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
![Header Image](/sites/default/files/styles/background_image_xl_low_1x/public/2022-08/2.-Research-02.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=weu1UMhz)
Find a Faculty Member or Research Unit
![Our research activity](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2024-06/New%20headerpng4.jpg?h=f3e1135c&itok=CfnDZu7U)
Computational Neuroscience Unit
We study how neurons and microcircuits in the brain operate and explore the influences of neuronal morphology and excitability on common neural functions such as synaptic plasticity and learning, and determine how molecular mechanisms enable these functions.
![Computational Neuroscience at the Nanoscale](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-08/20220622-de-schutter-erik-003.jpeg?h=f728280d&itok=y0x9ml4u)
Erik De Schutter
Professor
![Continuum Physics Unit hero](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Gustavo-Gioia-unit-header-04.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=U1Jy6_ZF)
Continuum Physics Unit
Continuum Physics Unit members carry out theoretical and experimental research in the mechanics of continuous media, including cellular materials, granular materials, and complex fluids with...
![Photo of Gustavo Gioia](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_gioia-gustavo__MG_1066.jpg?h=1c362c34&itok=7LyJCUw1)
Gustavo Gioia
Professor
![Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis Unit banner](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Khusnutdinova-unit-hero-230728-v2.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=TqH9KU6v)
Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis Unit
The Khusnutdinova Unit is interested in designing transition metal-based catalysts for efficient chemical transformations and in the development of stimuli-responsive materials.
![Photo of Julia Khusnutdinova](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/JuliaKhusnutdinovaFINAL_faculty-node-torso.jpg?h=93cb42da&itok=o_Y8e4Na)
Julia Khusnutdinova
Associate Professor
![Developmental Neurobiology Unit hero](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Ichiro-Masai-header.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=ntGLlgO4)
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.
![Photo of Ichiro Masai](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_masai-ichiro_Masai%25201.jpg?h=e434b405&itok=BAsbClJp)
Ichiro Masai
Professor
![a model of spins in space](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-09/6-theory.png?h=0bfb9bfd&itok=ItzdCpdM)
Electronic and Quantum Magnetism Unit
We study topics of electron correlation in physics and materials science, such as emergent phenomena at quantum phase transitions, spin frustration and excitation, and Fermi surface evolution.
![Photo of Yejun Feng](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/feng-yejun-2016-10-torso-600x900_0.jpg?h=71a490ce&itok=A35QaSWG)
Yejun Feng
Associate Professor
![mannequin head with research equipment](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Froese-unit-hero-02.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=N6OCouGs)
Embodied Cognitive Science Unit
We are developing theoretical and experimental projects in cognitive science, guided by the hypothesis that agent-environment interaction is an essential part of mental activity.
![Photo of Tom Froese](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/froese-tom.jpg?h=8e71b7dd&itok=U0vGR-kr)
Tom Froese
Assistant Professor
![Research Instruments](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/emssu_qi_unit_20230721.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=x9Ya5MNe)
Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit
The Energy Materials and Surface Sciences Unit studies energy materials using a surface science approach with an aim to develop innovative energy harvesting and storage technologies.
![Photo of Yabing Qi](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_qi-yabing__MG_1385.jpg?h=4022788d&itok=LAX_Zf81)
Yabing Qi
Professor
![RedGreen](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-11/RedGreen.jpg?h=6a716591&itok=XMNC17y8)
Evolution, Cell Biology, and Symbiosis Unit
The ECBS unit studies the effects of symbiotic interactions on the origin and evolution of cellular life.
![Photo of Filip Husnik](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/husnik-filip-01_torso_0.jpg?h=b50de43c&itok=RkmIe4RE)
Filip Husnik
Assistant Professor
![Evolutionary Genomics Unit header](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Bourguignon-Unit-header_0.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=kNKnvV2y)
Evolutionary Genomics Unit
The Evolutionary Genomics Unit studies the evolution of insects and their associated symbionts.
![Photo of Tom Bourguignon](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/bourguignon-thomas-2016-10_torso_600x900_0.jpg?h=b1ac20e3&itok=3M5xDjaM)
Tom Bourguignon
Associate Professor
![Jellyfish](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Hiroshi-Watanabe-unit-header-02.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=UAnZ9Wyo)
Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit
Research projects of the Evolutionary Neurobiology Unit include (1) anatomical and physiological dissections of the nervous systems of basal metazoans, mainly on diffused and regionally cond...
