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 Etsuo Niki's research lab specializes in the mechanisms of antioxidant defense systems, particularly focusing on fat-soluble (vitamin E) and water-soluble (vitamin C) antioxidants in biological membranes and lipoproteins. The lab investigates the synergistic interactions between these antioxidants, the role of lipid peroxidation products as biomarkers of oxidative stress, and the molecular regulation of vitamin E metabolism via the α-tocopherol transfer protein (α-TTP). Their work combines electron spin resonance spectroscopy, liposomal model systems, and in vivo relevance to understand oxidative stress in disease pathogenesis and health assessment.
Professor Kei Hirose's research lab specializes in high-pressure and high-temperature experimental geoscience, focusing on the mineral physics and phase relations of Earth's deep interior. The lab investigates the crystal structures, melting behavior, and chemical compositions of iron and silicate materials under conditions simulating the core and mantle, using advanced apparatus such as the multianvil and diamond anvil cell. Key research directions include the stability of iron allotropic phases in the inner core, phase transitions in the lower mantle (e.g., majorite-perovskite and postspinel transitions), and the generation of high-magnesium andesitic or carbonatitic melts under hydrosilicate and carbonated conditions. These studies are crucial for understanding core formation, Earth's thermal evolution, and the geodynamo.
Professor Luonan Chen's research lab specializes in computational systems biology and bioinformatics, focusing on modeling complex biological systems, particularly gene regulatory networks and molecular networks in disease progression. The lab develops advanced computational methods to infer individual-specific and single-cell resolution networks from high-throughput 'omics' data, enabling the detection of early-warning signals for critical transitions in complex diseases. Key research directions include the inference of dynamic, condition-specific networks, the identification of dynamical network biomarkers, and the construction of integrative knowledge bases for virulence factors in pathogens. The lab emphasizes methodological innovation to address challenges such as small sample sizes, network heterogeneity, and the distinction between direct and indirect regulatory interactions.
Professor Shoki Kosai's research lab specializes in sustainable materials and resource management, with a strong focus on life cycle assessment (LCA) and material flow analysis to evaluate the environmental impacts of energy and transportation systems. The lab investigates resource efficiency, particularly through the lens of total material requirement (TMR), to quantify land disturbance and natural resource use in mining and industrial processes. Key research directions include the environmental assessment of lithium-ion batteries, nuclear energy systems, and alternative transportation technologies, with an emphasis on circular economy principles and low-carbon transitions.
Professor Toshio Fuchigami's research lab specializes in sustainable and selective fluorination methodologies, with a focus on electrochemical and ionic liquid-based approaches for the synthesis of organofluorine compounds. The lab pioneers innovative techniques such as electrolytic partial fluorination and indirect anodic gem-difluorination, utilizing recyclable mediators and hypervalent iodine fluorides to achieve high regioselectivity. A key emphasis is placed on green chemistry principles, including the use of fluoride-containing ionic liquids and environmentally benign reaction media to minimize waste and enhance atom economy. The lab also explores the functionalization of polymers and heterocycles, demonstrating the versatility of fluorination in materials science and pharmaceutical applications.
Professor Guang Hong's research lab specializes in biomaterials for dental applications, with a primary focus on tissue conditioners, soft denture liners, and zirconia-based implants. The lab investigates material properties such as surface roughness, tensile bond strength, dynamic viscoelasticity, and plasticizer leaching under various storage and environmental conditions. Key research directions include surface modification of dental implants, formulation optimization of acrylic-based soft liners, and long-term stability evaluation of biomaterials in simulated oral environments. The lab combines experimental mechanics, material characterization, and clinical relevance to advance dental biomaterials development.
Professor Masatoshi Nakamura's research lab specializes in musculoskeletal physiology and biomechanics, focusing on the effects of static stretching on muscle-tendon complex properties. The lab investigates how different stretching intensities and durations influence joint range of motion, muscle stiffness, and stretch tolerance in lower-limb muscles such as the gastrocnemius and rectus femoris. A key research direction involves distinguishing between mechanical and sensory adaptations—particularly the role of passive torque and stretch perception—following static stretching interventions. The lab also explores practical applications of stretching in injury prevention and athletic performance enhancement.
