brain and how these mutations lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. Our group aims to reveal molecular underpinnings of histone regulation in the brain, thereby understanding of the roles of chromatin in normal and pathological brains.

    Recent Publications See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      Molecular Consequences of a Missense PHF21A Variant, c.1285G > A, Associated With Syndromic Neurodevelopmental Disorder.
      Gavilan CM, Murata-Nakamura Y, Porter R, Cutler B, Rai S, Kim H-G, Iwase S. Cell Mol Neurobiol, 2025 Jul 7; 45 (1): 62 DOI:10.1007/s10571-025-01584-8
      PMID: PMC12234916
    • Journal Article
      Coordinated neuron-specific splicing events restrict nucleosome engagement of the LSD1 histone demethylase complex
      Porter RS, An S, Gavilan MC, Nagai M, Murata-Nakamura Y, Zhou B, Bonefas KM, Dionne O, Manuel JM, St-Germain J, Gascon S, Kim J, Browning L, Laurent B, Cho US, Iwase S. Cell Reports, 2025 Jan 28; 44 (1): DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2024.115213
      PMID: 39817906
    • Journal Article
      CRISPR-based genome editing of a diurnal rodent, Nile grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus)
      Xie H, Linning-Duffy K, Demireva EY, Toh H, Abolibdeh B, Shi J, Zhou B, Iwase S, Yan L. BMC Biology, 2024 Dec 1; 22 (1): DOI:10.1186/s12915-024-01943-9
      PMID: 38956550
    • Journal Article
      Quiescence enables unrestricted cell fate in naive embryonic stem cells
      Khoa LTP, Yang W, Shan M, Zhang L, Mao F, Zhou B, Li Q, Malcore R, Harris C, Zhao L, Rao R, Iwase S, Kalantry S, Bielas SL, Lyssiotis CA, Dou Y. Nature Communications, 2024 Dec 1; 15 (1): DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-46121-1
      PMID: 38409226
    • Journal Article
      The manganese transporter SLC39A8 links alkaline ceramidase 1 to inflammatory bowel disease
      Choi EK, Rajendiran TM, Soni T, Park JH, Aring L, Muraleedharan CK, Garcia-Hernandez V, Kamada N, Samuelson LC, Nusrat A, Iwase S, Seo YA. Nature Communications, 2024 Dec 1; 15 (1): DOI:10.1038/s41467-024-49049-8
      PMID: 38839750
    • Preprint
      KDM5C is a sex-biased brake against germline gene expression programs in somatic lineages.
      Bonefas KM, Venkatachalam I, Iwase S. 2024 Nov 8; DOI:10.1101/2024.11.08.622665
      PMID: 39574581
    • Journal Article
      Neuronal splicing of the unmethylated histone H3K4 reader, PHF21A, prevents excessive synaptogenesis
      Nagai M, Porter RS, Miyasato M, Wang A, Gavilan CM, Hughes ED, Wu MC, Saunders TL, Iwase S. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2024 Nov 1; 300 (11): DOI:10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107881
      PMID: 39395799
    • Preprint
      Regulation of Sex-biased Gene Expression by the Ancestral X-Y Chromosomal Gene Pair Kdm5c-Kdm5d.
      Malcore RM, Samanta MK, Kalantry S, Iwase S. 2024 Oct 27; DOI:10.1101/2024.10.24.620066
      PMID: 39484414
    Featured News & Stories
    Department News
    Highlighted Publications - February 2025
    Department of Human Genetics faculty are involved in widely diverse areas of research, from Genome Structure and Function research to Evolutionary and Population Genetics.
    Department News
    Highlighted Publications - January 2025
    Department of Human Genetics faculty are involved in widely diverse areas of research, from Genome Structure and Function research to Evolutionary and Population Genetics.