February 2022

Summary of Research Center Project*Briefly describe the general plan of your project (Compile in English within 2 pages.)

Center name:International Research Center for Neurointelligence

Host institution:

The University of Tokyo

Head of host institution:
Center director:

Teruo Fujii, President
Takao Kurt Hensch, Project Professor, International ResearchCenter for Neurointelligence
Nobukazu Toge, Project Professor, International Research Center
for Neuriintelligence

Administrative director:
1) Overall Image of Your Center

The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) seeks an advanced understanding of
human intelligence (HI) through the elucidation of basic principles underlying neural circuit development
and the pathology of psychiatric disorders caused by anomalies in this process. In turn, we aim to promote
next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) based on these principles of neural circuit maturation andfunction in the brain. To this end, IRCN will establish “Neurointelligence” as a new discipline by merging
research areas in life science, medicine, mathematics/information science and linguistics.
2) Research Activities<Importance of the subjects>
HI represents the most complex higher-order functions based on the operation of neural circuits in thebrain. These emerge through multiple molecular/cellular processes in fetal and postnatal life, reflecting
both innate genetic programs and individual experience. Neural circuits in the visual areas of the cerebral
cortex have provided a rich model for the hierarchical neural networks used in deep learning instrumental
for the recent development of AI. Nevertheless, the vast majority of information processing principles in
actual neural circuits have yet to be clarified and are crucially needed to establish next-generation AI.
Anomalies in neural circuit development are generally accepted as the root of human cognitive disorders,
including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia. IRCN therefore sets the following as its
research goals: systematically combining basic research on developmental principles for the formation offlexible and synergistic neural circuit representations that engender HI; promoting next-generation AI
based on these principles; and overcoming mental illness due to anomalies of neural circuit development<Research organization>
IRCN takes a Team Science approach to research fusion combining sixteen world-class principal
investigators (PIs) spanning four domains of research. In the area of Neurodevelopment, selectedmodel systems elucidate the fundamental principles of neural circuit development: Yukiko Gotoh(prenatal stem cell fate); Masanobu Kano (synapse elimination in postnatal development); Kazuo Emoto(elimination and remodeling of dendrites); Kenichi Ohki (activity-dependent neural circuit development);
Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama (birdsong learning). In the area of Human/clinical research, psychophysical,
non-invasive imaging and patient cohort studies establish valuable insight into human brain

The University of Tokyo - 1
International Research Center for Neurointelligencedevelopment and dysfunction: Sho Tsuji (infant language acquisition); Takao Hensch (perinatal critical
periods & autism); Kiyoto Kasai (adolescent critical periods & psychosis); Zenas Chao (prediction &creativity). In the area of Computation, neuro-inspired mathematical principles focused on brain
dynamics will be pursued: Kazuyuki Aihara (dynamical network biomarkers & neuromorphic hardware);Mingbo Cai (prediction); Takamitsu Watanabe (energy landscape modeling & autism); Yukie Nagai(developmental robotics). Novel Technology will advance state-of-the-art neural circuit analysis:
Haruo Kasai (reinforcement learning & synaptic plasticity); Yasushi Okada (neuronal imaging); Shoji
Takeuchi (biohybrid sensors). Multiple teams are formed “bottom-up” by intentionally combining PIs
across these four areas, such as Social Learning, Critical Period Timing, Prediction, Reinforcement,
Intrinsic Activity, Multiscale imaging, Autism or Psychosis.
IRCN also incorporates an extensive group of senior Affiliated Faculty (AF) and junior Associate
Research Fellows (ARF), as well as an international network of over twenty partners, starting with asatellite unit at Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard University), to complement the work at UTokyo. Notably,
IRCN includes large clinical centers in Tokyo and Boston for active translational research, which cannot beeasily achieved at other brain science institutes without clinical branches.
3) Interdisciplinary ResearchInterdisciplinary cooperation is a prerequisite for understanding both highly complex brain functions
and their pathology due to neurodevelopmental dysfunction. Few interdisciplinary research centers aredesigned to promote collaboration amongst globally-renown basic neuroscientists, clinicians andmathematicians with a long-term goal of understanding how HI arises to inspire next-generation AI.
Thus, IRCN should emerge as a world-leading research center with a unique scientific mission andprofound social impact. Trainees will benefit from multiple co-mentors across disciplines.
4) International Research Environment
IRCN supports foreign scientists to adapt to the grant system in Japan (including grant writing andmanagement of accepted grants), while reducing hurdles associated with daily life, by a multi-lingual
secretariat. Center Director Hensch has a long track record of creating mechanisms to welcome foreign
staff to Japan, as well as building a pipeline for students from abroad. IRCN sponsors both large-scaleinternational symposia domestically and abroad, and supports smaller-scale meetings and workshops
to promote researcher exchange between IRCN Teams, satellites and partner institutions.
5) Center Management
The center Director is given full authority regarding organization and management of the Center. He
sets the mission and goals of IRCN, effective organization of researchers, administrative decisions, andrecruitment of scientists. Alongside the Director, the Administrative Director (AD), General Manager (GM),Special Advisor (SAD) and Executive Director (ED) form the Directorate’s Office (DO) to provide dailyadministrative services necessary for the execution of IRCN activities. Three Deputy Directors (DD) support
the Director for smooth operation and swift decision making, and all PIs form the Steering Committee (SC)responsible for approving the Director’s decisions and their execution.

The University of Tokyo - 2
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceFebruary 2022

Research Center ProjectCenter name:International Research Center for Neurointelligence

Host institution:

The University of Tokyo

Head of host institution:

Teruo Fujii, President

Center director:

Takao Kurt Hensch, Project Professor, International Research Center for
Neurointelligence

Administrative director:

Nobukazu Toge, Project Professor, International Research Center for
Neurointelligence

1) Overall Image of Your Center* Concisely describe your institute’s identity and provide its mission statement as a WPI center.

Elucidating brain functions is indispensable for understanding human intelligence (HI). This is a highly
complicated and difficult endeavor, but one of the biggest scientific frontiers on par with the origin of
the universe. The International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN) aims to elucidate the late
fetal and postnatal developmental period in which neurons are differentiated, neural circuits are formed,
and shaped by the environment giving rise to mature brain function. This process follows the principles
that the organism has acquired over its long history of evolution and forms the basis for various highorder functions of the human brain. IRCN directed by Takao Hensch (Harvard University), a leading
researcher of neural circuit development, will tackle the following three issues. First, it will advanceunderstanding of HI by elucidating basic principles of neural circuit development. Second, it will pursue
the pathology of neuropsychiatric disorders caused by impairments in the maturation process. Third, it
will promote innovation and novel learning paradigms for next-generation artificial intelligence (AI),based on the newly found developmental principles and multimodal neuronal functions, spanningsensory, motor and emotional systems, enabling human communication unlike currently available AI.
To this end, IRCN will establish “Neurointelligence” as a new discipline merging diverse areas such as
life science/medicine and mathematics/information science/psychology.
The backdrop for IRCN is threefold: First, recent insights into molecular and cellular diversity of thenervous system and advanced technology for neural circuit analysis offer unprecedented tools to
elucidate principles governing the development and operation of generalizable information processingin the brain underlying HI. Second, common cognitive disorders, including autism spectrum disorder(ASD) and schizophrenia, are increasingly linked to a number of related genes mostly associated withmolecules functioning at synapses, consistent with neural circuit dysfunction as their etiological origin.
Accordingly, potential elucidation of the biological bases for neuropsychiatric disorderstoward objective
diagnosis and treatment has become increasingly realistic. Third, expectations for and concerns about
next-generation AI have been exacerbated as several specific functions are already demonstrably better
performed by AI.

The University of Tokyo - 1
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceIn this context, IRCN was conceived to elucidate mechanisms of neural circuit development, toclarify the pathology of neuropsychiatric disorders in human patients as well as animal models, andto pioneer new AI systems utilizing the same principles as seen in the development and operation ofneural circuits in the living brain. The University of Tokyo (UTokyo) is home to many leading
neuroscientists, a clinical psychiatry group of the largest scale in Japan at UTokyo Hospital, andworld-class researchers in the fields of mathematics and information science. Combining these nineselected researchers with seven newly recruited PIs, led by Takao Hensch, has established a truly
global faculty that is highly diverse both in gender and nationality. Furthermore, IRCN hosts a
satellite unit at Boston Children’s Hospital (Harvard Medical School) and partners with over 20
international

institutions,aiming to be one of theworld’shighestresearch

level

organizations.

