Atsushi Fujimoto, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Neuroscience

E-MAIL: [email protected]

Research Interests:

The Fujimoto Lab investigates the neural mechanisms that enable flexible decision-making and how these processes break down in psychiatric disorders. Using advanced neurophysiological, imaging, and molecular techniques in non-human primates, we identify the neural circuits that integrate interoceptive signals into decision-making. We also develop and test neuromodulatory and molecular interventions, including chemogenetics and deep brain stimulation, to model and treat addictive behaviors.

Publications

  • [2025] Fujimoto, A # ., Elorette, C., Fujimoto, SH., Fleysher, L., Rudebeck, PH., & Russ, BE # . “Pharmacological modulation of dopamine receptors reveals distinct brain-wide networks associated with learning and motivation in non-human primates”
    The Journal of Neuroscience 45(6) e1301242024-e1301242024 ( # corresponding authors)
  • [2024] Fujimoto, A # ., Elorette, C., Fujimoto, SH., Fleysher, L., Russ, BE., & Rudebeck, PH # . “Ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in macaques guides decisions in different learning contexts” bioRxiv doi:10.1101/2024.09.18.613767 ( # corresponding authors) (In revision at Nature Communications)
  • [2024] Oyama, K., Majima, K., Nagai, Y., Hori, Y., Hirabayashi, T., Eldridge, MAG., Mimura, K., Miyakawa, N., Fujimoto, A., … & Minamimoto T. “Distinct roles of monkey OFC-subcortical pathways in adaptive behavior” Nature Communications 15(1), 6487
  • [2024] Fujimoto SH., Fujimoto, A., Elorette C., Seltzer A., Andraka E., Verma G., Janssen WG., Fleysher, L., Folloni D., Choi KS., Russ, BE., & Mayberg HS., & Rudebeck, PH. “Deep brain stimulation induces white matter remodeling and functional changes to brain-wide networks” bioRxiv doi:10.1101/2024.06.13.59871 (In revision at Nature Neuroscience)
  • [2024] Elorette, C*., Fujimoto, A*., Stoll, FM., Fujimoto, SH., Bienkowska, N., Fleysher, L., Russ, BE., &
    Rudebeck, PH. “The neural basis of resting-state fMRI functional connectivity in fronto-limbic circuits revealed by chemogenetic
    manipulation” Nature Communications 15(1), 4669 (*co-first authors)
  • [2023] Zeisler, ZR., London, L., Janssen, WG., Fredericks, JM., Elorette, C., Fujimoto, A., Zhan, H., Russ, BE., Clem, RL., Hof, PR., Stoll, FM., & Rudebeck, PH. “Single basolateral amygdala neurons in macaques exhibit distinct connectional motifs with frontal cortex” Neuron 111(20) pp3307-3320
  • [2022] Fujimoto, A., Elorette, C., Fredericks, JM., Fujimoto, SH., Fleysher, L., Rudebeck, PH., & Russ, BE. “Resting-state fMRI-based screening of deschloroclozapine in rhesus macaques predicts dosage-dependent behavioral effects” The Journal of Neuroscience 42(29) pp5705-5716
  • [2021] Fujimoto, A # ., Murray, EA., & Rudebeck, PH # . “Interaction between decision-making and interoceptive representations of bodily arousal in frontal cortex” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(35) e2014781118 ( # corresponding authors)
  • [2021] Hori, Y., Mimura, K., Nagai, Y., Fujimoto, A., Oyama, K., Kikuchi, E., Inoue, KI., Takada, M., Suhara, M., Richmond, B. J., & Minamimoto, T. “Single caudate neurons encode temporally discounted value for formulating motivation for action” eLife 10:e61248
  • [2020] Nagai, Y., Miyakawa N., Takuwa H., Hori, Y., Oyama, K., Ji, B., Takahashi, M., Haung, XP., Slocum, ST., Xiong, Y., Hirabayashi, T., Fujimoto, A., … & Minamimoto T. “Deschloroclozapine: a potent and selective chemogenetic actuator enables rapid neuronal and behavioral modulations in mice and monkeys” Nature Neuroscience 23, pp1157–1167
  • [2019] Fujimoto, A # ., and Minamimoto, T # . “Trait and state-dependent risk attitude of monkeys measured in a single-option response task” Frontiers in Neuroscience 13, 816 ( # corresponding authors)
  • [2019] Fujimoto, A., Hori, Y., Nagai, Y., Kikuchi, E., Oyama, K., Suhara, T., & Minamimoto, T. “Signaling incentive and drive in the primate ventral pallidum for motivational control of goal-directed action” The Journal of Neuroscience 39(10) pp1793-1804
  • [2017] Fujimoto, A., Tsurumi, K., Kawada, R., Murao, T., Takeuchi, H., Murai, T., & Takahashi, H. “Deficit of state-dependent risk-attitude modulation in gambling disorder” Translational Psychiatry 7 e1085
  • [2016] Nagai, Y., Kikuchi, E., Lerchner, W., Inoue, KI., Ji, B., Eldridge, MA., Kaneko, H., Kimura, Y., Oh-Nishi, A., Hori, Y., Kato, Y., Hirabayashi, T., Fujimoto, A., … ; Minamimoto T. “PET imaging-guided chemogenetic silencing reveals a critical role of primate rostromedial caudate in reward evaluation” Nature Communications 7(13605)
  • [2016] Fujimoto, A., & Takahashi, H. “Flexible modulation of risk attitude during decision-making under quota” NeuroImage 139 pp304-312
  • [2012] Fujimoto, A., Nishida, S., & Ogawa, T. “Dynamic alternation of primate response properties during trial-and-error knowledge updating” Robotics and Autonomous Systems 60(5) pp747-753
Atsushi Fujimoto