Tadataka Tsuji, DDS, PhD

Academic Faculty, Researcher
Integrative Physiology and Metabolism

Research Associate, Joslin Diabetes Center
Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Tadataka Tsuji, DDS, PhD is an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member in the Section of Integrative Physiology and Metabolism at the Joslin Diabetes Center.

Dr. Tsuji completed his doctoral training in dentistry and neurophysiology, as well as his clinical training in oral surgery, at Osaka University, and subsequently pursued advanced research training at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School.

His work integrates lipidomics, metabolomics, and functional approaches to identify novel regulators of metabolism. Dr. Tsuji has received multiple honors, including the American Heart Association Career Development Award, the Eleanor and Miles Shore Faculty Development Award Programs from Harvard Medical School, and two Travel Awards from the Endocrine Society.

Research Interests

Obesity and its associated metabolic disorders are major drivers of cardiovascular morbidity and progressive liver disease, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and steatohepatitis (MASH). Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has emerged as a critical regulator of systemic cardiometabolic health; however, the molecular mechanisms by which BAT-derived bioactive lipids modulate cardiometabolic and hepatic dysfunction remain incompletely understood. Along with Dr. Yu-Hua Tseng and colleagues, Dr. Tsuji has investigated the mechanisms by which adipose tissue governs systemic energy homeostasis through inter-organ communication.

With a particular emphasis on adipose-liver crosstalk, his current research program integrates pharmacokinetic profiling, dose-response and temporal in vivo analyses, CRISPR-mediated gene perturbation, optogenetic approaches, and advanced multi-omics platforms to identify and functionally characterize bioactive lipid mediators. Through complementary in vivo and in vitro gain- and loss-of-function strategies, Dr. Tsuji defines receptor specificity and elucidates the molecular interactions underlying lipid signaling. By combining lipidomics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics with rigorous mechanistic and translational studies, his work seeks to delineate the pathways governing energy expenditure, insulin sensitivity, thermogenic capacity, and hepatic metabolism. Ultimately, this research aims to advance a mechanistic framework for bioactive lipid signaling and inter-organ communication, and to enable the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for obesity, diabetes, and related cardiometabolic diseases.

Education

Dental School: Osaka University, Japan
Residency: Osaka University, Japan
Doctorate: Osaka University, Japan
Fellowship: Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School

Awards

Outstanding Abstract Travel Award, The Endocrine Society (2026)
American Heart Association Career Development Award (2026)
Joslin Diabetes Center DRC Pilot & Feasibility Grant (2025)
Boston Area Nutrition Obesity Research Center Pilot & Feasibility Grant (2025)
First Place Poster Award, Joslin Diabetes Research Day (2024)
Eleanor and Miles Shore Faculty Development Awards Program, Harvard Medical School (2024)
Presidential Poster Competition Winner, The Endocrine Society (2024)
Outstanding Abstract Travel Award, The Endocrine Society (2024)
American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021)