Research Areas

Research in our laboratory explores how neurons in the neocortex acquire identities that direct unique sensory perceptions and motor controls. Specifically we are interested in the developmental mechanisms of how diverse arrays of neurons are coordinated into high-functional territories. Despite its well-defined anatomical character and functional significance, the mechanisms underlying the precise assembly of distinct functional areas of the cerebral cortex remains largely unknown. In our laboratory, we address important questions concerning neocortical development: 1) What are the mechanisms by which diverse cell fate is determined in the neocortex? 2) How are neurons precisely arranged into distinct cortical areas? 3) To what extent does the refinement of functional areas rely on environmental inputs? To investigate these questions we employ genetic manipulations in mice that will enable conditional loss of gene and cellular functions, recombination mediated cell-lineage tracing, and systematic approaches to identify novel molecules responsible for areal specification. Through these studies we wish to understand the mechanistic basis by which unique sensory perceptions develop in the human neocortex.

Research Subject

1. Molecular mechanisms of neuronal subtype specification in the neocortex
2. Characterization of genes responsible for areal specification
3. Extrinsic determinants in the establishment of neocortical areas

Related links

1. RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology Website_Laboratories Page
2. Individual Website Laboratory Page