![Photo of Hiroshi Watanabe](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/watanabe-hiroshi-torso-201602_profile_0.jpg?h=5764604d&itok=2435XgRj)
Hiroshi Watanabe
Associate Professor
![Evolutionary and Synthetic Biology banner](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Fyodor-Kondrashov-unit-hero.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=mW6lOSnU)
Evolutionary and Synthetic Biology
The Evolutionary and Synthetic Biology Unit focuses on understanding how living things evolved using computation, theory, experiments and field work. Combining the understanding of evolutionary mechanisms with evolutionary theory, computational and synthetic biology approaches we design novel biological objects and further penetrate the mysteries of the evolution of life.
![Fyodor Kondrashov](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-08/kondrashov-fyodor-2015-003.jpg?h=139d02f5&itok=hWLR00JA)
Fyodor Kondrashov
Professor
![Takahashi working in lab](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Hiroki-Takahashi-header.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=c30zlSIz)
Experimental Quantum Information Physics
The Experimental Quantum Information Physics Unit carries out experimental studies on highly controllable quantum systems. A particular research emphasis is put on the development of ion tra...
![Photo of Hiroki Takahashi](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/takahashi-hiroki-20191008-torso%25402x-80.jpg?h=05bd70a1&itok=5jRMT4nw)
Hiroki Takahashi
Assistant Professor
![Femtosecond Spectroscopy Unit banner](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Dani-unit-hero-230728.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=Praxgk_A)
Femtosecond Spectroscopy Unit
Utilizing cutting-edge time-resolved techniques, including ultrafast PEEM and ARPES, the Femtosecond Spectroscopy Unit explores extreme light-matter interaction on the nanometer and femtosecond scale.
Keshav M. Dani
Professor
![drawing of big wave in the ocean](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/fluid_mechanics_hero_20230721_01.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=cK0fHYNU)
Fluid Mechanics Unit
The Fluid Mechanics Unit uses theory, experiments, and simulations to seek simple insights into complex flows in nature and engineering.
![Photo of Pinaki Chakraborty](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_chakraborty-pinaki_Chakraborty%25202.jpg?h=139d02f5&itok=Nma5IXVG)
Pinaki Chakraborty
Professor
![Pink globe surrounded by light](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Aaraj-unit-hero.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=kCGKWb89)
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 portrait](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2023-09/najwa-aaraj.png?h=61f650c2&itok=HiLJHjsF)
Najwa Aaraj
Professor (Adjunct)
![Plankton mix](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/luscombe-05.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=DlQwO_Gv)
Genomics and Regulatory Systems Unit
To function normally, organisms must ensure that genes are switched on and off at the right times and locations. Gene expression control is a complex process that requires the coordinated ac...
![Photo of Nicholas M. Luscombe](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_luscombe-nicholas_dsc_4868.jpg?h=ec0ad73e&itok=eiHZScBq)
Nicholas M. Luscombe
Professor
![Mean Curvature Flow in the Heisenberg Group](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-09/unit-heisenberg-curvature-flow2.png?h=8f74817f&itok=YeNhT9Js)
Geometric Partial Differential Equations Unit
As an important branch of mathematics, partial differential equations and geometric analysis are widely applied to various fields of science including material sciences, image processing, control theory and so on. The Geometric Partial Differential Equations Unit focuses on establishing new analytic approaches to understand behavior and properties of solutions to nonlinear partial differential equations arising in geometry and related areas. The unit aims to solve real-world problems by developing the theory of methematical analysis.
![Quing Liu](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-08/Qing-Liu.png?h=f7df3231&itok=NHOLRKOh)
Qing Liu
Associate Professor
![Chalk board](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Reiko-Toriumi-unit-hero-v1_0.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=ZZBBmdUN)
Gravity, Quantum Geometry and Field Theory Unit
The Gravity, Quantum Geometry and Field Theory Unit’s research interest lies in revealing the quantum nature of spacetime. Geometrical aspects of gravity, manifested in General Relativity, h...
![Photo of Reiko Toriumi](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/Toriumi_02_2x3.jpg?h=602a36b5&itok=hFboOhP-)
Reiko Toriumi
Assistant Professor