Message from Professor
Our research purpose,
We aim to answer questions such as "What is a human?" and "What am I?" through scientific research. This is the motivation behind our research. We also hope that our research findings will contribute to medical applications and aid in the prevention and treatment of various diseases.
The study of brain function is one of the final frontiers in scientific research in the 21st century. Over the past 30 years, advancements in research have made it possible to understand higher brain functions, such as learning and memory, in scientific terms. Understanding brain function at the molecular and cellular level is not only an endeavor to answer philosophical questions like "What is a human?" and "What am I?" from a scientific perspective, but it is also expected to pave the way for addressing age-related decline in brain function, dementia, and various mental disorders.
Among various brain functions, "memory" is one of the most fundamental and important ones. The functions of the human mind rely heavily on memory, and the significance of memory in recognizing one's own identity is evident without even considering conditions like dementia. Therefore, unraveling the mechanisms of "memory" is also a societal demand.
Our goal is to elucidate the mechanisms of "memory." To comprehend the vast and complex concept of "memory," it is not enough to touch the nose, legs, or body and say, "Memory is like a hose," "No, it's like a pillar," or "No, it's like a wall." It requires approaches from various directions. We aim to deepen the understanding of memory formation mechanisms by employing a wide range of approaches, from molecular biology and biochemistry to cellular biology, histology, electrophysiology, optogenetics, and behavioral phycology.
Furthermore, since 2018, we have been tackling the challenge of "Idling Brain Research" as a research project supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Specially Promoted Research.
We hope that our research will contribute to a deeper understanding of the human mind and also aid in the prevention and treatment of various brain disorders and mental illnesses.
To all of you reading this, would you like to join us in our research? We welcome the participation of enthusiastic postdoctoral researchers and graduate students.
Contact Email: bmb (Please add "@med.u-toyama.ac.jp" after it.)
CAREER
1979 |
Graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University |
1984 |
Completed doctoral program at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Nagoya University (PhD) |
1985 |
Associate Investigator, Mitsubishi-Kagaku Institute of Life Sciences, Tokyo |
1991 |
Research Associate at Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons (Prof. Eric Kandel lab), |
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York |
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1993 |
Principal Investigator, Mitsubishi-Kagaku Institute of Life Sciences, Tokyo |
2004 |
Group Director, Mitsubishi-Kagaku Institute of Life Sciences, Tokyo |
2009 - Present |
Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama |
2019 |
Awarded the title of Distinguished Professor at the University of Toyama |
2020- |
Director, Research Center for Idling Brain Research, University of Toyama |
Membership in Professional Societies
Japan Neuroscience Society
Japan Society of Anxiety Disorders (Councilor)
Japanese Society for Neurochemistry (Councilor)
Society for Neuroscience
Association for the Study of Neurons and Brain Diseases
Awards and Honors
2010 |
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2012 |
AND Investigator Award |
2013 |
Prizes for Science and Technology by Minister of MEXT Japan |
2018 |
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2019 |
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2019 |
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2019 |
Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon from Japanese Emperor |