Together, our mission is tocreateanew

discipline,“Neurointelligence”
will

help

to

which

overcomemental disorders and topromote next- generation
AI systems

based

on

principles governingthedevelopment and functionof integrated brain circuits
t h a t give rise to HI.
2) Research Activities
2) -1 Research field* Write in the target research field(s)* Describe the importance of the target research field(s), including the domestic and international R&D trends in the field(s) and scientificand/or social significance.
* Describe the value of carrying out research in the field(s) as a WPI center (e.g., Japan’s advantages, global impact on science and/or
society, future prospects)* If there are other centers either in Japan or overseas advancing research in fields similar to the center’s field(s), please list them. (upto 5 organizations)Target research fields
Target research fields of IRCN are brain sciences, especially developmental neuroscience, neural
information processing, neuronal plasticity, brain imaging, neural networks and psychiatric disorders.
Importance of the research fields and value of carrying out research as a WPI center
Human intelligence (HI) reflects the nonlinear dynamics of neural circuits in the brain. To achieve sucha complex function, an adequately balanced number of excitatory / inhibitory neurons need
to be produced and optimally arranged during the fetal period. Then, their neurites must form
The University of Tokyo -2
International Research Center for Neurointelligenceproper synaptic connections with appropriate targets and ultimately be modified to fit theenvironment d u r i ng critical periods of postnatal development, producing mature functional neuralcircuits. In turn, AI has recently achieved sensational success, mostly in the field of deep learning
based loosely on the multi-layered neural networks observed in unimodal visual cortex. Yet, AI is still
far from achieving the multi-modal integration fundamental to HI. Incorporating neuronal dynamics
as well as principles of sequential neuronal circuit development and learning rules are thus
expected to contribute toward innovative next-generation AI.
Meanwhile, Japan in particular is rapidly becoming a super-aging society with declining birthrates ahead of other countries. The increasing social burden of mental disorders, like autism andschizophrenia, has become a serious world-wide problem. Pathological study and treatments forsuch cognitive disorders are thus urgently needed. Improper or excessive circuit connectivity inchildhood and adolescence is generally believed to cause cognitive disorders whose underlying
genes are often identified at synapses. Advances in medical imaging now permit the visualizationof disturbances in psychiatric patients, offering unprecedented opportunities for IRCN as a bridge
for translation from bench-to-bedside. By gathering neuroscientists, big data statisticians andpsychiatrists, synergistic research into neural circuit development and dysfunction can inspire novel
AI to help human activities and substitute for the rapidly shrinking workforce. Pursuing
Neurointelligence as a new discipline by IRCN carries great breakthrough potential not only as a fieldof scientific inquiry but also for its social impact.
Other centers advancing research in fields similar to the center’s field(s)HHMI Janelia Research Campus (USA) / MIT Quest for Intelligence & Picower Institute for learning& memory (USA) / Max Planck Institutes (Germany, USA) / RIKEN Brain Science Institute (Japan)
While a number of research institutes for Neuroscience or Brain Science have been established including
those above, none feature a close interaction between world-class researchers in all three areas ofbasic neuroscience, psychiatry and computational/information/AI science. Importantly, IRCN includes
large clinical centers in Tokyo and Boston (i.e. UTokyo Hospital & Boston Children’s Hospital, see
below) for active translational research, which cannot be achieved by other neuroscience/brain science
institutes without clinical branches. In this context, IRCN is a unique avenue to facilitate collaborative
study across three disciplines to elucidate fundamental principles of neural circuit development andfunction as a basis for HI, to advance the understanding of psychiatric disorders as an impairment of
HI, and to create next-generation AI based on these principles, eventually establishing
Neurointelligence as a new discipline integrating HI and AI.
2)-2 Research objectives* Describe in a clear and easy-to-understand manner the research objectives that the project seeks to achieve by the end of its grant
period (in 5 years). In describing these objectives, the following points should be articulated in an easily understandable manner: The
kind of research area(s) you plan to cultivate by, for example, fusing various fields. In that process, what world-level scientific and/or
technological issues are you seeking to solve? What will the expected impact of the scientific advances you aim to achieve be onsociety in the future?
* Describe concretely your research plan to achieve these objectives and any past achievements related to your proposal.

The University of Tokyo -3
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceResearch objectives
How does human intelligence arise? To tackle this overarching question, IRCN seeks: 1) basic
understanding of the principles of brain development that underpin the emergence of HI, which inturn will 2) illuminate the etiology and treatment of cognitive disorders, and 3) inspire nextgeneration AI. The Center has now attained a well-balanced membership across gender, nationalityand discipline, including neurobiology, human/clinical neuroscience, and computation, in order topursue a Team Science approach.
Research plan
We take the view that HI is composed of multiple intelligences – one that is informed by brain
evolution. At its “core”, each brain must be capable of learning (reinforcement), predicting andintrinsic activity/sleep. Collections of brains can then interact to yield a “social” intelligence that isshaped by attention, critical periods of shared experience and social learning. While aspects of coreand social intelligence may be seen across species, further flexibility gives rise to “diverse”
intelligence uniquely characteristic of humans, spanning a spectrum from creativity to mental
disorders (autism, psychosis). Ultimately, AI inspired by these neurobiological insights will expand
the capacity of HI, synergistically shaping our own future world. To answer “how does human
intelligence arise”, twelve IRCN Team Science projects now span all four intelligences and how they
are interrelated:

The IRCN vision of HI arising from nested intelligences has attracted 9 talented PIs from UTokyo and7 more from outside who have increased the diversity of disciplines, gender, nationality (indicated incolored circles). An additional ~47 international senior Affiliated Faculty (AF) and dozens of IRCN
postdoctoral or Associate Research Fellows (ARF) have joined the IRCN mission.
(1) Elucidating fundamental principles and learning rules of neural circuit development
For proper brain function, an adequately balanced number of excitatory and inhibitory neurons

The University of Tokyo -4
International Research Center for Neurointelligenceshould be produced; they must be arranged in appropriate locations in the brain; individual neurons
should be connected to appropriate counterparts with an appropriate number of synapses; andneural circuits should be properly wired. Yukiko Gotoh investigates the genetic and epigenetic
mechanisms how neural stem cells generate a variety of different cell types including neurons andglia in the brain. Kenichi Ohki investigates the mechanisms by which early neural circuits are formed
depending on the ontogeny of neurons. Appropriate formation of neural circuits early indevelopment is prerequisite for learning such that the brain adapts quickly and properly to theexternal environment and, therefore, constitutes a basis for higher brain functions. When designingAI, it is important to choose the initial conditions priorto learning. If initial conditions are chosen
optimally, it may also allow AI to learn quickly without requiring big data, currently a big hurdle.
Elucidation of the genetic program of neuronal development,which is optimized through evolution,
can therefore contribute to the creation of next-generation AI. Moreover, the study of early circuit
formation will help to unravel neurodevelopmental disorders, as abnormalities in genetic programsof brain development lead to such disorders as cortical malformations and ASDs.
Next, neural circuits formed earlier in fetal development are modified to adapt to the external
environment and then functionally mature into adulthood. This process consists of three stages ofneuralcircuit remodeling driven by A) spontaneous neural activity, B) activity evoked by theexternal environment, and C) convergent external cues and instructive signals for learning andmemory throughout life.
A)

Spontaneous, intrinsic activity-dependent

remodeling of neural circuits includes theformation of immature contacts followed by strengthening of a limited subset of early-formed
synapses and the massive elimination of redundant ones, a process known as synaptic “pruning”
or“elimination”.

