Faculty and Research Units
OIST research units take a cross-disciplinary approach to research, and the PhD program encourages students to explore the intersections of disparate fields of science and technology. Find the research unit of your interest below.
Faculty and Research Units
![Header Image](/sites/default/files/styles/background_image_xl_low_1x/public/2022-08/2.-Research-02.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=weu1UMhz)
Find a Faculty Member or Research Unit
![members of the unit in the office](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/tripp-unit-hero-07_0.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=hts3N7CI)
Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit
The Human Developmental Neurobiology Unit investigates the nature and causes of ADHD, including reward sensitivity, translating this information into empirically supported treatments.
![Gail tripp pitcure](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-09/20201207_0341_edited.jpg?h=34dd86c6&itok=8Y38aSrv)
Gail Tripp
Professor
![Human Evolutionary Genomics Unit banner](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Svante-Paabo-unit-hero-230728.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=zaEWfmfV)
Human Evolutionary Genomics Unit
We use the genomes of Neandertals and Denisovans, the closest evolutionary relatives of present-day humans, to identify genomic variants that are unique to modern humans.
![Photo of Svante Pääbo](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/paeaebo-svante-torso-80_0.jpg?h=a4e4bc7d&itok=AC9ye3Hd)
Svante Pääbo
Professor (Adjunct)
![members of the unit](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Ishikawa_unit_hero_20230721_02.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=V_321PMX)
Immune Signal Unit
All animals and plants have an innate, or non-specific, immune system to fight infection and disease. Unlike innate immune cells, cells in the adaptive immune system remember pathogens they ...
![Photo of Hiroki Ishikawa](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_ishikawa-hiroki_Ishikawa%25202.jpg?h=26b3a463&itok=5-Neb-OT)
Hiroki Ishikawa
Associate Professor
![Integrated Open Systems Unit brain image](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-11/Hiroaki-Kitano-banner.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=-THIZrVl)
Integrated Open Systems Unit
The Integrated Open Systems Unit aims to understand the fundamental principles that govern open, complex systems and apply such knowledge for real-world applications
![Photo of Hiroaki Kitano](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_kitano-hiroaki_Kitano%252008.jpg?h=1fa7923c&itok=JLMowPbb)
Hiroaki Kitano
Professor (Adjunct)
![Integrative Community Ecology Unit](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-08/coexist.jpeg?h=ce8b556d&itok=dU8K6tIP)
Integrative Community Ecology Unit
Our unit employs theory-informed experiments, genetics, and mathematical models to identify how species interactions vary over time and space to influence ecosystem dynamics and functioning.
![Photo of David Armitage](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/armitage-dave-20201127-no-background.png?h=4a5c3b07&itok=wNG0vHlr)
David Armitage
Assistant Professor
![Cold atoms around an optical nanofiber](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-08/fibreandatoms.png?h=d1cb525d&itok=yGDiYN0a)
Light-Matter Interactions for Quantum Technologies Unit
We study interactions between small particles, such as atoms, and laser light using nano-optics tools, to better understand light’s influences on dynamics.
![Photo of Síle Nic Chormaic](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_nic-chormaic-sile_004.jpg?h=eb001c24&itok=teRzkg0j)
Síle Nic Chormaic
Professor
![MLDS](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2024-02/MLDS%20top.jpeg?h=d1cb525d&itok=lk51JmWC)
Machine Learning and Data Science Unit
In the machine learning and data science (MLDS) unit, we focus on developing fundamental machine learning algorithms and solving important scientific problems using machine learning. We are currently interested in statistical modeling for high-dimensional data including kernel and deep learning models and geometric machine learning algorithms, including graph neural networks (GNN) and optimal transport problems. In addition to developing ML models, we focus on developing new machine learning methods to automatically find a new scientific discoveries from data.
![Makoto Yamada](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-08/yamada_photo_3.jpg?h=1e988e29&itok=ItYk_3ax)
Makoto Yamada
Associate Professor
![Logo for the Marine Macroevolution Unit, featuring the early jawless fish Sacabambaspis and the Okinawa prefectural fish, the Gurukun (Caesio diagramma)](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-08/OIST%20Banner%20no%20text.jpg?h=a68ef402&itok=IXsJks9-)
Macroevolution Unit
Investigating how environmental challenges, ecological interactions and key features shape biodiversity on scales outside human observation (macroevolution).
![Lauren Sallan smiling](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-08/sallan-lauren-20220331-016-orig.jpg?h=d2f9ba5e&itok=NTEPk3q2)
Lauren Sallan
Assistant Professor
![Patricia Graduation Photo](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-10/IMG_0235.png?h=30ae7c52&itok=T3-xODoh)
Marine Biophysics Unit
The Marine Biophysics Unit examines how ocean currents affect the marine life of hydrothermal vents and coral reefs around Okinawa.
