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Developmental Neuroscience Lab (Center for Creative and Applied Medicine)
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This neuroscience lab explores the mechanisms of brain development and maturation at the molecular level.
AboutAbout the lab
How is the brain built?
The Developmental Neuroscience Lab uses rats and mice to study how the mammalian brain is formed.
The lab explores at the molecular level how the brain forms, develops, and is maintained.
When small flaws enter these mechanisms, neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder arise.
The lab is also interested in how the large neocortex that leads to humans was acquired, and in how sex differences in the brain arise.
The lab takes part in the Neuro Global International Joint Graduate Program, and has many international students.
Key terms
- Neocortex
- A layer on the surface of the mammalian cerebrum. It expanded over the course of evolution leading to humans
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Disorders that arise when small flaws enter the mechanisms of brain development. Autism spectrum disorder is one example
- Transcription factor
- A protein that regulates gene activity. Pax6 plays an important role in early neural development
NewsLab news
A paper by Assistant Professor Ochi and colleagues was published in Journal of Neuroscience Methods
A lab member won a poster award at the 19th Retreat graduate student presentation session of the Graduate School of Medicine
A paper by Assistant Professor Ochi and colleagues was published in Lab Animal
Lecturer Kikkawa received the 14th Academic Encouragement Award of the Japanese Society of Neuropsychopharmacology
Lecturer Kikkawa received the 2025 TSBPN-JSNP Academic Exchange Award
ResearchResearch themes
This lab studies how the brain is formed, maintained, and changed. Using rats and mice, it explores the mechanisms of brain development from both genetic and environmental perspectives.
*Illustrative imageMolecular mechanisms of neural development
Starting from the transcription factor Pax6, the lab studies the various molecular mechanisms involved in the process of neural development.
*Illustrative imageThe role of Pax6 in the postnatal brain
Pax6 is a transcription factor important in early neural development, but its expression is maintained in some cells and regions of the postnatal brain as well. Using conditional Pax6 knockout mutants, the lab analyzes its role in postnatal brain development and function.
*Illustrative imageEnergy production in glial cells
Using cultured cell systems, the lab analyzes how fatty acids affect energy production in the mitochondria of astrocytes in the brain.
*Illustrative imageElucidating the pathological basis of autism spectrum disorder
Focusing on ultrasonic vocalizations, which are thought to be important for mother–pup communication, the lab examines the effects of the age of the parent mice at the time of birth, using behavioral, histological, biochemical, and pharmacological methods.
MembersFaculty
The lab's members consist of faculty, academic researchers, technical staff, and students.As of 2026
- ProfessorYuji Oowada
- LecturerTakako Kikkawa
- Assistant ProfessorShohei Ochi
- Assistant ProfessorSharmin Naher
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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: “SUM 110913 Cort Neurons 2.5d in vitro 488 Phalloidin no perm 4 cmle-2” Howard Vindin / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Molecular mechanisms of neural development: “Death eyes” AlmudenaFM / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- The role of Pax6 in the postnatal brain: “Structural studies of Ets-1 Pax5 complex formation on DNA - Pax5 Ets Binding Site on the mb-1 promoter (DNA, 2) 1K78” Garvie CW, Hagman J, Wolberger C / CC0 (cropped)
- Energy production in glial cells: “Rasyslami” The original uploader was (Automated conversion) at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Elucidating the pathological basis of autism spectrum disorder: “Mother and baby, Moscow, Russia” Vyacheslav Argenberg / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Integrative Genomic Predictive Medicine Lab (Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization)): “Illumina NextSeq 500” Konrad Förstner / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Molecular Metabolism and Physiology Lab): “DNA Double Helix Model - Biotechnology Gallery - BITM - Kolkata” Biswarup Ganguly / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Genome Preventive Medicine Lab (Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization)): “Laboratory microcentrifuge tubes and pipette tips 02” Gannu03 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Biochemistry Lab): “Rotor for microtubes of an Eppendorf Centrifuge 5430” Karbohut / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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