Masanobu

Kano pursues the principles
and cellular mechanisms ofsynapseelimination inthedeveloping cerebellum. Kazuo
Emoto studies molecular andcellularmechanisms

underlying

neuriteshaperemodeling of their axonal anddendritic arbors in response tovariousstimuliinsensory

circuits of mice and fruit flies.
B)

Next, neural circuits undergo a crucial remodeling to optimize their structure and operation

to fit the external environment. For example, when input from one eye is deprived during a limited
period in postnatal development, known as the “critical period”, the structure and function of neuralcircuits are reshaped so that input from the deprived eye can no longer excite neurons in the visual
The University of Tokyo -5
International Research Center for Neurointelligencecortex. Response preferences of visual cortical neurons to the orientation of objects are also
sculpted during a similar critical period depending on the distribution of oriented objects viewed.
Hensch discovered that the maturation of inhibitory circuits in the visual cortex is a key determinantof critical period timing, which was extended to the birdsong system with Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama.
A number of molecules involved in the maturation of these GABAergic circuits accelerate ordelay the window of brain plasticity. Beyond this, Hensch identified factors which then actively
suppress rewiring, such that their removal would reopen plasticity in adulthood. The concepts ofplasticity “triggers” and “brakes” have been found to apply broadly across brain regions, including
auditory, insular and prefrontal cortex, and species such as zebra finch with Dr Yoko YazakiSugiyama. Such regions support higher order brain functions beyond vision, including phoneme
discrimination, multisensory integration, preference behaviors or attention.
Kenichi Ohki elucidated learning rules underlying adaptation of visual cortical neurons to theorientation of objects in the external world. This process does not depend on instructive signals andis considered to be a learning process of the statistical distribution of object orientations in theexternal environment. However, precise learning rules remain unknown and identification ofprinciples of this type of learning is expected to contribute significantly to novel forms of
unsupervised learning in AI.
C)

Higher brain functions, which constitute important elements for HI beyond development, areultimately acquired by learning and memory dependent upon the external environment andinstructive signals. Kenichi Ohki studies visual object recognition in mice and marmosets. Whatsignals are conveyed in feedforward and feedback pathways between lower and higher visual areas
during learning of visual objects may substitute for error backpropagation used in supervised
learning in AI currently and will contribute to new algorithms for AI. Sho Tsuji examines the language
system in infants,which is fundamental to human communication, and a basis for intelligence andcreativity. She pursues how language is acquired over development by close and dynamic
interaction with the external environment. Finally, Haruo Kasai investigates the causal relationshipbetween synaptic structural plasticity and various forms of learning and memory, and how
reinforcement learning is embedded in synapses for the association of sensorimotor and emotion
signals. In the actual brain, reward is obtained from sensory input and converted into emotion
signals encoded by monoamines (e.g. dopamine, noradrenaline, serotonin) which innervate the brain
globally. He will study how monoamines encode distinctaspects of emotion other than reward (e.g.
motivation, punishment, saliency, novelty, arousal, etc.), and act on discrete subsets of neurons, ina vectorial manner rather than as scalar reward signal.
Technology research labs collaborate closely with and assist the aforementioned experimental
PIs. Yasushi Okada tackles intracellular imaging technologies, which include a microscope of highspatial andtemporal resolution and optical bioprobes based on fluorescent organic dyes, fluorescentproteins and/or (bio)luminescent proteins. Haruo Kasai invented a sophisticated method toselectively label synapses that are active during memory acquisition, and then to eliminate the
The University of Tokyo -6
International Research Center for Neurointelligencelabelled synapses by blue light. Using this technique, he demonstrated that structural plasticity ofsynapses actually underlies motor memory. Shoji Takeuchi has made pioneering and outstanding
contributions to development of novel microfabrication technologies. In IRCN, he is developing
biohybrid sensors for neuromodulators, a flexible electrode array which will allow persistent stable
recordings over weeks and months from multiple neurons in vivo, and chemical sensing robots
based on mammalian olfactory receptors.
(2) Revealing the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders caused by impaired HI
Drs Kiyoto Kasai and Takao Hensch, respectively, aim to elucidate pathophysiology of cognitive
disorders originating during two developmental critical periods, infancy and adolescence. Kiyoto
Kasai’s laboratory possesses a large-scale MRI database of psychiatric disorders based oncollaborations among multiple universities and hospitals across Japan. Utilizing this database, he
has succeeded in demonstrating abnormal brain functional connectivity in ASD, and structuralabnormalities of subcortical nuclei in schizophrenia. In IRCN, Kiyoto Kasai will combine multi-modal
neuroimaging

techniques

with

MRI,

includingelectroencephalography(EEG),

magnetoencephalography (MEG), near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and magnetic resonancespectroscopy (MRS) to precisely identify circuit abnormalities in psychiatric disorders. He will thenlocalize the identified circuits onto homologous circuits in non-human primates and rodent modelsof psychiatric disorders. Through innovative circuit manipulation methods, he will clarify the
relationship between neural circuit dysfunction and behavioral abnormalities. Finally, he will use
machine learning and AI techniques to develop objective biomarkers for the diagnosis of psychiatricdisorders and a new treatment strategy, called neuro-feedback, which is expected to normalize
abnormalcircuit activities by brain-machine interface (BMI) techniques.
Hensch and colleagues at the Boston Children’s Hospital satellite pursue novel, circuit-based
etiological insights in preclinical models of ASD and psychosis risk. They introduced innovative
whole-brain imaging in awake mice using functional ultrasound. To test critical period insights frommouse to man (above), they are studying cognitive development and EEG in a large cohort ofinfants exposed to neonatal (GABA active) anesthesia or at-risk for autism. Finally, they seek tocorrect derailed developmental trajectories or reopen brain plasticity later in life to restore aberrant
circuit function. Treating the common circuit abnormality rather than heterogeneous gene defects
is innovative, based on principles of critical period plasticity and more readily translatable to clinical
trials, such as at Boston Children’s Hospital.
(3) Creating next-generation AI based on principles of neuronal circuit development
Newly identified principles of development and operation of neural circuits in the actual brain havealready started to inspire next-generation AI systems:A) Development and mathematical analysis of novel AI technology based on neural mechanisms
Deep learning, the mainstream of present AI research, is based on simple multi-layered
feedforward neural networks of oversimplified artificial neurons. The cerebral cortex, however, has
The University of Tokyo -7
International Research Center for Neurointelligencea complex six- layered structure composed of various types of neurons connected through many
synapses including recurrent connectivity and projections from limbic systems carrying emotion
signals, as well as more global hierarchical structure with bottom-up and top-down pathways acrossdifferent cortical areas.
IRCN’s research aims at developing novel AI technology based on neural mechanisms in theactual brain and defining its mathematical properties. First, humans learn very quickly without
requiring big data, unlike the current deep learning technology. Mingbo Cai hypothesizes that it isbecause neural circuits in the human brain are optimized through multiple developmental
processes (summarized above), such as genetic programming, spontaneous activity-dependent
remodeling, and experience-dependent remodeling with the help of emotion systems.
Second, GABAergic neurons are not commonly used in the field of deep learning, but they play
pivotal roles in the human brain. As described by Hensch, they control the critical period and playroles in information processing, such as surround suppression. He and Kazuyuki Aihara will
incorporate GABAergic neurons in network structure and examine how they change the behaviorof neural networks. Finally, by incorporating learning rules in feedforward and feedback pathways
between lower and higher areas, Zenas Chao will implement novel learning rules to recognize
complex time-series data and infer causal relations that current deep learning technology cannot
achieve.
B) Computational and mathematical analyses of big neuroinformatics data covering an entire brain
and activities from a large number of neurons
Kazuyuki Aihara creates computational and mathematical methodologies to analyze big neuroinformatics data such as neural circuit data covering an entire brain and neural activity data
observed simultaneously from a large number of neurons in the same brain. These include nonlinear
data analysis method for spatio-temporal point processes of neuronal spikes generated from manyneurons, and integrative and quantitative analysis of real experimental data.
C) Mathematical modeling of psychiatric disorders applied to understanding their pathophysiology
This theoretical research considers mental illnesses as disorders or collapses of normal mechanisms
forneural network development and function in the brain. By modifying neural network models withnormal functions Aihara constructs mathematical models of mental illnesses with Kiyoto Kasai tounderstand their pathological dynamics, detect pre-disease states, and explore possible circuitbased therapies from a theoretical viewpoint. More specifically, based on the work of Hensch, hewill explore how mistiming of excitatory / inhibitory balance results in pathological dynamics, while
a failure to close critical period plasticity properly might result in psychosis. By analyzing nonlinear
spatio-temporal dynamics of neural network models, we explore possibility that mistiming or failureof developmental transitions in such nonlinear dynamics results in abnormal circuit operation.
Takamitsu Watanabe’s energy landscape modeling has identified a reversible rigidity of resting
brain states in autistic patients and mouse models. Finally, Yukie Nagai develops algorithms for
The University of Tokyo -8
International Research Center for Neurointelligencerobots to simulate and interact with autistic subjects. Based on alterations in predictive coding, thiswork also helps to reduce the stigma around mental illness by allowing neurotypical subjects toexperience the autistic worldview.
2)-3 Project management* Describe the center’s research organization (including its research, support and administrative components) and your concept forbuilding and staffing the organization.
* Describe your concrete plan for achieving the center’s final staffing goal, including steps and timetables.
* If the center will form linkage with other institutions, domestic and/or foreign, by establishing satellite functions, provide the name(s)of the partner institution(s), and describe their roles, personnel composition and structure, and collaborative framework with thecenter project (e.g., contracts to be concluded, schemes for resource transfer).
* If the center will form linkage with other institutions, domestic and/or foreign, without establishing satellite functions, provide thenames of the partner institutions and describe their roles and linkages within the center project.
* List in Appendix the principal investigators who are expected to join the center.

