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 Complex systems Nanoscience Neuroscience Psychology Theoretical sciences Facet Specialty Clear filters 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 Neural Coding and Brain Computing Unit Cognitive functions of the brain, such as sensory perception, learning and memory, and decision-making emerge from computations by neural networks. The advantages of biological neural comput... Tomoki Fukai Professor 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 Neurobiology Research Unit The goal of the Neurobiology Research Unit is to understand neural mechanisms of learning in the brain. The unit studies physical changes that take place in synapses due to learning experien... Jeff Wickens Professor Neuronal Mechanism for Critical Period Unit Songbirds learn to sing by communicating with adults as humans learn to speak during developmental ’critical period’. We explore how the brain is shaped with experiences during development. Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama Professor Neuronal Rhythms in Movement Unit How are temporal sequences of brain activity transformed into physical body movements? Seeking answers within the neuronal rhythms of the olivo-cerebellar circuits using the coolest tools. Marylka Yoe Uusisaari Associate Professor Nonlinear and Non-equilibrium Physics Unit We work in experimental nonlinear, non-equilibrium and soft matter physics. Our current research focuses on fluids, granular media, fluctuations in renewables and quantitative life sciences. Mahesh Bandi Professor Optical Neuroimaging Unit The Optical Neuroimaging Unit uses home-built two-photon microscopes and special fluorescent dyes to image neuronal and astrocytic activity on a cellular level in behaving mice. Bernd Kuhn Professor Sensory and Behavioural Neuroscience Unit We investigate how behavioural contexts tune olfactory information processing in the mouse brain. Methods used include neurophysiology, imaging, circuit analysis, behaviour. Izumi Fukunaga Associate Professor Synapse Biology Unit The Synapse Biology Unit studies how the dynamic features of synaptic connections between neurons mediate and maintain efficacious information processing in the brain. Synaptic communication... Yukiko Goda Professor pi-Conjugated Polymers Unit We work on creating synthetic methods for polymer semiconductors and the development of new materials for use in organic electronics (e.g., OLEDs, stretchable devices, bioelectronics). Christine Luscombe Professor Pagination First page 1 2 Annual Reports A yearly report from each research unit Visit the page
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
Neural Coding and Brain Computing Unit Cognitive functions of the brain, such as sensory perception, learning and memory, and decision-making emerge from computations by neural networks. The advantages of biological neural comput... Tomoki Fukai Professor
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
Neurobiology Research Unit The goal of the Neurobiology Research Unit is to understand neural mechanisms of learning in the brain. The unit studies physical changes that take place in synapses due to learning experien... Jeff Wickens Professor
Neuronal Mechanism for Critical Period Unit Songbirds learn to sing by communicating with adults as humans learn to speak during developmental ’critical period’. We explore how the brain is shaped with experiences during development. Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama Professor
Neuronal Rhythms in Movement Unit How are temporal sequences of brain activity transformed into physical body movements? Seeking answers within the neuronal rhythms of the olivo-cerebellar circuits using the coolest tools. Marylka Yoe Uusisaari Associate Professor
Nonlinear and Non-equilibrium Physics Unit We work in experimental nonlinear, non-equilibrium and soft matter physics. Our current research focuses on fluids, granular media, fluctuations in renewables and quantitative life sciences. Mahesh Bandi Professor
Optical Neuroimaging Unit The Optical Neuroimaging Unit uses home-built two-photon microscopes and special fluorescent dyes to image neuronal and astrocytic activity on a cellular level in behaving mice. Bernd Kuhn Professor
Sensory and Behavioural Neuroscience Unit We investigate how behavioural contexts tune olfactory information processing in the mouse brain. Methods used include neurophysiology, imaging, circuit analysis, behaviour. Izumi Fukunaga Associate Professor
Synapse Biology Unit The Synapse Biology Unit studies how the dynamic features of synaptic connections between neurons mediate and maintain efficacious information processing in the brain. Synaptic communication... Yukiko Goda Professor
pi-Conjugated Polymers Unit We work on creating synthetic methods for polymer semiconductors and the development of new materials for use in organic electronics (e.g., OLEDs, stretchable devices, bioelectronics). Christine Luscombe Professor