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Integrative Physiology (Physiology II) Lab
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The lab elucidates the brain mechanisms that sustain life, such as body temperature regulation.
AboutAbout the lab
Approaching brain mechanisms that sustain life, such as thermoregulation
The Integrative Physiology Lab studies the fundamental mechanisms that sustain life, such as body temperature regulation, from the molecular level to the level of the whole organism.
Starting from neural circuits in the brain, the lab investigates topics such as thermoregulation, fever caused by infection, responses to psychological stress, and age-related obesity.
The lab corresponds to the former Second Department of Physiology and belongs to the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine.
Third-year medical students are assigned to the lab through the Basic Medicine Seminar and spend six months working on experiments and research.
Key terms
- Prostaglandin E2
- A substance produced when infection signals reach the brain. It acts on the brain's thermoregulatory neural circuits and temporarily raises body temperature.
- Mind–body correlation
- The influence of psychological states and emotions on the brain's systems for regulating the body.
- Age-related obesity
- Obesity that develops with advancing age, commonly called middle-age spread. It leads to lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
NewsLab news
Professor Kazuhiro Nakamura was selected for the Best Lecture Award in Basic Medicine, voted by graduates
Project Lecturer Manami Oya received the 30th Yasushi Kuno Memorial Award
A paper on the brain mechanism that triggers warming behavior in response to chills during infection was published in The Journal of Physiology
Project Lecturer Manami Oya received the 2025 Japan Society of Neurovegetative Research Award
ResearchResearch themes
The lab seeks to uncover the essence of brain functions that sustain life, such as body temperature regulation, starting from the neural circuits in the brain that keep body temperature constant. Using a unique methodology that combines the latest research methods with conventional ones, it aims to tackle problems that could not be solved until now.
*Illustrative imageBrain neural circuits that keep body temperature constant
Human body temperature is maintained at about 37°C. The brain contains neural circuits for responses such as sweating when hot and shivering the muscles to generate heat when cold, and the lab studies the mechanism that sets body temperature at “37°C.”
*Illustrative imageHow infection causes fever
When we catch a cold, influenza, or similar infection, a substance called prostaglandin E2 acts on the brain's thermoregulatory neural circuits and raises body temperature. The lab studies the brain neurons that command fever.
*Illustrative imagePsychological stress and bodily responses
The mechanism by which stress or tension makes the heart pound and body temperature rise remains unresolved. The lab investigates the neural circuits that produce physiological responses to psychological stress, aiming to elucidate the mechanisms of mind–body correlation.
*Illustrative imageHow aging makes people gain weight more easily
Thermoregulation uses a great deal of energy, for example in burning fat, so when it does not work well, obesity results. The lab studies how thermoregulatory neural circuits change with aging and lead to age-related obesity (middle-age spread).
MembersFaculty
The Integrative Physiology Lab's members are faculty, medical students, technical assistants, and secretaries.As of 2026
- ProfessorKazuhiro Nakamura
- LecturerTakeshi Kobayashi
- LecturerYoshiko Nakamura
- Project LecturerNaoya Kataoka
- Project LecturerAkihiro Fukushima
- Project LecturerManami Oya
- Assistant ProfessorYuji Suzuki
- Assistant ProfessorYuri Kitagawa
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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: “Clinical thermometer 38.7” Menchi / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Brain neural circuits that keep body temperature constant: “Human brain anatomical planes letter annotations” JonRichfield / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- How infection causes fever: “Treatments for the Common Cold ( )” NIAID / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Psychological stress and bodily responses: “Yokota pulse oximeter” U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stacy Moless / Public domain (cropped)
- How aging makes people gain weight more easily: “Preparing fresh carrots for a healthy meal in a rustic kitchen setting” Shixart1985 / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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): “Observing Ocular Tissue under Laser Scanning Microscope ( )” National Eye Institute / CC BY 2.0 (cropped) - Related lab (血液・腫瘍内科学): “FACS-toestel” Biol / Public domain (cropped)
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): “Scientist are at the Biomedical Research Laboratory Center 04” Oloyedegk / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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