Research Units
View by Faculty Member or Research Unit

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...

Reiko Toriumi
Associate Professor

Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit
The Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit investigates the nature and causes of ADHD, including reward sensitivity, translating this information into empirically supported treatments.

Gail Tripp
Professor

Human Evolutionary Genomics Unit
We use the genomes of Neandertals and Denisovans, the closest evolutionary relatives of present-day humans, to identify genomic variants that are unique to modern humans.

Svante Pääbo
Professor (Adjunct)

Information Theory, Probability, and Statistics Unit
The Information Theory, Probability and Statistics Unit performs theoretical research at the intersection of the fields described in the name with applications to various areas that include Estimation Theory, Computational Biology, Hypothesis Testing, etc.

Amedeo Roberto Esposito
Assistant Professor

Integrated Open Systems Unit
The Integrated Open Systems Unit aims to understand the fundamental principles that govern open, complex systems and apply such knowledge for real-world applications

Hiroaki Kitano
Professor (Adjunct)

Integrative Community Ecology Unit
Our unit employs theory-informed experiments, genetics, and mathematical models to identify how species interactions vary over time and space to influence ecosystem dynamics and functioning.

David Armitage
Assistant Professor

Light-Matter Interactions for Quantum Technologies Unit
We study interactions between small particles, such as atoms, and laser light using nano-optics tools, to better understand light’s influences on dynamics.

Síle Nic Chormaic
Professor

Machine Learning and Data Science Unit
In the machine learning and data science (MLDS) unit, we focus on developing fundamental machine learning algorithms and solving important scientific problems using machine learning. We are currently interested in statistical modeling for high-dimensional data including kernel and deep learning models and geometric machine learning algorithms, including graph neural networks (GNN) and optimal transport problems. In addition to developing ML models, we focus on developing new machine learning methods to automatically find a new scientific discoveries from data.

Makoto Yamada
Associate Professor

Macroevolution Unit
Investigating how environmental challenges, ecological interactions and key features shape biodiversity on scales outside human observation (macroevolution).

Lauren Sallan
Assistant Professor

Marine Biophysics Unit
The Marine Biophysics Unit examines how ocean currents affect the marine life of hydrothermal vents and coral reefs around Okinawa.

Satoshi Mitarai
Professor

Marine Climate Change Unit
The Marine Climate Change Unit aims to understand how coral reef fish respond to human society driven environmental changes such as climate change, heatwaves, overfishing, and urbanization.

Timothy Ravasi
Professor

Marine Eco-Evo-Devo Unit
Most coral reef fishes have an incredible colors but why and how do they appear ? We use clownfish as a model we decipher the origins of the colors and how the fish are using them.

Vincent Laudet
Professor

Marine Genomics Unit
Exploring marine genomic diversity helps understanding organism responses to environmental change in the past and future, both in terms of large-scale evolution and within their ecosystems.

Noriyuki Satoh
Professor

Marine Physics and Engineering Unit
The Marine Physics and Engineering Unit advances the forecast of ocean dynamics and the development of hydrodynamic disaster mitigation alternatives, paving the way for novel ocean technologies.

Amin Chabchoub
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
Assistant Professor

Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Unit
The Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Unit uses a random matrix theory, to show that universal behaviors in theoretical physics and in mathematical biological systems.

Shinobu Hikami
Professor

Mechanics and Materials Unit
Research in the Mechanics and Materials Unit is focused on the formulation and analysis of mathematical models for novel systems in the mechanical and material sciences. To derive physically...

Eliot Fried
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