东京大学、京都大学、大阪大学等日本QS前10名大学的研究室信息。
Professor Takuya Inoue's research lab specializes in nanophotonics and thermal energy conversion, focusing on the fundamental and applied aspects of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. Key research directions include near-field thermal radiation, high-efficiency thermophotovoltaic systems, and ultra-large-area coherent semiconductor lasers based on photonic crystal surface-emitting lasers (PCSELs). The lab develops advanced photonic nanostructures—such as photonic crystal slabs, metamaterials, and resonant cavities—to achieve precise control over thermal emission and light emission with high spectral and angular selectivity. Their work bridges fundamental physics with practical applications in energy harvesting, sensing, and next-generation laser technologies.
Professor Hirokazu Kobayashi's research lab specializes in the design and synthesis of advanced nanomaterials for sustainable energy applications, with a focus on noble metal-based alloys and core-shell nanostructures. The lab investigates hydrogen storage, catalytic reactions such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and CO₂ hydrogenation, and the atomic-level engineering of materials using in situ characterization techniques like XRD, solid-state NMR, and pressure-composition isotherms. A key research direction involves creating solid-solution alloys from abundant or non-precious elements to replace rare or toxic metals while maintaining or enhancing catalytic performance.
Professor Shinichi Tashiro's research lab specializes in the fundamental mechanisms of arc welding processes, with a strong focus on the interaction between arc plasma, molten metal, and fume formation. The lab employs advanced numerical simulations and computational fluid dynamics to investigate metal transfer behavior, energy source characteristics, and the influence of metal vapor on arc stability and heat transfer. Key research directions include the development of multi-phase models for arc plasma and droplet dynamics, as well as experimental validation using high-speed imaging and shadowgraph techniques. The lab aims to enhance welding quality and process control through deep physical understanding of plasma behavior and fume generation.
Professor Nobuo N. Noda's research lab focuses on the structural and molecular mechanisms underlying autophagy, a conserved cellular degradation process essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. The lab investigates the roles of autophagy-related (Atg) proteins, particularly in autophagosome formation, cargo recognition, and the regulation of selective autophagy through interactions with Atg8-family proteins and phosphoinositides. Recent work also explores the emerging role of liquid-liquid phase separation in organizing autophagy machinery and regulating autophagy initiation. The lab integrates structural biology, biochemistry, and cell biology to decipher the dynamic molecular assemblies that govern autophagy.
Professor Zhenzhou Cheng's research lab specializes in nanophotonics and integrated optoelectronics, focusing on the design, simulation, and fabrication of advanced photonic devices for mid-infrared and telecommunications applications. Key research directions include suspended membrane waveguides, graphene-based optoelectronic modulators and photodetectors, and subwavelength grating couplers for polarization-insensitive and broadband coupling. The lab leverages group-IV materials—especially silicon and graphene—enabling CMOS-compatible, compact, and energy-efficient on-chip optical sensors and signal processing components.
Professor Tomotaka Sobue's research lab specializes in epidemiological studies focused on lung cancer prevention, with a strong emphasis on screening efficacy, risk factor identification, and overdiagnosis bias in low-dose CT and radiographic screening. The lab investigates histologic-specific risks associated with smoking and environmental exposures—particularly in non-smoking women—while also evaluating the long-term outcomes of screen-detected lung cancer cases. Their work contributes critical evidence to population-based screening programs and public health policy in Japan and beyond.
Professor Kazunori Nagao's research lab specializes in the development of innovative catalytic methodologies for selective C–H and C–C bond functionalization, with a strong focus on transition-metal-free and organocatalytic strategies. The lab pioneers photoredox and N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed reactions that enable the efficient synthesis of complex organic molecules, including pharmaceuticals and natural product derivatives, under mild conditions. Key advances include the site-selective incorporation of deuterium and tritium isotopes, radical relay processes, and the construction of C–O, C–C, and C–heteroatom bonds using redox-active esters and visible light. The lab also explores triple catalysis and silaboration/diboration of alkynes to access stereodefined, multifunctional building blocks for synthetic applications.
