Sanae Imanishi, PhD

Bio

The major goal of my research is to understand the mechanisms underlying the homeostasis of photoreceptor cells, which are essential for our vision. Toward the goal, we study how their light-sensitive membranes (disks) are formed and maintained. Based on the knowledge gained through these studies, we explore novel ways to develop treatments for retinal degeneration. My graduate and postdoctoral research was devoted to the areas of retinal regeneration, development, and degeneration. 

For my Ph.D. thesis project, I characterized the process of neural retina regeneration. As a postdoctoral fellow at Dr. Thomas Reh’s lab, we discovered that an activin inhibitor (SB431542) can act as a novel modulator of the retinal regeneration pathway. More recently I was recruited as senior research associate at Dr. Krzysztof Palczewski’s lab where I shifted my research focus to the area of retinal degeneration. Based on our study of the Pro23His (P23H) mutant rhodopsin knock-in mouse (Rho ^P23H/+), a new mechanism of rod photoreceptor cell death was revealed. Furthermore, the study provided a novel insight into the process of normal disc membrane morphogenesis. More recently, I joined Dr. Yoshikazu Imanishi’s lab. Based on our study of the Pro23His (P23H) mutant rhodopsin knock-in mouse (Rho ^P23H/P23H), we found that Muller glia are capable of phagocytosing dead photoreceptor cells. I have 20 years of experience in the area of vision research and am specialized in confocal and electron microscopy of ocular specimens and developed various technologies. For example, I improved immuno-electron microscopy technique for high-sensitive detection of epitopes while visualizing membrane structures with high contrast. More recently, we have developed improved expansion microscopy method which has been applied to understand the ultrastructural architecture of photosensory cilia in photoreceptor cells, improving our understanding of how phototransduction operate in membrane nanodomains.

Awards

Org: Indiana University School of Medicine and School of Optometry

Desc: Heartland Vison Research Symposium Best Poster Award

Scope: University 

Date: August 1, 2025

Org: The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 

Desc: Data Blitz talks at the 2017 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) summer conference on Biology and Chemistry of Vision

Scope: International

Date: June 25-30, 2017

Org: Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Martinsried, Germany 

Desc: Visiting scholar, Dr. Wolfgang Baumeister’s group

Scope: International

Date: February 28 to March 16, 2017

Org: Dept. of Pharmacology, Case Western Reserve University 

Desc: Excellence in Research Award

Scope: University 

Date: October 3, 2014

Org: The Journal of Biological Chemistry (JBC) 

Desc: One of the best papers published in the JBC in 2011. (The JBC editors selected 20 papers out of the more than 4,000 that were published in 2011)

Scope: International

Date: March 26, 2012

Org: Osaka University

Desc: 21st century Center of Excellence Graduate student Fellowships for Research Abroad.

Scope: University 

Date: January 27 to March 27, 2003