Center’s research organization
IRCN created a 3-office structure to promote research “Synergy”, “Community” and “Sustainability”.
Led by Deputy Directors (DD), these subgroups meet regularly to create a vibrant and inclusive
research ecosystem. Synergy Office, in particular, has set aside seed funding to launch a “TeamScience” approach to promote collaborative and inter-disciplinary research and selected twelve
themes. These themes and collaborations are fundamentally proposed bottom-up, highlighting thestrengths of our PIs. While they span very large conceptual and methodological spaces, the Teams
nicely cover the four intelligences constituting HI (see above). Given our limited resources andpersonnel, Teams are evaluated semi-annually by the Synergy Office which established criteria tonarrow down and focus the Center’s scope on the most successful fusions.
The Community Office engages Center members in various collective opportunities, such as
graduate teaching, outreach planning, and support for international scientists. The Sustainability
Office actively seeks funding opportunities to bridge IRCN research disciplines, such as domestic
and international grants, potential donors, or corporate sponsors. To brainstorm new areas of fusion
research, a weekly Science Salon, featuring one PI, AF or international partner, and Annual Retreat
offer regular interactions.
In order to promote collaborative research amongst research units, IRCN established five stateof-the-art core facilities: cellular imaging, fMRI, ES mouse/virus production, data science, andscience writing (led by a former Cell Press editor). Core managers (Project Associate Professors)
facilitate fee-for-service usage of large-scale advancedequipment by skilled operators and analysis
staff. In addition, we secured collaboration space adjacent to these rooms for workshops,
receptions and brainstorming. In order to coordinate close cooperation between Team Science andoverseas partners, an administration office based on the know-how of our existing sister WPI
institute, Kavli IPMU, will support center management.
Plan for achieving the center’s final staffing goal
We defined the startup period from FY 2017 to FY 2019 to establish management organization and
The University of Tokyo -9
International Research Center for NeurointelligencePIs, filling laboratories with researchers. Immediately after award decision in October, we followed
UTokyo procedures to set up IRCN under the UTokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS). An
administrative office modeled after the existing WPI institute, Kavli IPMU, was established so as to be
immediately responsive to the Director’s decisions. Space under one roof was secured for renovationand installation of new laboratories in the first medical building. The desired staffing of 16 PIs andlab members was exceeded by 2020. Core facilities were immediately set up.
Stable operation commenced in FY2020. We will continue new recruitment of Team postdocs,
and organize international conferences to increase visibility of IRCN. Joint research and personnel
exchanges with satellites and international partners will be actively supported by Director’s
Globalization Awards. We will also continue to improve the equipment in the core facility. Finally, tocreate an environment for daily interaction, discovery and more natural idea sharing, UTokyo will
establish a location and relocation plan for a modern research building where all members unite.
Role of satellites: In addition to units at UTokyo, IRCN established one satellite at BostonChildren’s Hospital (Harvard Medical School). The clinical resources there focus on the pathologies
of psychiatric disorders or early life stress exposures to develop interventions. In addition to Takao
Hensch, Michela Fagiolini heads the mouse Neurodevelopmental Behavioral Core facility where she
performs preclinical analysis of Mecp2-deficient models of Rett syndrome; Charles Nelson performs
behavioral analysis, electrophysiology, and functional imaging of children at-risk for ASD; Charles
Berde, Laura Cornelissen and Laurel Gabard-Durnam examine the impact of neonatal anesthesia
on cognitive development; Nancy Kopell and colleagues (BU) prepare computational models; andDavid Hunter and colleagues pilot clinical trials to reopen brain plasticity for recovery fromamblyopia in adulthood.
Linkage with other institutions without establishing satellite functions: Numerous MOU
partnerships were signed both globally and locally (see map). These include strategic sites thatcomplement the work at IRCN: RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP Center), RIKEN
Brain Science Institute (BSI) and RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center (QBiC); Swiss NCCR Synapsy
bridging psychiatry and neuroscience; OIST; Italian Institute of Technology in the area of computation
and robotics; A*Star Singapore and Hong Kong Univ Science & Technology for cohort studies; College
de France and Ecole Normale Superieure for cross-cultural infant studies; the Stockholm trio and MaxPlanck Institute Florida for cellular imaging. The satellites and partners promote bidirectional exchangeof trainees with UTokyo through matching support for travel and staying expenses.

The University of Tokyo -10
International Research Center for Neurointelligence

a) Principal investigators (full professors, associate professors or other researchers of comparable
standing)
At beginning of
project

At end of FY 2021

Final goal
(March 31, 2027)

Researchers from within the hostinstitution

12

15

14

Foreign researchers invited fromabroad2

2

1

Researchers invited from otherJapanese institutions

0

1

1

Total principal investigators

14

18

16

At end of FY 2021

Final goal
(March 31, 2027)b) Total members
At beginning of project
Number of persons
Researchers
Overseas
researchers
Femaleresearchers％

27

Number of
persons％123

Number of persons

％

70

3

11

45

37

23

33

4

15

20

16

14

20

Principal investigators

14

18

Overseas PIs

2

14

4

22

3

19

Female PIs

1

7

4

22

4

25

Other researchers

13

105

16

54

The University of Tokyo -11
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceOverseas
researchers
Femaleresearchers

1

8

41

39

20

37

3

23

16

15

10

19

Research support staffs

0

38

20

Administrative staffs

3

20

10

Total number of people whoform the "core" of theresearch center

30

181

100

2)-4 Securing research funding
Past record* Give the total amount of research funding (e.g., competitive funding) secured by the principal investigators who will join the center
project. Itemize by fiscal year (FY2017-2021).

FY

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Total

Secured funding (JPY)

012,700,000

59,434,000

257,939,655

353,661,995

683,735,650

Prospects after establishment of the center* Based on the past record, describe the concrete prospects for securing resources that match or exceed the WPI project grant.
* Calculate the total amount of research funding (e.g. competitive funding) based on the percentage of time that the researchers will
devote to research activities at the center vis-à-vis the total time they spend on research activities. Be sure that the prospects(FY2022-2026) are realistically based on the past record.

All Japanese PIs hold competitive grants from Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research, AMED, or JST.
Examples include Transformative Research Areas (A) (Kano, K. Kasai, Y. Okada), Scientific Researchon innovative Areas (Emoto, K. Kasai), Scientific Research (S) (Gotoh, H. Kasai, Ohki, Aihara,
Takeuchi), BrainMapping by Integrated Neurotechnologies for Disease Studies (Ohki, K. Kasai), andStrategic Basic Research Project–CREST (H. Kasai, Y. Nagai), serving as a part of the initial capitalof IRCN. The total amount of competitive research funding that is directly accounted by IRCN isapproximately 350 million Yen in FY2021 and is in a growing trend. Note that PIs, who are alsoaffiliated with other Faculty within UTokyo or elsewhere, are attaining similar amounts of additional
research funds that are separately accounted there.
By taking a brain development perspective, their fusion research has further focused the IRCN
roadmap and milestones on three major deliverables: 1) promote resilience & disease
prediction early in life, 2) promote therapeutic strategies to redirect or reopen plasticity
later in life, 3) enhance performance of HI in harmony with novel AI. These goals havebeen rewarded with competitive funding in FY2020, including collaborations with UTokyo corporate
sponsors like Softbank (BeyondAI) and Daikin, and leadership roles in JST, MEXT, and AMED grants(Gakujyutu Henkaku A, Moonshot), as indicated below.
Now established, our PIs will continue to actively apply for grants, such as Grants-in-Aid for
Scientific Research on Innovative Area, JST-CREST, HFSP (Human Frontier Science Program, bothas individuals and as IRCN-based groups. As calculated above, we expect to obtain at least 1.4
billion Yen per year, which exceeds the WPI project grant. We expect full support from the Graduate
School of Medicine and other participating departments for the laboratory space, animal facility,
The University of Tokyo -12
International Research Center for Neurointelligenceand common spacefor equipment. All
IRCN

members

have some shareof their labs inside
the same Medicalbuilding#1

toboost interactions
within IRCN.

