Natsumi Komatsu
UC Berkeley
nkomatsu@berkeley.edu
Bio
Natsumi Komatsu is a Burroughs Wellcome Fund CASI Postdoctoral Fellow with Prof. Markita Landry at the University of California, Berkeley, where she develops and applies synthetic fluorescent nanosensors to image neurochemical signaling in the brain. Natsumi earned her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University with Prof. Junichiro Kono, engineering optical properties of carbon-based nanomaterials. By combining her PhD expertise in nanomaterial engineering and advanced optics with her current research in chemical engineering and neuroscience, her independent group aims to develop a versatile neuroimaging platform to illuminate neurochemistry in social animals. She was a 2022 Schmidt Science Postdoctoral Fellow and a 2017 Funai Foundation PhD Fellow.
Areas of Research
- Materials and Devices
Mapping Neurochemistry of the Brain with Fluorescent Nanosensors
Neurochemicals underlie communication in the brain, and their imbalance lies at the core of neurological conditions. One such neurochemical, oxytocin, is a neuropeptide hypothesized to play a central role in social behaviors alongside molecules like dopamine and serotonin. Dysregulation of these molecules are implied in social impairment disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. However, the majority of neurochemicals remain invisible due to the absence of real-time biosensors, hindering our understanding of their release conditions and locations, and how their release may be impaired (and thus treatable) in disorders. Additionally, while it is critical to use socially complex models like prairie voles in social neuroscience, genetically encoded sensors face challenges in being applied to non-traditional model organisms and require weeks to express, limiting their utility in developing brains. To address this gap, my goal is to enable multiplexed, in vivo neurochemical imaging across species and developmental stages. Leveraging my PhD expertise in nanomaterials and flexible optoelectronics, combined with my current research in chemical engineering and neuroscience, my research objectives are to: 1. Enable multiplexed neurochemical imaging by designing synthetic nanosensors with distinct fluorescent wavelengths. 2. Enable in vivo imaging by developing flexible and multi-channel neurophotonic implants. 3. Provide circuit-level understanding of endogenous neurochemical activity during social interactions in developing brain. Over the last decades, technological advancements have propelled discoveries in neuroscience. I envision my research program as a driving force in advancing our understanding and treatment of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions.