Assoc. Prof. Dr. Makoto Inoue | Neuroimmunology | Immunology & Inflammation

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | United States

Makoto Inoue, Ph.D., is an accomplished neuroimmunologist whose career spans international research and academic leadership across Japan and the United States. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Pharmacy and Pharmacology before completing his Ph.D. in Neurobiology, establishing a foundation in pain mechanisms and neuropeptide biology. His professional journey includes significant research roles at Nagasaki University, UCLA, Duke University School of Medicine, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he currently serves as an Associate Professor. His research focuses on neuroimmunology, multiple sclerosis, neuroinflammation, neuropathic pain, early-life trauma effects on immunity, and Cryptococcus-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. He has secured numerous competitive grants, contributed extensively to scientific literature, edited journals, and delivered invited talks at leading institutions worldwide. His work has been recognized through multiple prestigious awards, including the Bernard Amos Award, Joy Cappel Young Investigator Award, and the Zoetis Award for Research Excellence. As an active member of global scientific societies and an editorial board member for several journals, he continues to advance understanding of neuroimmune mechanisms. His career highlights his commitment to innovative research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and translating scientific discoveries toward impactful therapies for neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.

Profile: Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Gerriets, V. A., Kishton, R. J., Nichols, A. G., Macintyre, A. N., Inoue, M., Ilkayeva, O., … Rathmell, J. C. (2015). Metabolic programming and PDHK1 control CD4+ T cell subsets and inflammation. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 125(1), 194–207.

Inoue, M., Rashid, M. H., Fujita, R., Contos, J. J. A., Chun, J., & Ueda, H. (2004). Initiation of neuropathic pain requires lysophosphatidic acid receptor signaling. Nature Medicine, 10(7), 712–718.

Inoue, M., Williams, K. L., Gunn, M. D., & Shinohara, M. L. (2012). NLRP3 inflammasome induces chemotactic immune cell migration to the CNS in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(26), 10480–10485.

Michalek, R. D., Gerriets, V. A., Nichols, A. G., Inoue, M., Kazmin, D., Chang, C. Y., … Rathmell, J. C. (2011). Estrogen-related receptor-α is a metabolic regulator of effector T-cell activation and differentiation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(45), 18348–18353.

Inoue, M., Williams, K. L., Oliver, T., Vandenabeele, P., Rajan, J. V., Miao, E. A., … Shinohara, M. L. (2012). Interferon-beta therapy against EAE is effective only when development of the disease depends on the NLRP3 inflammasome. Science Signalling, 5(225), ra38.

Inoue, M., & Shinohara, M. L. (2011). Intracellular osteopontin (iOPN) and immunity. Immunologic Research, 49(1), 160–172.

Ueda, H., Yamaguchi, T., Tokuyama, S., Inoue, M., Nishi, M., & Takeshima, H. (1997). Partial loss of tolerance liability to morphine analgesia in mice lacking the nociceptin receptor gene. Neuroscience Letters, 237(2–3), 136–138.