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
Find a Faculty Member or Research Unit
Micro/ Bio/ Nanofluidics Unit
Micro/Bio/Nanofluidic Unit develops lab-on-a-chip devices to probe fluid flows and discover new flow phenomena in microscopic worlds, with applications in biotechnology.
Amy Shen
Professor
Model-Based Evolutionary Genomics Unit
The Model-Based Evolutionary Genomics Unit works at the crossroads of computational and evolutionary biology. Our long-term goal is to achieve an integrative understanding of the evolution of Life on Earth and the origins and emergence of complexity across different biological scales, from individual proteins to ecosystems. To move towards this goal, we develop and apply model-driven evolutionary genomics methods to reconstruct the Tree of Life and the major evolutionary transitions that have occurred along its branches.
Gergely János Szöllősi
Associate Professor
Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit
The Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit investigates the structure of macromolecular complexes with an emphasis on viruses, ion channels, and membrane proteins. The unit seeks better und...
Matthias Wolf
Professor
Molecular Genetics Unit
Work in the Molecular Genetics Unit combines comparative genomics, population genetic modeling, and genetic mapping. The unit uses new approaches for sequencing and analyzing genomes to inve...
Daniel Rokhsar
Professor (Adjunct)
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
Networked Quantum Devices Unit
The ambition of NetQ, the Networked Quantum Devices unit, is to develop the necessary theoretical tools such as novel error correction mechanisms, cryptographic protocols, and simulation alg...
David Elkouss
Associate 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
Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Engineering Unit
Nucleic acids DNA and RNA are fundamental building blocks of life. These biomolecules display remarkable chemical functions such as information storage, catalysis, and molecular recognition....
Yohei Yokobayashi
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
Organic Optoelectronics Unit
The Organic Optoelectronics Unit explores the optical and electrical properties of organic molecules and their applications for optoelectronic devices.
Ryota Kabe
Assistant Professor
Organic and Carbon Nanomaterials Unit
We explore syntheses of novel functional organic and carbon nanomaterials, using the techniques of organic chemistry, aming at elucidation of their properties and various applications.
Akimitsu Narita
Assistant Professor
Physics and Biology Unit
The unit studies natural time series data, from NLP to genome sequences to cephalopod camouflage, with dynamical systems and machine learning methods, letting the data lead the way.
Jonathan Miller
Professor