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Oizumi Lab
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A lab that bridges brain activity and subjective experience through mathematics.
AboutAbout the lab
Connecting brain and consciousness through mathematics
The Oizumi Lab studies how to use mathematics to bridge neural activity in the brain and the subjective experiences people have.
The lab approaches the problem of consciousness by dividing it into three pillars: the quality of consciousness, the level of consciousness, and the location of consciousness.
Starting from integrated information theory, which holds that the essence of consciousness lies in "intrinsic information," the lab aims to make theories of consciousness experimentally testable.
Using mathematical tools such as information geometry, control theory, and thermodynamics, and collaborating with experimental researchers, the lab connects theory with data.
Key terms
- Integrated Information Theory
- A mathematical theory of consciousness holding that the essence of consciousness lies in the "intrinsic information" of a system such as the brain
- Qualia
- The quality of subjective experience, such as the "redness" of seeing red
- Control Theory
- A theory that uses mathematics to address how to act on a system in order to drive it to a desired state
NewsLab news
A master's student received the Best Presentation Award at the Vision Society of Japan 2026 Winter Meeting
A paper was published in Journal of Neuroscience Methods
A paper was published in iScience
A paper was published in Journal of Neuroscience
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to use mathematical theory to clarify how subjective experience arises. To make theories of consciousness experimentally testable, it works on methods for representing subjective experience as mathematical objects, and on methods for actually computing theoretical quantities in large-scale neural systems.
*Illustrative imageThe Structure of Qualia
The lab quantifies the quality of consciousness (qualia) as the structure of relationships among subjective experiences. It obtains qualia structures through psychological experiments, compares them across individuals, and maps them onto the structure of relationships in neural activity.
*Illustrative imageThe Level of Consciousness
In addition to methods from network theory, the lab uses thermodynamics to investigate the irreversibility of brain activity, that is, its thermodynamic "cost." It explores how this quantity relates to the difference between conscious and unconscious states.
*Illustrative imageThe Location of Consciousness
It is thought that for consciousness to arise, information must flow both forward and backward in the brain. The lab seeks to pinpoint the location of consciousness in the brain by identifying the core of the network that is strongly connected in both directions.
*Illustrative imageExploring Causal Relationships with Control Theory
Using the framework of control theory, the lab clarifies causal relationships within brain networks. It proposes practical methods for quantifying how easily a neural system can be controlled, the directions in which it can be controlled, and the cost of moving it from one state to another.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Oizumi Lab consist of faculty, project researchers, JSPS research fellows, project specialists, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- Associate ProfessorMasafumi OizumiPublications ↗
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “The Human Connectome” Andreashorn / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- The Structure of Qualia: “Munsell hue wheel equal value and chroma” 8-leaf clover / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- The Level of Consciousness: “EEG record of brain activity and wave patterns from a sleeping boy” Jemaleddin Cole from Glen Burnie, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
- The Location of Consciousness: “Budapest Reference Connectome” PIT Bioinformatics Group / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Exploring Causal Relationships with Control Theory: “C.elegans-brain-network” Mentatseb / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
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