3) Interdisciplinary Research* Describe why interdisciplinary research is necessary and important in the target field(s) and what new field(s) can be expected to becreated by way of this project. Describe your concrete strategy for advancing such interdisciplinary research.

The need and significance of interdisciplinary researchInterdisciplinary cooperation between life science, medicine, linguistics, mathematics, andinformation science is a prerequisite for understanding highly complex brain functions andelucidating the pathology of brain diseases. Neurointelligence, a new discipline that IRCN created,
is an integration of research on neural circuit development, technology development for probing
neural circuits, studying psychiatric disorders, and AI research. The synergy of these fields will
elucidate principles of flexible neural circuit development to realize HI, promote development of
next-generation AI, and contribute proposed newtherapies of psychiatric disorders based on neuralcircuit dysfunction.
Studies on the learning
process, the basis for HI, is an
example of successful interdisciplinary

research,which

revealed that effective humangoal-directed learning is basedon deep learning by the cortex
and reinforcement learning by
the basal ganglia. The “AlphaGo”

systemthat

defeatedprofessional Go players, utilizes
these two learning processes.
The

core

dysfunction
The University of Tokyo -13
International Research Center for Neurointelligenceunderlying psychiatric disordersis considered to exist in thecortex and basal ganglia. We expectthat explorations by IRCN of unknown information processing mechanisms, inaddition to the two
mentioned above (i.e. cortex–deep learning and basal ganglia–reinforcement learning), willadvance
AI studies to the next generation.
To our knowledge, there are few interdisciplinary research centers designed to promote suchcollaboration between world-renowned basic neuroscientists, physicians, and AI researchers witha long-term goal of better understanding HI and creating new AI principles. Thus, IRCN will becomea highly competitive research center with unique scientific mission and profound social impact.
Strategy for conducting interdisciplinary research
IRCN takes a Team Science approach to research fusion combining sixteen world-class principal
investigators (PIs) spanning four domains of research. In the area of Neurodevelopment, selectedmodel systems elucidate the fundamental principles of neural circuit development: Yukiko Gotoh(prenatal stem cell fate); Masanobu Kano (synapse elimination in postnatal development); Kazuo
Emoto (elimination and remodeling of dendrites); Kenichi Ohki (activity-dependent neural circuit
development); Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama (birdsong learning). In the area of Human/clinical research,
psychophysical, non-invasive imaging and patient cohort studies establish valuable insight into
human brain development and dysfunction: Sho Tsuji (infant language acquisition); Takao Hensch(perinatal critical periods & autism); Kiyoto Kasai (adolescent critical periods & psychosis); Zenas
Chao (prediction & creativity). In the area of Computation, neuro-inspired mathematical principles
focused on brain dynamics will be pursued: Kazuyuki Aihara (dynamical network biomarkers &neuromorphic hardware); Mingbo Cai (prediction); Takamitsu Watanabe (energy landscapemodeling & autism); Yukie Nagai (developmental robotics). Novel Technology will advance stateof-the-art neural circuit analysis: Haruo Kasai (reinforcement learning & synaptic plasticity); Yasushi
Okada (neuronal imaging); Shoji Takeuchi (biohybrid sensors). Multiple teams are formed “bottomup” by intentionally combining PIs across these four areas, such as Social Learning, Critical Period
Timing, Prediction, Reinforcement, Intrinsic Activity, Multiscale imaging, Autism or Psychosis.
4) International Research Environment4)-1 System for advancing international research* Describe your concrete plan for building an international research center including the makeup of its foreign researchers,
establishment of oversea satellites, and provision of researcher exchanges. Please include a timetable for this plan.
* Describe concretely your strategy for staffing foreign researchers (e.g., postdoc positions) through open international solicitations.
Describe the procedures you will use to do so.

Successful establishment of an international research center will depend on many factors, but thefollowing three points are critical. 1) Strong leadership: Dr. Takao Hensch, Director of IRCN,has clear
perspectives about the WPI goal and its impact on biology and medicine. His leadership has
attracted talented young researchers irrespective of country 2) Outstanding members: We selected
the best researchers from a wide range of scientific disciplines both within UTokyo and fromoutside institutions to assemble IRCN. Top-level researchers further enhance international visibilityof IRCN. 3) Rich academic environment: The center will fully utilize the rich educational and
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International Research Center for Neurointelligenceadministrative resources of UTokyo. Active flow of researchers between IRCN and satellite/partner
institutes will accelerate the international collaborative activity. Hensch has many years ofexperience with student exchange into Japan.
Plan for building an international research center: Recognition of IRCN as a research hub
acrossmultiple countries will be achieved by a multi-level enterprise by researchers, trainees andadministrative staff with the following strategies: highest priority on recruitment of young researchers with high international activity and potential.
 IRCN members will be encouraged to do collaborative research overseas each year. This rule has
been in operation in Kavli IPMU and is effective in networking with foreign researchers andresearch institutes, as well as providing young researchers with opportunities for careeradvancement.
 provide scientific programs that facilitate active interaction between the core IRCN and satellites.
 research conferences andmeetings conducted in English in principle.
 IRCN will interact with multiple graduate student programs in UTokyo and abroad as a platform
for facilitating global leadership of young scientists.
 sponsor large-scale international symposia each year. In addition, frequent workshops,
sabbaticals and seminars by top foreign researchers are planned to attract scientists from outsideof IRCN.
Strategy for staffing foreign researchers: The Director, supported by EB/SC, will put highest
effort toward recruitment of young foreign researchers with high motivation and ability. After
recruitment, the outstanding fusion research achievement during their term at IRCN will be
encouraged to become a strong candidate for faculty or post-doctoral positions at other globallyleading research institutions.
 Attractive job conditions are offered for foreign researchers with an annual salary system basedon their competence and performance.
 Job advertisement is made by wide announcement in media including first-rate scientific journals.
Applications will be received online. The hiring cycle will be made to fit overseas standards.
 Scientists with special knowledge and technology are invited to stay for several months to perform
joint research and seminars, which may provide opportunities for their future relocation to IRCN.
 For young PIs, we minimize duties to maximize their research-related activity. Assistant Professors
are hired initially for five years then reviewed in the fifth year based on research outcomes. The
review will determine whether the appointment (1) ends with the fifth year, (2) is extended forthree more years,or (3) is promoted to Associate Professorship with tenure.
４) -2 Establishment of international research environment* Describe your concrete strategy for establishing an international research environment and administration system, and the support
system to be provided for researchers from overseas.
* Describe your strategy, procedure and timing for periodically holding international research conferences or symposiums (at least oncea year).
* Describe your measures to ensure that top-caliber researchers from around the world can work comfortably in carrying out theirresearch within a competitive international environment.

The University of Tokyo -15
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceStrategy for establishing an international research environment and administration
system,and the support system for researchers from overseas: We will support foreignscientists to adapt to the Japanese grant system, while lowering hurdles associated with daily life.
 Startup funds are provided to WPI postdocs and PIs from abroad as soon as possible after arrival.
 Information for grant writing and management of accepted grants will be provided to encourage
foreign scientists to apply for grants from the government of Japan.
 A multilingual secretariat provides foreign researchers with various services according to themodel of Kavli IPMU. Examples include a website for information on daily life, accompanying
researchers to city offices, banks, real estate agents, etc., orientation services, Japanese
language classes, online safety education, and a 24-hour emergency medical service, includingthat for pregnant women.
 Priority acceptance to the residences around the campus may be considered.
International research conferences: IRCN will sponsor a large-scale international symposium
everyyear. Director Hensch is well-known in the international neuroscience community and his
experience, visibility and esteem will entice participation of top foreign scientists at our international
conferences. The kickoff symposium in the first year will be of utmost importance to set theframework of IRCN activity. Our international satellites and partners will host symposia abroad inrotation. These meetings not only promote exchange of researchers but also advertise IRCN
research abroad.
Measures to ensure that top-caliber researchers from around the world can work
comfortably in carrying out their research: IRCN’s administrative staff help researchers to
prepare application forms for research grants. The pre-existing system of university administrators
in UTokyo supports human resources necessary for IRCN administration. IRCN provides training andfull support for successful writing of grant proposals through the postdoctoral advisory committee(I-PAC). This encourages researchers to secure the research funding without barriers.
Administrative staff also supports grant management and report preparation. Support for insuring
and locating housing, daycare, and spousal employment will be prepared.
5) Center Management5) -1 Operational management* Describe the role of the center director.
* Describe the role of the administrative director.
* Concretely describe your concept for establishing an administrative organization.
* Concretely describe the center’s decision-making system.
* Concretely describe how authority is allocated between the center director and the host institution.
* Concretely describe how the center will adopt a rigorous system for evaluating research and will introduce a system for merit-based
compensation (e.g. annual salary scheme). Please describe your procedures and timing for operationalizing these systems.

