3 Neuroscience Degree Programs in Japan

Our Psychology program breaks conventional boundaries by adopting an interdisciplinary approach. It seamlessly integrates insights from diverse fields such as neuroscience, data science, humanities, and social sciences. This structure not only enriches the study of human behavior but also fosters versatile thinkers, adept at bridging disciplines and innovating in their respective fields. We believe that education in this field is crucial in fostering a compassionate, empathetic society that can better understand and address mental health concerns.

Computational neuroscience has a rich history going back to the original Hodgkin-Huxley model of the action potential and the work of Wilfrid Rall on cable theory and passive dendrites. More recently networks consisting of simple integrate-and-fire neurons have become popular. Nowadays standard simulator software exists to apply these modeling methods, which can then be used to interpret and predict experimental findings. This course introduces some standard modeling methods with an emphasis on simulation of single neurons and synapses and an introduction to integrate-and-fire networks. Each theoretical topic is linked to one or more seminal papers that will be discussed in class. A number of simple exercises using the NEURON simulator will demonstrate single neuron and synapse modeling.

To elucidate the brain functions, it is essential not only to conduct micro-level research such as the conduction of electrical signals and chemical transmission by neurotransmitters, but also the system-level research on how they “function as a circuit” and “connect to actual thoughts and actions.” The Department of Physiology 2 grapples with this arduous but interesting problem by utilizing primates whose brain structure is similar to that of humans, by electrophysiological and pharmacological approaches. The current main theme is the elucidation of mechanisms by which emotion, memory, and attention change the decision-making process and actions. We dream of discovering the universal principle of calculation processing in the brain.