Professor Naotoshi Nakashima's research lab specializes in the development and application of advanced carbon nanomaterials, particularly carbon nanotubes and graphene-based composites, for energy conversion and storage technologies. The lab focuses on enhancing the performance of electrocatalysts through innovative hybrid materials design, including metal nanoparticle loading on functionalized carbon nanotubes and the integration of proton-conductive polymers like polybenzimidazole (PBI) for high-temperature fuel cells. A key research direction involves understanding and exploiting the strong interfacial interactions between nanomaterials and functional molecules or polymers to improve dispersion, stability, and catalytic efficiency. The lab also investigates novel catalyst systems, such as IrOx–TiO2–Ti composites, for efficient and durable oxygen evolution reactions in acidic environments.
Professor Xiao Yan's research lab specializes in advanced surface science and interfacial phenomena, with a focus on superhydrophobic and hierarchical surfaces for enhanced droplet dynamics, condensation heat transfer, and energy-efficient fluid management. The lab investigates fundamental mechanisms of droplet coalescence, jumping, and transport, leveraging nano- and micro-structured surfaces to achieve ultrafast droplet shedding and improved performance in applications such as water harvesting, thermal management, and self-cleaning. Innovative experimental techniques, including microdroplet dispensing and in-situ visualization, are employed to explore the interplay between surface topography, wetting properties, and fluid dynamics at small length scales. The lab also explores power flow control in flexible AC transmission systems, demonstrating a multidisciplinary approach bridging fluid dynamics, materials science, and energy systems.
Professor Keiya Yumimoto's research lab specializes in atmospheric chemistry and aerosol science, focusing on the development and application of advanced data assimilation systems to improve the understanding and modeling of atmospheric aerosols and gaseous pollutants. The lab integrates satellite observations, ground-based measurements, and chemical transport models to quantify emissions, analyze long-term trends, and assess the impacts of air pollution and dust events in East Asia and globally. Key research directions include aerosol reanalysis, inverse modeling of dust and pollution emissions, and the evaluation of model-observation discrepancies through multi-sensor data fusion.
Professor Hideki Kishimura's research lab specializes in marine bioresources, focusing on the isolation, characterization, and functional evaluation of bioactive peptides and natural compounds from marine algae and fish. The lab investigates enzyme activities in marine organisms, particularly proteases like pepsin and trypsin, and explores their applications in food and health sciences. A key research direction involves the extraction and analysis of mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) from red algae such as dulse, emphasizing their UV-protective and antioxidant properties for potential use in cosmetics and nutraceuticals. The lab also studies protein hydrolysates for ACE-inhibitory peptides with antihypertensive potential, contributing to functional food development.
Professor Masahiro Sugimoto's research lab specializes in clinical metabolomics and translational biomarker discovery, focusing on the development of non-invasive diagnostic tools using biofluids such as saliva, urine, and blood. The lab investigates metabolic alterations associated with various diseases, particularly cancers (e.g., pancreatic, breast, oral), neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammatory conditions such as periodontal disease. By leveraging advanced analytical techniques like capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry, the lab aims to identify disease-specific metabolite profiles for early detection and personalized medicine. Their work emphasizes the clinical translation of metabolomics for improving diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes through minimally invasive approaches.
Professor Takaaki Sato's research lab specializes in the development of innovative synthetic methodologies centered on amide functionalization, particularly focusing on nucleophilic addition to amide carbonyls. The lab has pioneered the use of N-alkoxyamides as reactive platforms to enable chemoselective, one-pot transformations that install two different nucleophiles, providing efficient access to multisubstituted amines and complex nitrogen-containing scaffolds. Their work bridges fundamental reactivity principles with practical applications in the total synthesis of complex natural products, especially alkaloids and skipped diene-containing molecules.