IRCN will be the third entity operating as the UTokyo Institute for Advanced Study (UTIAS). UTIAS
is an independent research organization, acting as an autonomous unit in the University andregarded as a test case in the reform of Japanese universities. The Kavli IPMU under UTIAS provides
a model framework for IRCN to have discretion in recruiting researchers and budgetary requests.
The University of Tokyo -16
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceRole of the center director: The center Director is given full authority regarding organizationand management of the center with ultimate responsibility for all decisions in IRCN: Setting both long- / short-term missions and goals of IRCN; proposes plans and timetables that
effectively lead to their realization.
 Effective organization of researchers in IRCN, providing ideas, designs and plans to maximize
the interactions and effective collaboration of researchers in IRCN.
 Administrative decisions with the support of the Directorate’s Office (DO) / EB Recruitment of promising young scientists; dissemination of the Center’s research outcomes tothe scientific community and society.
Professor Takao Hensch, the first IRCN Director, started his career as a researcher at UTokyo after
graduating from Harvard. He has lengthy experience running a laboratory and CREST Group in
Japan and is well acquainted with the management of institutes like RIKEN. His excellent
achievements, broad perspectives and outstanding communication skills will attract top-quality
researchers from around the world and organize them as effective research teams. He will spend
time at UTokyo on a regular basis to oversee management of the entire center and lead the Harvard
Medical School (Boston Children’s Hospital) satellite. The UTokyo President’s office has created a
Taskforce to work closely with Professor Hensch to ensure he is adequately supported as Director.
Role of the administrative director (AD): The AD cooperates with the Director and provides
administrative services necessary for the execution of IRCN activities. The AD executes plansdesignated by the Director and orders other administrative staff for regular administrative duties andspecial events. The AD coordinates activities of IRCN and other organizations both inside andoutside of UTokyo, with emphasis on linking educational programs for graduate students. The AD
and three deputy Directors help the Director communicate with other IRCN members while the
Director is occupied with outside tasks, such as visits to satellites and international outreach.
We enlisted Dr Nobukazu Toge as AD of IRCN. Dr. Toge has been engaged in top-level
administration at KEK and was responsible for management of large-scale research funds. He fully
understands the WPI mission. He has profound knowledge about research in the United States,
and this experience will further help communication with foreign researchers and administrative
staff. He is well acquainted with the system of research funding in Japan and his support will bevaluable for foreign researchers to apply for domestic research funds.
Concept for establishing an administrative organization: The IRCN secretariat is modeled
after that of Kavli IPMU. The staff is strategically recruited utilizing systems such as post reallocation
at the discretion of the President, or employment with annual salary and unlimited term. Foursectionsof the administrative division are shown in the table below. Staff with special backgrounds,
such as bilinguals and specialists of institutional research, will be placed in related sections.

The University of Tokyo -17
International Research Center for Neurointelligence

Center’s decision-making system: Managerial authority is concentrated on the Director and AD
for flexible daily operation and quick implementation of decisions with support from a competentsecretariat (DO). The Director receives advice from the Executive Board (EB), consisting of the
Administrative Director (AD), Special Advisor (SAD) and three Deputy Directors (Masanobu Kano,
Kazuo Emoto, Kazuyuki Aihara) for smooth advice on hiring new faculty, setting research strategies
and swift decision-making. The Steering Committee (SC) is responsible for approval of the
Director’s decisions and their execution.
The External Advisory Committee (EAC) provides advice to the Director on IRCN activity froma global perspective. The PIs have a large autonomy in the research they conduct. Their research
is funded through competitive grants, but they can propose hiring of postdocs and senior scientists
to the Director in order to carry out their fusion Team Science. The Director’s approval on the
proposed appointments will reflect the scientific vision and priorities set by the Director.
Authority allocation between the center director and the host institution: The head of thehost institution, President of UTokyo, appoints the Director and approves the PIs. All other personnel
matters and operation of IRCN, including recruitment of researchers, management, and financial
planning is done by the Director.
Research evaluation system linked with a system for merit-based compensation: By
placing IRCN within UTokyo Institutes of Advanced Study (UTIAS), its administration is lessrestricted by pre-existing frameworks. IRCN is given a status of “special district” within the University.
In this scheme, it is possible to implement top-down management, flexible hiring system and meritbased salary system.Kavli IPMU, the first institute of UTIAS, has been successful in recruiting talented
early-career scientists by implementing an accurate and transparent evaluation system linked tothe annual salary system. Stimulated by the success of these new approaches taken by the Kavli
IPMU, UTokyo has intensified the system reforms including merit-based salary scale, crossappointment, tenured position with non- traditional external funding, “nenpo” system (no traditional
bonus / retirement benefit) with higher paysand mobility, and flexible management of positions.
5) -2 Research environment* Concretely describe how equipment and facilities, including laboratory space, will be provided in a manner appropriate for a top world-

The University of Tokyo -18
International Research Center for Neurointelligencelevel research center. Include your procedure and timing.
* Concretely describe how the center will provide an environment in which researchers can work comfortably on their research by being
exempted from duties other than research and related educational activities, and how they will be provided adequate staff support tohandle paperwork and other administrative functions. Include your procedure and timing.
* Concretely describe how the center will arrange for its researchers to participate in the education of graduate students.

Equipment and facilities: IRCN will extensively rearrange pre-existing research spaces,
equipment, and related resources. We initiated this process by securing rooms for IRCN in the
Faculty of Medicine Building 1. IRCN has built common research space with advanced instruments
and core facilities providing cutting-edge instruments, along with fee-for-services provided byskilled operators and data analysis. These common research spaces facilitate collaboration ofdifferent Teams. UTokyo will further seek the possibility of constructing a new research buildingthat provides research housing for all IRCN members and central gathering spaces. Access to thebuilding should be convenient for all IRCN members while its location will follow the University’s
Hongo campus plan.
Environment in which researchers can work comfortably on their research(1) General support for researchers Reduced administrative duties: IRCN decision-making is designed to be simple and effective.
All important decisions are made by the Director with SC approval and executed by the DO.
 Support for institutional research: Administrative staff collects and analyzes data related tothe institution and affiliated researchers and provides useful information to IRCN members.
 Support for specific events: staff i s arra ng ed to support meetings and conferences, suchas guest invitations, logistics, arrangement of trips and accommodations, advertisements, etc.
(2) Specific support for foreign scientists
IRCN will support international researchers to ensure a smooth start to their research in Japan.
Examples include Certificate of Eligibility and Visa, orientation about daily life in Japan, support forresidence registration, housing, bank account, childcare, healthcare and spousal employment. In
addition, the University will make special efforts to provide housing for Center researchers.
Participation of researchers in the education of graduate students: Education of graduate
students is an indispensable aspect of the Center. Starting with Director Hensch at Harvard, ourfaculty members are all part of pre-existing graduate schools. UTokyo reinforces education at thegraduate level to produce qualified professionals through initiatives including the establishment ofWorld-leading Innovative Graduate Study (WINGS), a novel framework of the graduate course ofinternational excellence. Within this framework, we will extend the education of graduate students
under IRCN’s outstanding international research environment both at UTokyo and abroad. Throughthe Reischauer Institute at Harvard, bidirectional student exchange with the Boston satellite is actively
encouraged and supported.
5) -3 Establishing the center in sync with organizational restructuring* Concretely describe the host institution’s organizational reform that will be synchronized with the establishment of the center.
* Describe measures that will be taken by the host institution to sustain the center’s operation after the WPI funding ends. Also describe
how the host institution will promote the centers autonomy after WPI funding ends and how it will over the mid-to-long term
restructure its existing organization in ways that give the center a permanent place within its organization.

