News & Updates
- 2026.1.20
- Ms. Mai has entered the doctoral program.
- 2024.11.8
- Mr. Nakamura’s paper was published in Heliyon.
- 2024.7.3
- Ms. Trang’s paper was published in eNeuro.
- 2024.4.1
- Ms. Kusui joined as Assistant Professor, and Ms. Yoshida joined as administrative staff.
- 2024.3.25
- Graduate student Ms. Trang and undergraduate Mr. Masuya graduated. Congratulations!
- 2023.11.7
- Graduate student Ms. Trang received the Best Poster Award at the Toyama University Neuroscience Exchange Meeting.
- 2023.7.4
- Mr. Sakai joined as a technical staff member.
About Our Laboratory
Welcome to the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience
We conduct research in neuroscience and provide education in anatomy. Here, we introduce our efforts in both areas.
In our world, people live and behave in diverse ways. The same applies to animals, whose appearances and behaviors vary widely.
These behavioral differences are thought to arise from the mechanisms and usage of the nervous system, and their combinations.
We are interested in how the structure and function of neural circuits control animal behavior.
We believe that basic structures are built on common principles, and the way circuits are used supports diverse behaviors.
In neuroscience research, model animals such as mice, chickens, African clawed frogs, zebrafish, nematodes, and fruit flies have greatly contributed and will continue to do so. We also benefit from these models. On the other hand, animals that have rarely been used in research are called non-model animals. Studying them can reveal unique behaviors and help uncover universal principles of neural circuits.
We use both model and non-model animals to explore the relationship between neural circuits and behavior, especially focusing on movement—approaching favorable stimuli like food or mates, and avoiding unfavorable ones like stress. Our goal is to identify the circuits involved in approach and avoidance and understand their properties.
Expanding knowledge through research is a university’s role, but education is equally important. We teach anatomy in the School of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy. Anatomy serves as a foundation for medical vocabulary, and we strive to make it a strong starting point for learning. Our teaching is closely connected to our research themes. You can learn more in the“Education” section.