Stan Nakanishi, Associate Professor of Biology
In a long-term study conducted in Associate Professor Nakanishi’s lab, the goal is to contribute to a better appreciation of native Hawaiian medicine and discover new treatments for modern diseases.
Posted July 15, 2024
Stan Nakanishi is an associate professor of biology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. His area of research is in neurobiology.
Nakanishi graduated from Hilo High School in 1995, and went on to receive a bachelor of arts in psychology from Ithaca College, NY. He then continued on to graduate school but took the path of going directly into a doctoral degree in neuroscience from Emory University, Atlanta, GA. He did his first postdoctoral research at the University of Basel in Switzerland. His second postdoctoral position was at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, where he was a research assistant professor with a focus in cellular neuroscience at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute.
He arrived at UH Hilo in 2015 and received tenure in 2022.
Neurobiology and native Hawaiian plants
Nakanishi has published several papers in the field of neurobiology. Topics include spinal cord studies, investigations into compounds that possesses antiseizure and neuroprotective properties, exploration of the regeneration of nerves, and finding the success of cannabinoids (the organic substances in cannabis) in recovering learning and memory after traumatic brain injury.
He also is investigating the effects of compounds derived from native Hawaiian plants on neurotransmitters, including the search in Hawaiian plants for novel compounds for antibiotics and and nervous system regeneration.
In the search for antibiotic compounds, Nakanishi’s research team pored over old, unpublished hand-written manuscripts by several Kahuna La‘au Lapa‘au (highly-trained practitioners of Hawaiian plant-based medicine). ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) experts at UH Hilo’s Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language helped with the translations.
“Based on some of these writings and following various family stories, students in my lab have assembled a library of dozens of plant extracts, and we test these extracts to see if they can inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria,” says Nakanishi.
Other units on campus have helped with this work: Help with plant extracts from the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, help with bacteria from Professor of Biology Jon Awaya, and help with funding from the UH Hilo seed money grant program.
The long-term goal of the work is to contribute to a better appreciation of native Hawaiian medicine and discover new treatments for modern diseases.
Nakanishi’s lab also focuses on studying the regeneration of the nervous system.
This set of projects began with the support of Matthew Geddis, a biomedical scientist and marine biologist from The City University of New York, who spent a sabbatical at Nakanishi’s Hilo lab. He shared his interests in the regeneration process in a species of flatworms called Planaria. If a planaria’s body gets damaged or cut into pieces, it has the incredible ability to regenerate each piece; it can even regrow its brain and eyes.
Nakanishi and students are investigating the timing of the regeneration process, changes in behavior as the flatworm’s nervous system regrows, and testing various terrestrial and marine plant extracts to see if they can alter the regeneration.
Threads and interconnections
Nakanishi believes “there are many threads that connect us all, and make our lives better, maybe in ways that aren’t obvious.”
“I think that when we look at our culture and community, there are lots of interconnections among people, ideas, and goals,” he says. “Just acknowledging and appreciating those connections has some benefit.”
He hopes his teaching and research highlights these connections, and notes that some of the most interesting work in his academic life extends beyond UH Hilo.
“I’m part of a program through my graduate school [Emory University, GA] to teach neuroscience to Buddhist monks at a monastery in India,” he says of the work that inspired him to deepen his understanding of Hawaiian culture through his research. “I traveled to the monastery to teach there, and through language and cultural differences, there was an underlying curiosity and interest in the world that we all shared, and I think that is a kind of positive strength that we can always nurture.”
He plans to continue his work with the monastery, in the classroom, and in the laboratory into the future.
“I like my work and I hope I get to keep doing it,” he says. “Teaching, research, and helping students learn new ideas, this is a fantastic job.”
Students who are interested in research positions are encouraged to email Associate Prof. Nakanishi for more information.
This profile is based on a story by student Jordan Hemmerly at UH Hilo Stories.