The University of Tokyo -19
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceReform of host institution synchronized with the establishment of the center: IRCN,
along with Kavli IPMU, will continue to act as a driver of University reform. Establishment of IRCN
will synchronize with the following reform of the host institution.
 New employment systems for faculty level staff are in progress, including the Excellent Young
Researcher System started in FY2016, to stabilize posts for young faculty members supports 4
PIs. In addition, support systems for female researchers have helped with recruitment into IRCN.
 Priority acceptance to residences has helped recruit excellent researchers.
 New administration staff system of UTokyo will promote service-oriented attitude at IRCN.
 Initiatives including the establishment of WINGS will enable education of graduate students
under IRCN’s outstanding international research environment.
According to “UTokyo Compass”, the University is striving to attain financial independence withefficient management and resource expansion by utilization of land assets, promoting industryuniversity cooperation, etc. Secured budgets are to be used for the promotion of excellent research
and are necessary for strategic investment in IRCN.
Sustainable operation of the center after the WPI funding ends: The “Sustainability Office”
gathers information from domestic and foreign funding agencies and foundations to boost IRCN
activities. Clinical neuroscience in IRCN will promote collaboration with pharmaceutical companies.
Partnerships with Daikin and Softbank are already implemented. Investment and collaboration withventure capital entrepreneurs will be encouraged. Philanthropic funds for trainees will be gathered.
Finally, continuous support from the University remains critical to maintain and expand IRCN. In its
draft Fourth Mid-Term Goals and Plans, the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) is committed to “facilitate
the activities by research hubs such as Kavli IPMU, IRCN and Tokyo College. Specifically, these threehubs would invite and accept substantial numbers of researchers from abroad and that IRCN andTokyo College will be transformed into permanent institutions”. For this purpose, particular attention
has been and will be paid to “reinforce the organizational structure and operations platform of the
University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS) and other centers of excellence.”
The UTokyo Compass, released in September 2021 to embody the motto of excellence anddiversity, specifies to “further strengthen our world-class research facilities as hubs for linking different
types of knowledge, promoting research of the highest global standards, and generating new academic
knowledge through co-creation across disciplines.” as a key action plan. Hence, the President of UTokyo
strongly supports the center and regards IRCN as one of the most important units in the University
and will provide full-fledged support. Organizational structure of UTIAS enables IRCN to give a statusof “special district” within the University. Like the other two UTIAS centers, IRCN has discretion in
recruiting researchers and budgetary requests to MEXT. IRCN thus acts as an autonomous unit within
the University and pioneers the University’s organization reform. In addition to the University’s special
consideration of operation costs, human resources and space for IRCN, the University’s reform
including personnel, employment and education as described above will assure the sustainability of
IRCN.

The University of Tokyo -20
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceDIRECTOR’S VISION
Takao K. Hensch, Project Professor, Director, IRCNOver the course of evolution, humans have gained a special status in relation to other species. Notably,
we have produced a far more complex and flexible society and tools for driving our own destiny. What isthe essence of human intelligence (HI), which is the source of civilization, science, and technology? From asocio-biological perspective, HI can be considered a consequence of superior brain function, despite thefact that our physical capabilities are far less advanced than those of many other animal species. These
mental functions enable social cooperation, long-term planning, and the accumulation and transmission ofknowledge through spoken and written language.
With tremendous technological advances, however, modern society is also facing significant challenges
in mental health. For example, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia, and other psychiatricconditions are imposing costly burdens on society. Such disorders reflect maladjustment to the social
environment created by HI, underscoring the need for innovative solutions.
Artificial intelligence (AI), created only by the human brain, is strikingly outpacing HI in many areas.
Through deep learning and other machine learning, AI is increasingly having a significant social impact.
Efforts to elucidate how HI emerges, and to link HI and AI within the same framework, are sorely needed.
Together, they allow us to explore the essential underpinnings of humanity and culture. Uncovering
principles of the brain basis for HI is the most challenging and urgent scientific frontier.
To this end, we aim to establish a new WPI center that pioneers the innovative interdisciplinary study of‘Neurointelligence’ – a novel concept in neuroscience made possible only through a synergistic, multidisciplinary collaboration with world-class researchers. Never before in human history have theexperimental and computational tools for understanding how biological circuits underlie behavior and thepotential to emulate their complex dynamics in machines been so perfectly aligned. Building on
complementary resources and expertise at the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) and specific research institutes
overseas, it is now timely to establish an International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN). The
team members assembled herein are already recognized world leaders in their individual disciplines, who
now jointly seek an integration that promises unprecedented understanding of HI.
Together, we will tackle 3 aims:
1. Establish bottom-up principles of neural circuit development.
2. Unravel mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders.
3. Innovate AI technologies based on these brain-based principles.
By uniquely integrating biological, medical, cognitive, mathematical, and information sciences, this WPI
will tackle the greatest challenge to mankind: can the human brain understand itself? The center’s
strategy will herald a new scientific paradigm of Neurointelligence, leading the way toward revealing coremechanisms of HI, correcting its disorders, and eventually shaping AI technologies to positively impact our
future society. This new WPI center is characterized as follows:
1. Internationally Recognized Research Network
As Professor at Harvard University, Hensch leads the Boston Children’s Hospital satellite of IRCN. Rapid,
synergistic progress with global impact is further achieved by our extensive network of international
partners across Europe, North America and Asia. Active student exchange programs amongst this network,
supported by in-kind matching and the Director’s Globalization Award (DGA), offer unparalleled training
opportunities for scholars worldwide.
2. Integration of Neuroscience with Information Sciences and Clinical Research
The concept of Neurointelligence, the trademark of our WPI center, is based on a uniquely deep integrationof neuroscience and AI research. For example, Kenichi Ohki, Kazuyuki Aihara, Mingbo Cai, Takamitsu
Watanabe and Yukie Nagai actively incorporate computational approaches to neurobiology, clinical data
and assistive robotics. Notably, IRCN includes large clinical centers in Tokyo and Boston for active
translational research across ages, which cannot be achieved by other brain science institutes withoutclinical branches.
3. Research Goals with Major and Visible Social Impact
Building on the novel concept of Neurointelligence, IRCN addresses the global scientific challenge ofidentifying neural mechanisms underlying HI, how it emerges in development, and to better inform medical
efforts for overcoming psychiatric and mental health problems. Ultimately, the center will give rise to new
AI technologies, their social application and greater social impact.
IRCN takes a Team Science approach to research fusion combining 16 world-class principal

investigators (PIs) selected from renowned scientists among UTokyo and overseas research institutions.
Team science will engage PIs across four research domains in close cooperation and coordination with eachother, and the synergy among them will facilitate breakthrough insights. Specifically, the PIs of IRCN will
have a common interest in the structural and functional development of neural circuits as the basis of
Neurointelligence.
First, the area of Neurodevelopment includes Yukiko Gotoh, Masanobu Kano, Kazuo Emoto, Kenichi
Ohki, and Yoko Yazaki-Sugiyama. They are engaged in biological research on the process of neural circuit
development, modification and maturation from late fetal to postnatal periods. Second, Human/clinicalresearch includes Sho Tsuji, Zenas Chao, Kiyoto Kasai and Hensch. Understanding how infants acquire
language and the etiology of creativity or psychiatric pathology arising during critical periods of brain
development will further deepen our knowledge of HI. Hensch focuses on early developmental disorders
like autism in preclinical models and infants, while Kiyoto Kasai examines neurotypical adolescents andpatients with schizophrenia by conducting MRI-based structural / functional analyses. Third, a strong
Computational domain will be led by Kazuyuki Aihara, and includes Mingbo Cai, Takamitsu Watanabe
and Yukie Nagai. Their work will give rise to new predictive modeling, neuromorphic hardware, robotics
and AI technologies. Finally, Technology innovations will come from Haruo Kasai, Yasushi Okada and Shoji
Takeuchi. They will develop cutting-edge approaches for assessing neural circuit plasticity, such as ultrahigh resolution microscopy, functional analysis and manipulation of single synapses, or biohybrid sensors.
Together, these four domains now seed concerted bottom-up efforts to achieve the center’s overall
goals. Currently 13 Team Science projects are running in areas as diverse as Social Learning, Critical Period
Timing, Prediction, Reinforcement, Intrinsic Activity, Multiscale imaging, Autism or Psychosis risk. These
are also magnets for sustainable funding in the second half of our WPI term. Further, our Center stimulates
joint projects with Harvard, including Boston Children’s Hospital for translational research, as well as ourvast network of complementary international partner institutions, to establish tools and broaden its global
footprint and global outreach for training the next generation of Japanese and foreign scientists.
4. Recommendations of interim review
1) How will principles of brain development inspire next-generation AI?
Genes and environment dynamically shape the neural networks in the brain. Current AI is only loosely basedon their final, feed-forward layered structure. We will, therefore, incorporate concepts of neuronal dynamics, synapse
proliferation and pruning, excitatory-inhibitory circuit balance, sequential critical periods of plasticity, neuromodulation,
reinforcement, prediction, top-down feedback, intrinsic activity, attention and collective behavior for a more wholistic
approach to neuro-inspired computation. Such fusion Team Science reflects areas of strength amongst our stellarinternational faculty. The ultimate goal is to create next-generation AI that mimics HI more accurately and can succumb
to mental illness insightfully. By doing so, we seek to understand the hallmark homeodynamic nature of HI to leverage
the explore (plasticity) / exploit (stability) tradeoff and malleable ‘moods’ of the developing brain toward a more flexible
and generalizable neuromorphic AI. Toward this undertaking, we note that the global pandemic has firmly establishedremote work as an efficient new normal. While also leading the Boston satellite, the Director will alternate stays inJapan once the quarantine restrictions are fully lifted.
2) Establishing IRCN graduate (PhD) program.
While the WPI mission does not support a teaching mission per se, all IRCN PIs are fundamentally involvedin the training of multidisciplinary next-generation scientists through co-mentorship in Team Science andparticipation in WINGS and FoPM graduate training programs. Obstacles to teaching and formallymentoring PhD students will be discussed with the UTokyo IRCN Taskforce.
3) Continued improvement of gender balance
IRCN has already surpassed the gender disparity at our host UTokyo medical school by recruiting four
female PIs. This ratio has been further improved to 25% by the recent pruning of male PIs who are nolonger able to commit adequate time to the center. We will continue to target exceptional female PIs forrecruitment as well as nurture them amongst our trainees.
4) Sustainability plan and UTokyo Commitment
Continuous support from the University remains critical to maintain and expand IRCN. In its draft Fourth
Mid-Term Goals and Plans, the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) is committed to “facilitate the activities by
research hubs such as IRCN and … will be transformed into permanent institutions,” including plans for a
new building on the current site. IRCN has already successfully acquired large-scale government funding,leading Gakujyutu Henkaku A (“iPlasticity”) and Moonshot (“disease prediction”) projects under DDs Kanoand Aihara, respectively. The “Sustainability Office” will continue to seek domestic and foreign funding, as
well as Social Collaboration Partnerships with companies (eg. Daikin, Softbank) and venture capitalentrepreneurs. Philanthropic funds will be sought to sustain further trainee globalization activities.

