Toward Next-generation Brain Project: enter a new era of IoB (Internet of Brains)

Background and purpose of the division

Neuroscience (brain science) is a field of life science that is dramatically developing in the 21st century. People expect that, the maintenance of brain health will improve the quality of life in an aging society, and the application of information processing mechanisms in the brain lead to the creation of innovative technologies. In recent years, most thing have been connected to the Internet (IoT: Internet of Things), and wearable devices such as smartwatches have made it possible for humans to connect to the Internet without even realizing it (IoB: Internet of Bodies). It is easy to imagine that the next era will happen the human mind is connected to the Internet (IoM: Internet of Minds). This is indeed the arrival of the era of the Internet of Brains. This division will establish a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and development platform by concentrating the multidimensional and multiaxial expertise and information on the brain and neural information/systems, and by collaborating with related researchers outside of the university. We aim to create an innovative academic field of brain science, “Parallel Brain,” which will be developed at the Tokyo University of Science in preparation for the coming era of the Internet of the Brain.

Research Organization and Members

We will propose technology for sensing and reproducing biological information based on the knowledge of brain research by synchronous (parallel) measurement of the brains of multiple individuals using brain research methods for mice and humans, which will become our original interdisciplinary brain research field. This division aims to elucidate and support the mechanisms of group formation and symbiosis in online space, and to build a theoretical background to describe the interaction between multiple brains common to social animals by using the common sensing technology in both mouse and human experiments through mathematical models. This division consists of three groups, and seeks to produce emergent results through synergistic effects among these groups.

Animal experiment group (mouse/human)

This group conducts multidimensional research on brain health and diseases focusing on cognition (depression characterized by pessimistic cognition, senile dementia with impaired cognition and memory functions, autism with impaired social cognition and communication, etc.), from molecular and neural circuits to animal models, to elucidate related mechanisms, and to create seeds for improvement drugs and diagnostic agents. We aim to create the seeds for new drugs and diagnostics.

Sensing Group

The Sensing Group conducts multidimensional research on the analysis and evaluation of brain dysfunction concerning personality traits focusing on gaze behavior and physiological indicators in developmental disorders, etc., and aims to create related measurement technologies and assistive devices.

Mathematical Model Group

The Mathematical Modeling Group aims to develop models and theories of brain information processing systems based on the results of multidimensional studies of functional brain imaging, cognitive psychology experiments, brain-type algorithms, etc., with a focus on human visual perception.

The division consists of 17 researchers in interdisciplinary neuroscience-related fields, including the Faculty of Science and Technology (Hiroshi Takemura, Takeo Ushijima, Takahiko Yamamoto, Akari Hagiwara, Takumi Asakura, Masataka Yamamoto), the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Akiyoshi Saito, Daisuke Yamada), the Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences (Takeshi Nakamura, Shingo Koinuma), the Faculty of Engineering (Osamu Sakata, Takuya Hashimoto), the Faculty of Advanced Engineering (Eri Segi (Nishida), Kanzo Suzuki), the Institute of Arts and Sciences (Hiroko Ichikawa), and two visiting researchers: Ryohei Hasegawa from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and Asami Oguro-Ando from the University of Exeter Medical School.

 

We are mainly engaged in collaborative and cooperative research use of the unique talents and strengths of each member. The following is a list of ongoing collaborative research projects that transcend the boundaries of each specialized field, which are possible only in this division. For details, please see the division’s website.

 

Elucidation of brain functions controlling social behavior(Prof. Segi and Prof. Oguro-Ando [University of Exeter])
～ Elucidation of social behavior and brain development using 3p deletion syndrome mouse model

 

Investigation of cross-species vocal communication (Prof. Ichikawa, Prof. Saito, and Prof. Yamada)
～ Relationship between ultrasonic vocalizations in mice and the ultrasonic effect in humans

 

Investigation of cross-species vocal communication (Prof. Ichikawa, Prof. Saito, and Prof. Yamada)
～ Relationship between ultrasonic vocalizations in mice and the ultrasonic effect in humans

 

Study on the relationship between human gait behavior and personality traits(Prof. Ichikawa and Prof. Takemura)
～ Extraction and evaluation of gait characteristics derived from personal internal states in humans

Future Development Goals

We will hold a number of public seminars and workshops to find a common language for researchers in multiple dimensions, educating the young investigator and students, increasing the integration of researchers.

Message

This division brings together researchers from both inside and outside the university in the field of the brain and neural information and systems to create an innovative academic field, “Parallel Brain,” originating from the University of Science. We aim to reveal how brain activity of multiple individuals interacts with each other.