Assistant Professor
Affiliation
Université de Montréal
Research Axes
With an MD and a PhD in Ophthalmology, Yukihiro Shiga heads the Systems Neuroimaging and Genomics Unit. He is also an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Université de Montréal. His lab focuses on establishing a platform that integrates multiscale neuroimaging and genomics data to better understand biological diversity. The team aims to use these tools to uncover the molecular and cellular basis of neural circuits in health and disease, including glaucoma, with the ultimate goal of developing precision strategies to preserve vision.
Research Unit
Research interests
• Development of multiscale neuroimaging technologies to visualize neural circuits across spatial scales from single cells to whole systems
• Application of systems genomics to elucidate cellular diversity and molecular mechanisms in the retina and brain
• Integration of molecular and cellular information with circuit function to understand neurodegenerative processes
• Identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets for precision medicine in intractable neurodegenerative diseases
These studies aim to better understand neural circuit organization and dysfunction, elucidate molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, and guide the development of precision strategies for sustaining lifelong vision health. To achieve these goals, we employ a variety of technologies, including multiphoton in vivo imaging, cell type-specific genetic manipulation, high-resolution optical coherence tomography, electrophysiology, behavioral assays, CRISPR-based disease modeling, systems genomics approaches, and advanced bioinformatic analyses.
Publications
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Shiga Y, Rangel Olguin AG, El Hajji S, Belforte N, Quintero H, Dotigny F, Alarcon-Martinez L, Krishnaswamy A, Di Polo A. Endoplasmic reticulum stress-related deficits in calcium clearance promote neuronal dysfunction that is prevented by SERCA2 gene augmentation. Cell Rep Med. 2024 Dec 17;5(12):101839.
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Alarcon-Martinez L*, Shiga Y*, Villafranca-Baughman D, Belforte N, Quintero H, Dotigny F, Cueva Vargas JL, Di Polo A. Pericyte dysfunction and loss of interpericyte tunneling nanotubes promote neurovascular deficits in glaucoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Feb 15;119(7):e2110329119.
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El Hajji S, Shiga Y, Belforte N, Solorio YC, Tastet O, D'Onofrio P, Dotigny F, Prat A, Arbour N, Fortune B, Di Polo A. Insulin restores retinal ganglion cell functional connectivity and promotes visual recovery in glaucoma. Sci Adv. 2024 Aug 9;10(32):eadl5722.
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Quintero H, Shiga Y, Belforte N, Alarcon-Martinez L, El Hajji S, Villafranca-Baughman D, Dotigny F, Di Polo A. Restoration of mitochondria axonal transport by adaptor Disc1 supplementation prevents neurodegeneration and rescues visual function. Cell Rep. 2022 Sep 13;40(11):111324.
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Huang KC, Gomes C, Shiga Y, Belforte N, VanderWall KB, Lavekar SS, Fligor CM, Harkin J, Hetzer SM, Patil SV, Di Polo A, Meyer JS. Acquisition of neurodegenerative features in isogenic OPTN(E50K) human stem cell-derived retinal ganglion cells associated with autophagy disruption and mTORC1 signaling reduction. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2024 Oct 18;12(1):164.
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Shiga Y#, Hashimoto K, Fujita K, Maekawa S, Sato K, Kubo S, Kawase K, Tokumo K, Kiuchi Y, Mori S, Nakamura M, Iwata T, Nishiguchi KM, Nakazawa T#. Identification of OPTN p.(Asn51Thr): A novel pathogenic variant in primary open-angle glaucoma. Genet Med Open. 2023 Oct 31;2:100839.
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Shiga Y#, Nishida T#, Jeoung JW#, Di Polo A#, Fortune B#. Optical Coherence Tomography and Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography: Essential Tools for Detecting Glaucoma and Disease Progression. Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne). 2023;3:1217125.
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Takahashi N*, Shiga Y*#, Kiyota N, Yasuda M, Takahashi N, Sato K, Arita R, Kikuchi A, Takayama S, Ishii T, Nakazawa T#. Risk Score Predicting Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Patients With Vascular Predisposition. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2025 Apr 1;14(4):9.
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Education
Postdoctoral Fellow
University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
PhD in Ophthalmology
Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
MD
Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan
Awards
- 2026 FRQS Junior 1 Research Scholar Award
- 2022 Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
- 2021 Uehara Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award
- 2019 Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (top ranked)