Faculty and Research Units OIST research units take a cross-disciplinary approach to research, and the PhD program encourages students to explore the intersections of disparate fields of science and technology. Find the research unit of your interest below. Faculty and Research Units Discover Research Specialties Browse research disciplines and specialities. Discover more Find a Faculty Member or Research Unit Research Unit | Faculty Member (-) Biology Chemistry Computer Science Ecology and Evolution Engineering and Applied Sciences Marine Sciences Mathematics Neuroscience Physics Facet Research Discipline Biochemistry Bioinformatics Biology Biophysics Biotechnology Botany (-) Cell biology Complex systems Developmental biology Evolutionary biology Genetics Genomics Health sciences Immunology Medicine Molecular biology Nanoscience Physiology Structural biology Synthetic biology Theoretical sciences Virology Facet Specialty Clear filters Cell Division Dynamics Unit The Cell Division Dynamics Unit studies the mechanisms of chromosome segregation and cell fate determination during mitosis with a focus on mitotic spindle assembly and positioning in cultured human cells and Medaka embryos. Tomomi Kiyomitsu Assistant Professor Cell Proliferation and Gene Editing Unit Every day, millions of cells in our body divide to maintain essential tissue functions. Errors in cell division can lead to developmental disorders or cancer. The research of the unit is focused on molecular mechanisms of cell divison and quality control in normal and cancer cells to understand tumor-suppressive mechanisms and identify biomarkers that confer a cancer-specific vulnerability to chemical drugs. The unit combines high throughput imaging, gene editing and genome wide screens to open new avenues for therapeutic development. Franz Meitinger Assistant Professor Cell Signal Unit Using a mouse model, the Cell Signal Unit explores the cause of various diseases that include cancer, neuronal disorders, immunological diseases, and diabetes/obesity at the molecular level.... Tadashi Yamamoto Professor Developmental Neurobiology Unit Developmental Neurobiology Unit uses zebrafish retina as a model to study mechanisms that control neuronal differentiation and circuit formation, and neuronal degeneration and regeneration. Ichiro Masai Professor Evolution, Cell Biology, and Symbiosis Unit The ECBS unit studies the effects of symbiotic interactions on the origin and evolution of cellular life. Filip Husnik Assistant Professor Immune Signal Unit All animals and plants have an innate, or non-specific, immune system to fight infection and disease. Unlike innate immune cells, cells in the adaptive immune system remember pathogens they ... Hiroki Ishikawa Associate Professor Marine Structural Biology Unit The Marine Structural Biology Unit uses cryoelectron tomography and single particle cryoelectron microscopy to understand various aspects of coral biology in unprecedented detail. Oleg Sitsel Transitional Assistant Professor Membrane Cooperativity Unit We develop methods for single-molecule imaging and analysis, and apply them to unravel the mechanisms by which the cellular plasma membrane perform signaling and synaptic transmission. Akihiro Kusumi Professor Membranology Unit The human body is composed of ~37 trillion cells, all of which are surrounded by a plasma membrane. We aim to understand the relationship between plasma membrane damage and multiple pathophysiological processes including aging. Keiko Kono Assistant Professor Molecular Neuroscience Unit The Molecular Neuroscience Unit investigates the mechanisms and consequences of the transport of information from the neuronal periphery to the center in health and disease. Marco Terenzio Assistant Professor Neural Circuit Unit Neural Circuit Unit studies motor circuits using various techniques such as molecular biology, mouse genetics, trans-synaptic viruses, optogenetic, and chemogenetic tools. Yutaka Yoshida Professor Annual Reports A yearly report from each research unit Visit the page
Cell Division Dynamics Unit The Cell Division Dynamics Unit studies the mechanisms of chromosome segregation and cell fate determination during mitosis with a focus on mitotic spindle assembly and positioning in cultured human cells and Medaka embryos. Tomomi Kiyomitsu Assistant Professor
Cell Proliferation and Gene Editing Unit Every day, millions of cells in our body divide to maintain essential tissue functions. Errors in cell division can lead to developmental disorders or cancer. The research of the unit is focused on molecular mechanisms of cell divison and quality control in normal and cancer cells to understand tumor-suppressive mechanisms and identify biomarkers that confer a cancer-specific vulnerability to chemical drugs. The unit combines high throughput imaging, gene editing and genome wide screens to open new avenues for therapeutic development. Franz Meitinger Assistant Professor
Cell Signal Unit Using a mouse model, the Cell Signal Unit explores the cause of various diseases that include cancer, neuronal disorders, immunological diseases, and diabetes/obesity at the molecular level.... Tadashi Yamamoto Professor
Developmental Neurobiology Unit Developmental Neurobiology Unit uses zebrafish retina as a model to study mechanisms that control neuronal differentiation and circuit formation, and neuronal degeneration and regeneration. Ichiro Masai Professor
Evolution, Cell Biology, and Symbiosis Unit The ECBS unit studies the effects of symbiotic interactions on the origin and evolution of cellular life. Filip Husnik Assistant Professor
Immune Signal Unit All animals and plants have an innate, or non-specific, immune system to fight infection and disease. Unlike innate immune cells, cells in the adaptive immune system remember pathogens they ... Hiroki Ishikawa Associate Professor
Marine Structural Biology Unit The Marine Structural Biology Unit uses cryoelectron tomography and single particle cryoelectron microscopy to understand various aspects of coral biology in unprecedented detail. Oleg Sitsel Transitional Assistant Professor
Membrane Cooperativity Unit We develop methods for single-molecule imaging and analysis, and apply them to unravel the mechanisms by which the cellular plasma membrane perform signaling and synaptic transmission. Akihiro Kusumi Professor
Membranology Unit The human body is composed of ~37 trillion cells, all of which are surrounded by a plasma membrane. We aim to understand the relationship between plasma membrane damage and multiple pathophysiological processes including aging. Keiko Kono Assistant Professor
Molecular Neuroscience Unit The Molecular Neuroscience Unit investigates the mechanisms and consequences of the transport of information from the neuronal periphery to the center in health and disease. Marco Terenzio Assistant Professor
Neural Circuit Unit Neural Circuit Unit studies motor circuits using various techniques such as molecular biology, mouse genetics, trans-synaptic viruses, optogenetic, and chemogenetic tools. Yutaka Yoshida Professor