Dr Riko Hatakeyama

Biography

2020- Lecturer, University of Aberdeen, UK (Group leader; Assistant Professor equivalent) 

2014-2020 Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Fribourg, Switzerland (with Prof Claudio De Virgilio)

2011-2014 Postdoctoral Fellow, Brandeis University, USA (with Prof Satoshi Yoshida)

2006-2011 PhD student, The University of Tokyo, Japan (with Prof Tatsuya Maeda)

2002-2006 Undergraduate student, The University of Tokyo, Japan (with Prof Katsuhiko Kitamoto)

Research Overview

Cell Growth Signalling in Space

I study how individual cells sense and respond to environmental changes. My particular focus is the Target of Rapamycin (TOR, or mTOR) kinase, which adjusts cell growth in response to diverse external stimuli such as nutrients, hormones and stresses.

TOR regulates a wide range of cellular processes operating at diverse subcellular locations ("organelles"). I want to understand how TOR receives signals from, and sends signals to, different locations. By combining various techniques of genetics, biochemistry, cell biology and bioinformatics in yeast and mammalian cell models, our lab tries to fill the existing gap between the signalling and the organelle research fields.

Selected publications (original research articles)

• Muneshige K and Hatakeyama R. (2025) Vacuoles provide the source membrane for TORC1-containing signaling endosomes. Journal of Cell Biology. 224 (5): e202407021.
• Hatakeyama R, Péli-Gulli MP, Hu Z, Jaquenoud M, Garcia Osuna GM, Sardu A, Dengjel J, De Virgilio C. (2019) Spatially distinct pools of TORC1 balance protein homeostasis. Molecular Cell. 73:325-338.

Selected publications (review articles)

• Hatakeyama R. (2021) Pib2 as an Emerging Master Regulator of Yeast TORC1. Biomolecules. 11(10), 1489.

Funding and Grants

As the Lead applicant

• Tenovus Scotland Research Grant (2025-2027), "Metabolic checkpoint model for fungal cell growth control", £13,800.
• BBSRC New Investigator Research Grant (2022-2025), "Separate pools for distinct outputs: Division of labour in the TORC1 cell growth signalling pathway", £529,826.
• Royal Society of Edinburgh SAPHIRE Fund (2024), "The origin of autophagosome", £8,367.
• BBSRC International Partnering Awards (2023-2024), "How G-protein coupled receptors regulate TORC1 pathway: Does receptor trafficking signal cell growth?", £22,487.
• Daiwa Foundation Small Grant (2021), "Short stay of an early-career scientist for research collaboration (regulatory mechanism of Rho protein)", £2,850.
• Wellcome Trust ISSF Seed Corn Fund (2021), "Visualizing the subcellular postcode PI(3,5)P2", £7,300.

As a Co-applicant

• BSCB one-day meeting funding (2025) “Scottish Cell Biology meeting” Lead: Dr. Carine de Marcos (University of Dundee), £1,500.
• Tenovus Scotland Research Grant (2023-2024), "Combatting multidrug resistance: Inducing degradation of multidrug transporters in the pathogenic fungus Candida glabrata", Lead: Dr Takashi Kubota, £12,000.