Professor Yuchen Wang's research lab specializes in environmental and geophysical hazard monitoring, with a focus on air pollution dynamics in Eastern China and tsunami early warning systems. The lab develops advanced data assimilation techniques—such as Green's function-based methods and ensemble empirical mode decomposition—to improve real-time forecasting of atmospheric pollutants and tsunamis. Key research directions include spatiotemporal analysis of air quality, offshore sensor network design for disaster mitigation, and resonance phenomena in tsunami wave propagation. The lab integrates observational data, numerical modeling, and innovative signal processing to enhance environmental monitoring and public safety.
Professor Kohei Nagai's research lab specializes in multiscale mechanics and materials modeling, with a focus on concrete fracture behavior at the meso-scale using advanced numerical methods such as the Rigid Body Spring Model (RBSM). The lab investigates the mechanical response of heterogeneous materials like concrete and mortar under various loading conditions, integrating constitutive modeling and computational simulation. Recent work extends into materials informatics, applying machine learning techniques—particularly artificial neural networks—to predict bond degradation in corroded reinforced concrete, and employing Bayesian optimization for process parameter tuning in powder film forming. The lab also explores structural performance of innovative reinforcement details, such as mechanical anchorage in thin cover zones, using discrete element methods.
Professor Rai Moriya's research lab specializes in low-dimensional quantum materials and 2D heterostructures, focusing on spintronics, van der Waals heterostructures, and nanoscale device physics. The lab investigates spin-orbit coupling in strained Ge-based systems, develops high-performance 2D heterostructure field-effect transistors using materials like graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, and pioneers advanced mechanical manipulation techniques for 2D materials. A central theme is the engineering of atomically thin heterostructures with tailored electronic and spintronic properties through van der Waals integration and electric field control.
Professor Yoshihiro Iwasa's research lab specializes in quantum materials and 2D materials, focusing on the electronic and optical properties arising from strong electron correlations, valley degrees of freedom, and topological phenomena. The lab explores novel quantum phases such as unconventional superconductivity in band insulators and develops electrically tunable optoelectronic devices based on transition metal dichalcogenides. By combining advanced nanofabrication techniques with electrostatic doping and high-pressure synthesis, the group investigates emergent quantum states and functional devices at the atomic scale. Their work bridges fundamental quantum physics with practical applications in next-generation electronics and photonics.
Professor T. Matsuda's research lab specializes in advanced materials processing and interfacial engineering, focusing on the development of high-strength, reliable joints in dissimilar materials such as aluminum, steel, and carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics through innovative welding techniques like friction stir spot welding (FSSW). The lab investigates the fundamental mechanisms linking microscale interfacial structures to macroscale mechanical properties, employing advanced characterization techniques such as TEM, nanoindentation, and positron annihilation spectroscopy. Recent work also explores ultrafast laser shock processing to induce nanocrystalline structures and novel bonding methods for metal-silicon systems without surface treatment, highlighting a strong emphasis on materials synthesis, microstructure control, and interfacial science.
Professor Hamada Rizk's research lab specializes in indoor localization using wireless signals, with a strong focus on leveraging deep learning to overcome challenges in accuracy, data scarcity, and device heterogeneity. The lab develops innovative systems such as CellinDeep, RRLoc, and OmniCells that exploit cellular and fingerprinting signals to enable fine-grained, robust, and ubiquitous localization across diverse mobile devices. Their work emphasizes data-efficient learning, synthetic data generation, and multi-device generalization to make deep learning-based localization practical and scalable in real-world environments.
Professor Yoshitaka Nagai's research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, particularly polyglutamine (polyQ) disorders such as Huntington’s disease and spinocerebellular ataxias. The lab investigates protein misfolding, aggregation, and the role of molecular chaperones in neuroprotection, with an emphasis on identifying endogenous therapeutic targets. They also explore the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease through molecular markers like dopamine receptor expression and examine the bidirectional relationship between sleep disturbances and Alzheimer’s disease pathology. A key aim is to develop small molecules or peptides that selectively target toxic polyQ conformations to prevent neurodegeneration.
