For those who wish to participate in the Kimura Laboratory

Our laboratory's goal: To develop talented individuals who can play active roles in basic science, medicine, and industry through the achievement of research results in neuroscience using C. elegans. In particular, we aim to develop the following four skills:

For information about graduate school, please see here: Graduate School Entrance Exam Information , Graduate School Exam Schedule , Graduate School Q & A

1) Neuroscience knowledge, techniques, and concepts

Neuroscience (brain science) is deeply related to our daily lives, such as how we perceive the world around us, memories, and emotions; in medicine, it is related to adjustment disorders and mental illnesses; and in industry, it is related to preferences, the feel and impression of products, and VR (virtual reality)/AR (augmented reality).

Neuroscience requires a wide range of basic knowledge. Specifically, there is a great synergy between conducting research using cutting-edge information and repeatedly reading textbooks. (This may be true in other fields as well, but I feel this tendency is strongest in neuroscience compared to biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, and developmental biology, which I have experienced so far.)

The nematode C. elegans has a "central nervous system" made up of a network of nerve cells, and uses many neurotransmitters (glutamate, GABA, serotonin, dopamine, etc.) in common with humans, so "brain function analysis" can be performed from a perspective common to higher animals. Moreover, C. elegans has the great advantages of having a "short life cycle" and "an overwhelmingly small number of nerve cells that make up the brain," so even during the several years of graduate school, individual graduate students can complete an independent research project while acquiring various knowledge, techniques, and ways of thinking in neuroscience.

However, the theme of our laboratory is not limited to basic neuroscience. We also plan research projects that contribute to medical care and food development.

2) Planning and carrying out professional research

It is true that research has an aspect of "you never know until you try." However, how can we use our limited time effectively to answer more fundamental and important questions? The correct answer is not known in advance, but there are techniques to move in the right direction. By comparing with PDCA and OODA, which are known in the industry, students will acquire techniques to reach their goals.

3) How to write sentences that clearly communicate to the reader (in both Japanese and English)

Some people say that "Japanese is emotional and not suitable for science," but I don't think so. In science and business, there is a format and means to achieve a clear and logical message in writing. There are also techniques for writing things you don't want to say in a way that makes them stand out, along with techniques for asserting what you want to assert. By referring to multiple textbooks in both Japanese and English, you can learn the skills to write clear and understandable sentences in both Japanese and English.

4) How to give an engaging oral presentation (in Japanese and English)

Oral presentations require skill not only in the design and composition of presentation slides, but also in the intonation and rhythm of the voice, eye contact, preparation for Q&A, etc. There are no good textbooks on this, but we will impart these techniques based on the track record of graduate students in our laboratory who have been repeatedly praised for their "easy-to-understand oral presentations."

Acceptance Policy

If you have studied something properly in a science department at a university, there is no particular prerequisite knowledge or experience for joining the lab. However, in addition to actively conducting research, we also require you to actively engage in "studying basic neuroscience," "learning programming as needed," and "everyday English reading, writing, and speaking."
In addition, because it is necessary to work from various angles through the cycle of "hypothesis → experiment → verification" based on genetics and large-scale data analysis, it is ideal to work hard on your research for at least three years.