Professor Yutaka Kawakami's research lab specializes in cancer immunology, with a primary focus on identifying and characterizing tumor-associated antigens recognized by T cells in melanoma. The lab has made seminal contributions to understanding HLA-restricted T-cell responses, particularly targeting melanoma-specific antigens such as MART-1 and gp100, and has advanced the development of adoptive T-cell therapy for metastatic melanoma. Their work bridges molecular cloning, immunological screening, and clinical translation, emphasizing the role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in anti-tumor immunity. The lab also investigates antigen expression heterogeneity and its implications for immunotherapy efficacy.
Professor Shogo Ehata's research lab focuses on the molecular mechanisms of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling in cancer progression, particularly in bone metastasis and colorectal cancer. The lab investigates how dysregulated BMP and TGF-β signaling contribute to tumor cell survival, proliferation, stemness, and interactions with the tumor microenvironment. Key research directions include identifying downstream targets of these pathways, such as DEC1, and evaluating small-molecule inhibitors (e.g., Ki26894, LDN-193189) as potential therapeutic strategies. The lab integrates molecular biology, cell signaling, and in vivo models to explore the dual roles of BMPs and TGF-β in tumorigenesis and metastasis.
Professor Haruhisa Inoue's research lab specializes in neurodegenerative disease modeling using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, with a focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and tauopathies. The lab develops patient-specific iPSC-derived neurons to study disease mechanisms, identify novel therapeutic targets, and perform drug screening, particularly targeting signaling pathways such as Src/c-Abl in ALS. They also investigate molecular players like LINGO-1 in Parkinson’s disease, exploring their roles in neuronal vulnerability and degeneration. The lab integrates stem cell biology with translational neuroscience to advance personalized medicine and drug discovery.
Professor Michio Murata's research lab specializes in the isolation, structural elucidation, and total synthesis of complex marine natural products, particularly polyether toxins produced by dinoflagellates. His work focuses on understanding the intricate structures and absolute configurations of potent marine toxins such as ciguatoxins, maitotoxin, and okadaic acid derivatives, which are responsible for human illnesses like ciguatera and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning. The lab employs advanced spectroscopic techniques, including 2D NMR and carbon-hydrogen spin-coupling analysis, to determine stereochemistry and biosynthetic pathways of these bioactive compounds. Their research bridges marine chemistry, toxicology, and structural biology, contributing significantly to the understanding of marine ecosystem toxins and their origins.
Professor Keisuke Okumura's research spans nuclear engineering and multi-agent systems, with a focus on advanced simulation methods for nuclear reactor analysis and scalable algorithms for autonomous multi-robot coordination. His work in nuclear energy includes high-fidelity Monte Carlo burn-up calculations and the development of reliable computational tools for reactor fuel behavior. In parallel, he pioneers efficient, iterative algorithms for Multi-Agent Path Finding (MAPF), particularly for real-time applications in automated logistics and robotics. His research bridges computational science and practical engineering, emphasizing scalability, reliability, and real-time performance.
Professor Noriho Kamiya's research lab specializes in developing innovative bioconjugation strategies and biocatalytic systems for precise protein and nucleic acid engineering. The lab focuses on leveraging microbial enzymes such as transglutaminase and lipase to enable site-specific modifications of biomolecules, with applications in protein–protein conjugation, chiral synthesis, and functional biomaterials. A key direction involves designing smart hydrogels and delivery systems through enzyme-mediated cross-linking for regenerative medicine and cell encapsulation. The lab also explores the rational design of biocatalysts for enhanced activity and selectivity in non-aqueous environments.
Professor Takumi Uchihara's research lab specializes in second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition and its impact on second language speaking proficiency. The lab investigates how repeated exposure to words, learner strategies (such as flashcards and writing), and receptive/productive vocabulary knowledge influence listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. A central focus is on the relationship between vocabulary size, lexical sophistication, and perceived fluency in L2 spoken production, particularly in English-medium instruction and EFL contexts.
