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 Biotechnology Engineering and applied sciences Fluid dynamics Mechanics (-) Robotics Facet Specialty Clear filters Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit The Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit is dedicated to investigating the principles of embodied cognition by conducting experimental studies in synthetic neurorobotics. The primary goals of our research are to understand:on how innate structures can be leveraged to develop cognitive constructs through iterative but limited behavioral experiences; how primary intersubjectivity in social cognition can be formed through enactive and contextual interactions with others; and how subjective experiences such as consciousness and free will can be scientifically and phenomenologically explained. In addition, our developmental neurorobotics approach is intended to uncover the underlying mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. Through these researches, we can expect to deepen our ontological understanding of human beings, rather than simply creating another smart machine-learning robot. Jun Tani Professor Future-Proof Cryptography Unit The Future-Proof Cryptography Unit studies Multi-Party Computation, Fully Homomorphic Encryption, Verifiable Computation and Cryptanalysis and how these are affected by quantum computers. Najwa Aaraj Professor (Adjunct) Neural Computation Unit The Neural Computation Unit develops algorithms that elucidate the brain’s mechanisms for robust and flexible learning. The unit focuses on how the brain processes reinforcement learning, in... Kenji Doya Professor Annual Reports A yearly report from each research unit Visit the page
Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit The Cognitive Neurorobotics Research Unit is dedicated to investigating the principles of embodied cognition by conducting experimental studies in synthetic neurorobotics. The primary goals of our research are to understand:on how innate structures can be leveraged to develop cognitive constructs through iterative but limited behavioral experiences; how primary intersubjectivity in social cognition can be formed through enactive and contextual interactions with others; and how subjective experiences such as consciousness and free will can be scientifically and phenomenologically explained. In addition, our developmental neurorobotics approach is intended to uncover the underlying mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism. Through these researches, we can expect to deepen our ontological understanding of human beings, rather than simply creating another smart machine-learning robot. Jun Tani Professor
Future-Proof Cryptography Unit The Future-Proof Cryptography Unit studies Multi-Party Computation, Fully Homomorphic Encryption, Verifiable Computation and Cryptanalysis and how these are affected by quantum computers. Najwa Aaraj Professor (Adjunct)
Neural Computation Unit The Neural Computation Unit develops algorithms that elucidate the brain’s mechanisms for robust and flexible learning. The unit focuses on how the brain processes reinforcement learning, in... Kenji Doya Professor