Keio Research Institute at SFC

* This laboratory has been completed.

■Objectives

The SFC NEURO LAB is a laboratory specializing in neuroscience related to human behaviors, emotions, and decision-making. The lab refers to knowledge acquired from previous research performed on model organisms, while proceeding with research from a neuroscientific perspective that looks not only at people’s daily activities, but also at their economic and social activities.

In Japan, research in neuroscience has been conducted mainly by the medical, pharmaceutical and science departments. However, with the dynamic leap in brain sciences that has been taking place since the start of the 21st century, research started being conducted without being confined to the previously mentioned academic fields. SFC, which is a campus that embodies interdisciplinary research, has faculty members for whom neuroscience is the main area of study, as well as many faculty members who are active in research in artificial intelligence, social sciences, and network science. This foundation will be utilized to study human neuroscience, with the scope of research extending not only to basic sciences (neural base of functions that make people who they are, such as thought, emotions, learning abilities, perception, physical activities, decision-making, etc.) but also to applied neuroscience (provide neuroscience knowledge to the medical field, conduct neuroscientific studies on physical activities and music that are experienced in our daily lives, quantify human sensibilities in the field of marketing, discover the neural basis for human decision-making).

The following will be conducted in the immediate future.

・ Implement 3T fMRI (functional MRI) and conduct neurological experimental studies based on the brain’s three-dimensional structure and the integrated data on brain functions

・ Conduct educational research activities at graduate schools where English is the common language [graduate school academic project—partnership with NEURO]

・ Actively promote global partnership and joint research in neuroscience research

■Overview of Research Activity Plans

• Implementation of fMRI (functional MRI) in the research facility and the deployment of research activities that utilize fMRI
• Joint research with companies in and outside of Japan
• Themed research with competitive funds
• Graduate school education
• Disseminate information on results (website, planning of sessions at ORF, symposiums, etc.)

Researchers, managers and professors