![Satoshi Photo](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-10/People%20Satoshi.jpg?h=b85135ca&itok=VR6MN-c_)
Satoshi Mitarai
Professor
![Members of the Ravasi Unit scuba diving](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-01/Ravasi-unit-hero.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=5x4IeZ2C)
Marine Climate Change Unit
The Marine Climate Change Unit aims to understand how coral reef fish respond to human society driven environmental changes such as climate change, heatwaves, overfishing, and urbanization.
![Photo of Timothy Ravasi](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/ravasi-timothy-20190822_torso_0.jpg?h=b8cbf3a7&itok=ufB6IOPe)
Timothy Ravasi
Professor
![Marine Eco-Evo-Devo Unit banner](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Laudet-unit-hero-230731.jpg?h=8f74817f&itok=cVD1EzKZ)
Marine Eco-Evo-Devo Unit
Most coral reef fishes have an incredible colors but why and how do they appear ? We use clownfish as a model we decipher the origins of the colors and how the fish are using them.
![Photo of Vincent Laudet](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/laudet-vincent-03_torso.jpg?h=d1aa80ef&itok=n3XJERHi)
Vincent Laudet
Professor
![Amitori-1_1](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-09/Amitori-1_1.jpeg?h=9b5b085c&itok=xC8uUHtX)
Marine Genomics Unit
Exploring marine genomic diversity helps understanding organism responses to environmental change in the past and future, both in terms of large-scale evolution and within their ecosystems.
![Photo of Noriyuki Satoh](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_satoh-noriyuki_Satoh%25201.jpg?h=59df4766&itok=nQz1JAL7)
Noriyuki Satoh
Professor
![Orange x violet image](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Sitsel-Oleg-msbu.png?h=da92fc0b&itok=tBkZnw0g)
Marine Structural Biology Unit
The Marine Structural Biology Unit uses cryoelectron tomography and single particle cryoelectron microscopy to understand various aspects of coral biology in unprecedented detail.
![Oleg Sistel profile photo](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2023-07/Sitsel-Oleg-20230718.png?h=40d5f18d&itok=w_rmXdbt)
Oleg Sitsel
Transitional Assistant Professor
![](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/oistmedia/images/stories/conferences/rmt2012/hikami1_cut_637x200.jpg?h=126a3e86&itok=1xLv_obP)
Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Unit
The Mathematical and Theoretical Physics Unit uses a random matrix theory, to show that universal behaviors in theoretical physics and in mathematical biological systems.
![Photo of Shinobu Hikami](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/_s_hikami-shinobu_Hikami%25201.jpg?h=9b0f3ebe&itok=rnAFHysI)
Shinobu Hikami
Professor
![The shape of coronavirus affects its transmission, finds study](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-09/2020831-header-final.png?h=f0e3c3d1&itok=Rl4bkasS)
Mechanics and Materials Unit
Research in the Mechanics and Materials Unit is focused on the formulation and analysis of mathematical models for novel systems in the mechanical and material sciences. To derive physically...
![eliot_photo](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/2022-11/eliot_photo_0.png?h=ec664c62&itok=r6HMbzp3)
Eliot Fried
Professor
![the cupids of Raphael’s Madonna Sistina](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2022-11/Picture1.jpg?h=7b00484a&itok=r022AZc8)
Membrane Cooperativity Unit
We develop methods for single-molecule imaging and analysis, and apply them to unravel the mechanisms by which the cellular plasma membrane perform signaling and synaptic transmission.
![Photo of Akihiro Kusumi](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/kusumi-akihiro_torso_2015-12-22_w600.jpg?h=8770e839&itok=b5Bxwp02)
Akihiro Kusumi
Professor
![老化](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-10/SenescentCell2-KamilaKozik-4096x4096.jpg?h=c3b2fb4c&itok=g3Waz65H)
Membranology Unit
The human body is composed of ~37 trillion cells, all of which are surrounded by a plasma membrane. We aim to understand the relationship between plasma membrane damage and multiple pathophysiological processes including aging.
![Photo of Keiko Kono](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/kono-keiko_%2520torso_%252020171222_600x900_0.jpg?h=aa3ae45e&itok=luACIHA8)
Keiko Kono
Assistant Professor
![unit members in front of a panel of The Physiological Society of Japan’s 100th Anniversary](/sites/default/files/styles/card_lg_1x/public/2023-07/Memory-Research-Unit-hero-09.jpg?h=d1cb525d&itok=bqStX1C8)
Memory Research Unit
Memory Research Unit aims to know how memories are formed and used in the brain. However, the hippocampal contribution remains unclear. Our goal is to understand its role in memory.
![Photo of Kazumasa Tanaka](/sites/default/files/styles/faculty_card_mini/public/tanaka-kazumasa-torso%25402x-80.jpg?h=938d9163&itok=o6MkCryG)
Kazumasa Tanaka
Assistant Professor