Professor Kazuki Kuga's research lab specializes in indoor environmental health and exposure science, focusing on the dynamics of airborne contaminants and human exposure in built environments. The lab develops advanced numerical and computational models—such as computer-simulated persons (CSP) and multi-agent simulations (MAS)—to investigate the dispersion of exhaled pollutants, including CO₂, e-cigarette aerosols, and infectious pathogens. Their work bridges epidemiology, fluid dynamics, and behavioral modeling, particularly in understanding how individual behaviors (e.g., mask-wearing, vaccination) and environmental factors (e.g., ventilation, spatial structure) influence disease transmission and air quality. The lab also explores the health impacts of emerging pollutants, such as those from cannabis vaping and e-cigarettes, using in silico methods to overcome ethical and practical limitations of human studies.
Professor Kazunari Sasaki's research lab specializes in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and fuel cell materials science, focusing on the thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of fuel cell systems under various operating conditions. The lab investigates the impact of fuel impurities—particularly sulfur—on cell performance and durability, while developing sulfur-tolerant electrolyte and anode materials. It also explores defect chemistry in oxide materials, especially under non-equilibrium conditions, and applies thermodynamic modeling to optimize fuel processing and fuel gas composition for efficient and stable fuel cell operation. The lab's work bridges fundamental materials science with practical engineering challenges in intermediate-temperature SOFCs and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
Professor Atsushi Minami's research lab specializes in natural product biosynthesis, with a focus on terpene and polyether antibiotic pathways in fungi. The lab employs genome mining, enzymology, and synthetic biology approaches to identify and characterize novel terpene synthases, including cyclopentane-forming terpene synthases and unique sesquiterpene synthases involved in phytohormone-like compound biosynthesis. They also investigate flavin-containing monooxygenases in polyether antibiotic formation and engineer glycosyltransferases for glycoside library synthesis.
Professor Toshiyuki Nagai's research lab focuses on the pathophysiology of heart failure, with a particular emphasis on inflammatory and fibrotic mechanisms underlying cardiac remodeling in conditions such as dilated cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, and pressure-overload hypertrophy. The lab investigates key biomarkers—including corticosteroids, dendritic cells, C-reactive protein, tenascin-C, and erythropoietin—that modulate disease progression and long-term outcomes. Using both clinical patient studies and translational animal models, the lab aims to identify novel therapeutic targets and predictive markers for heart failure. Their work bridges molecular mechanisms with clinical prognosis, contributing to precision medicine in cardiovascular disease.
Professor Naoya Aizawa's research lab specializes in organic optoelectronics and molecular materials, focusing on the fundamental principles of excited-state dynamics, particularly spin-state engineering and reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) in organic semiconductors. The lab explores thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), energy transfer processes, and novel molecular design strategies to enable high-efficiency, solution-processed optoelectronic devices such as OLEDs and organic solar cells. A key innovation is the development of materials that defy conventional rules—like Hund's multiplicity rule—enabling unique photophysical behaviors and enhanced device performance.
Professor Shun-ichi Ishiuchi's research lab specializes in the spectroscopic investigation of weakly bound molecular clusters, particularly focusing on hydrogen bonding, pi-interactions, and excited-state dynamics in systems such as phenol–ammonia and phenol–argon clusters. The lab employs advanced laser spectroscopy techniques—including UV–IR–UV ion dip spectroscopy, time-resolved IR, and hole-burning—to probe the structures, isomerism, and reaction dynamics of these clusters at the molecular level. A central theme is understanding how intermolecular interactions and nuclear dynamics govern photochemical processes, including excited-state hydrogen transfer and memory effects in cluster reactivity. Their work combines high-resolution experimental measurements with high-level quantum chemical calculations to achieve atomic-level insights into cluster behavior.
