John Q. Trojanowski

Research summary

Hyperphosphorylated, ubiquitinated, and C-terminally cleaved TDP-43 was identified as the major disease protein in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions and in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; pathologic TDP-43 was recovered only from affected CNS regions including hippocampus, neocortex and spinal cord [1]. The 2005 DLB Consortium revised clinical and pathologic criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies, giving REM sleep behavior disorder, severe neuroleptic sensitivity and reduced striatal dopamine-transporter activity greater diagnostic weight as suggestive features [2]. The 2017 DLB Consortium update incorporated MIBG myocardial scintigraphy and other neuroimaging, electrophysiologic and laboratory investigations, added minor modifications to pathologic methods including Alzheimer-disease neuropathologic change assessment and substantia nigra neuronal loss, and noted limited randomized-trial evidence for clinical management [3]. The 2012 NIA-Alzheimer's Association neuropathologic guidelines updated 1997 criteria to recognize a pre-clinical AD stage, added amyloid accumulation alongside neurofibrillary change and neuritic plaques, and established protocols for Lewy body disease, vascular brain injury, hippocampal sclerosis and TDP-43 inclusion assessment [4]. The 2008 second consensus statement on multiple system atrophy revised 1998 diagnostic criteria across parkinsonian, cerebellar, autonomic, neuropathologic and imaging aspects through a 2007 consensus conference [5].

Recent publications

1. α-Synuclein in Lewy bodies1997 · Nature · 8313 citationsDOI
2. Ubiquitinated TDP-43 in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis2006 · Science · 6553 citationsDOI
3. Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies2005 · Neurology · 5049 citationsDOI
4. Hypothetical model of dynamic biomarkers of the Alzheimer's pathological cascade2009 · The Lancet Neurology · 4713 citationsDOI
5. Tracking pathophysiological processes in Alzheimer's disease: an updated hypothetical model of dynamic biomarkers2013 · The Lancet Neurology · 4377 citationsDOI
6. Diagnosis and management of dementia with Lewy bodies2017 · Neurology · 4362 citationsDOI
7. Association of missense and 5′-splice-site mutations in tau with the inherited dementia FTDP-171998 · Nature · 3505 citationsDOI
8. National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer's Association guidelines for the neuropathologic assessment of Alzheimer's disease2012 · Alzheimer s & Dementia · 3139 citationsDOI
9. Second consensus statement on the diagnosis of multiple system atrophy2008 · Neurology · 3137 citationsDOI
10. National Institute on Aging–Alzheimer’s Association guidelines for the neuropathologic assessment of Alzheimer’s disease: a practical approach2011 · Acta Neuropathologica · 2891 citationsDOI

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Email John Q. Trojanowski 6-12 months before your application deadline. Read several recent papers and reference specific work in your message. Use our how to email a Japanese professor guide for the proven email structure.

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External profiles

• ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9239-8794
• OpenAlex: openalex.org

Profile compiled from public sources (Researchmap, OpenAlex, The University of Tokyo faculty directory). Last refreshed 2026-05. Report incorrect information.