LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
Biological Function Imaging Lab
Machine-translated · View original
The lab uses imaging to explore how brain functions arise.
AboutAbout the lab
Visualizing neural activity to understand brain function
The Biological Function Imaging Lab studies how the brain works using imaging, a method that makes neural activity visible.
The brain is an information-processing device in which countless neurons are connected by synapses, and understanding how it works requires obtaining information from multiple cells at the same time.
The lab therefore measures the activity of many cells using methods such as optical imaging with microscopes, and focuses in particular on research into the basal ganglia.
For graduate school, students can join this lab through the entrance exam of either the Division of Health Sciences in the Graduate School of Medicine or the Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences.
Key terms
- Multiscale, multimodal imaging
- The lab's approach of visualizing neural activity by combining different types of measurement methods to examine targets at different scales
- Calcium imaging
- A method that simultaneously records the neural activity of many cells by observing the rise in intracellular calcium concentration that accompanies activity
- Optical imaging
- A method that uses fluorescent dyes to measure the activity of the many cells within a microscope's field of view at once
NewsLab news
An undergraduate student received the Undergraduate Session Award at the Annual Meeting of the Physiological Society of Japan
A student received the Young Investigator Presentation Award at the Kinki Physiological Society Meeting
A student received the Encouragement Award at a workshop on bioactive amines
A student received the Young Investigator Presentation Award at the Kinki Physiological Society Meeting
ResearchResearch themes
With the goal of understanding how brain functions arise, the lab visualizes neural activity using an approach called multiscale, multimodal imaging. Its main method is calcium imaging, which measures the activity of many cells simultaneously to investigate the behavior of neural circuits.
*Illustrative imageDeveloping multilayer, multi-method brain imaging
The lab is developing multiscale, multimodal imaging methods that combine quantitative activity-dependent manganese-enhanced MRI, ultrafine fluorescence endoscopy, in vitro imaging, and more.
*Illustrative imageUnderstanding how brain functions arise
Using multiscale, multimodal imaging, behavioral experiments, electrophysiology, and other methods, the lab investigates the mechanisms by which brain functions arise. It focuses in particular on the basal ganglia.
Integrating the data obtained
The lab aims to bring together the data obtained with each method in order to understand the mechanisms by which brain functions arise.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Biological Function Imaging Lab consist of faculty, technical assistants, master's students, and students doing graduation research.As of 2026
- ProfessorMakoto Osanai
- Assistant ProfessorAtsushi Tamura
- Project ProfessorTakeshi Yagi
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopRelatedLabs similar to Biological Function Imaging Lab
Acute and Palliative Care LabFaculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences
Perioperative Management LabFaculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences
Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing LabFaculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences
Chronic Illness Nursing LabFaculty of Medicine, School of Health SciencesThe information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
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: “NCCT Brain Imaging” Goleisureintl / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Developing multilayer, multi-method brain imaging: “CT Brain Scan” Goleisureintl / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Understanding how brain functions arise: “BMSEED’s electrophysiology module Intan 120-Channel” Kwayyy / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Acute and Palliative Care Lab): “Patient lying in hospital bed in intensive care unit in Germany in 2015” Pittigrilli / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Perioperative Management Lab): “AusMAT team members performing surgery ( )” Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Lab): “Nursing staff, St Mary's Hospital” Ardosion / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Chronic Illness Nursing Lab): “Nurse checks blood pressure” Linda Bartlett (Photographer) / Public domain (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.