Host Institution’s Commitment
February 19, 2022
To MEXTThe University of Tokyo
Teruo Fujii, President
Signature
I confirm that the measures listed below will be carried out faithfully regarding “International Research Center
for Neurointelligence” adopted under the World Premier International Research Center Initiative.
<Provision in host institution’s mid-to-long-term plan>・Describe clearly the host institution’s mid-to-long-term plan and how it will position the center within that plan.

In its draft Fourth Mid-Term Goals and Plans, the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) is committed to“facilitate the activities by research hubs such as Kavli IPMU, IRCN and Tokyo College. Specifically, thesethree hubs would invite and accept substantial numbers of researchers from abroad and that IRCN andTokyo College will be transformed into permanent institutions”. For this purpose, particular attentions
have been and will be made to “reinforce the organizational structure and operations platform of the
University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study (UTIAS) and other centers of excellence”. The UTokyo

Compass, released in September 2021 to embody the motto of excellence and diversity, specifies to“further strengthen our world-class research facilities as hubs for linking different types of knowledge,
promoting research of the highest global standards, and generating new academic knowledge throughco-creation across disciplines.” as a key action plan.
Taking note of its 140-year history, post-incorporation situations of the national universities, and therecent drastic changes in the national and international socioeconomic environment, UTokyo has been
assigned a Designated National University Corporation status since 2017 in order to achieve greater
academic governance and capabilities to contribute to the evolving social and economic needs. UTokyo
has been implementing a series of initiatives to enhance its academic competitiveness. Those measures
include: (i) to increase management efficiency by ensuring the transparency of human, financial, andtechnological resource allocation and by reviewing institutional research data, and (ii) to expand revenue
and strengthen financial self-sufficiency through industrial partnership, effective use of available land
assets, and other means.
<Concrete Measures>・Describe the concrete measures that the host institution will take to satisfy the following requirements.

1)

How the host institution will support the center’s operation and research activities inaccordance with the FY 2017 Application Guidelines, section “6. Host institution’scommitment.”

IRCN deals with the evolution of human intelligence, one of the unexplored fields of science. The

Institute is expected to be a hub which inspires integrated research on advanced artificial intelligence(AI) research that assists in creating new informatics and robotics industries, intelligent healthcare
systems, and other social and industrial advances. UTokyo has launched the Tsukuba–Kashiwa–Hongo
Innovation Corridor Plan to foster a research and development platform on UTokyo’s Kashiwa Campus forcollaboration on innovative material, AI, analytical measurement techniques,and other cutting-edge
topics. The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, the National Institute forMaterials Science, the National Cancer Center, and UTokyo’s spin-off venture companies will participate
in this project. In addition, UTokyo established the Next Generation Artificial Intelligence ResearchCenter in October 2016, the Mathematics and Informatics Center in February 2017 and the Institute for
AI and Beyond in July 2020 in the Hongo campus. These initiatives aim to develop experts in nextgeneration AI, and mathematical and informatics sciences. In collaboration with these organizations,
IRCN will apply its findings including neuro-inspired AI to a wide range of scientific arenas, thereby
contributing to social and economic advancements. UTokyo has positioned IRCN as one of its mostimportant driving forces for its structural reform, and will support its activities to achieve its clearly
defined goals.
2)

How the host institution will establish a basic policy for the mid-to-long term direction of its
organization and operation, one that restructures its existing organization in ways that givethe center a permanent place within its organization. Please provide a concrete schedule forcarrying out this organizational restructuring.

Kavli IPMU, the first institute established under the UTIAS umbrella, is in the process oftransforming itself into an independent, stable and durable institute within UTokyo with the support
by the WPI grant. IRCN, located under the UTIAS umbrella is following the example of Kavli IPMU,
and will undergo organizational restructuring to obtain a stable and long-lasting status from a
university-wide organizational perspective. To develop specific directions to take, UTokyo in 2021
has set up a Working Group, which includes deans of relevant faculties. The Working Group ischarged to report to the President on the future planning for IRCN in this context.
3)

Ways in which the host institution will provide support to sustain the center as a world
premier international research center after the WPI grant period ends.

IRCN will continue to receive sufficient financial support from UTokyo’s special budget committee
established in 2015 to take responsibility for strategic development and management of revenue
streams. Additionally, the University’s Administration Bureau will continue to provide the necessaryfinancial and human resources support to the departments that assign their faculty members on a joint
basis to IRCN to ensure that its operation will cause no adverse impact on the research and educational
activities of those departments. With these measures UTokyo intends to strategically bring IRCN aspart of its academic ecosystem. UTokyo, starting 2022, will also support part of the human resource
budget for two academic members of IRCN who play managerial or advisory roles, besides leading
research activities, at IRCN.
4)

How will a system be instituted under which the center’s director is able to makesubstantive personnel and budget allocation decisions necessary to implementing the center
The University of Tokyo -2
International Research Center for Neurointelligenceproject—a system, which in practice, will allow the center director autonomy in making
decisions regarding the center’s operation.

The success of Kavli IPMU has shaped the new WPI center’s executive leadership and governancepolicy, which has been inherited by IRCN.
Specifically, budget and recruitment is not a remit of the board of professors. Instead, the center
director assumes sole responsibility for the recruitment of post-doctoral fellows, academic
development of junior researchers, allocation of travel expenses, invitation of external speakers,
project participation, and other matters related to the operation of the center. This top-down chainof command will help the center maximize its overall performance.
5) Support that will be provided to the center director in coordinating with other departments
within the host institution when recruiting researchers for the center, while giving
reasonable regard to the educational and research activities of those departments.

The center director and the director of administration will be primarily responsible for the operationand the management of the center. In addition, a powerful administrative office will assist the center
director to make quick and strategic decisions. This efficient and centralized management system will
reduce the administrative load of IRCN’s principal investigators and other researchers who haveconcurrent responsibilities in their other affiliations, such as the Graduate School of Medicine, Graduate
School of Science, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences,and the University of Tokyo Hospital. The Administration Bureau will allocate adequate financial andhuman resources support to maximize their research and teaching potential. The Working Group, as
referred to in section 2) of this document, will help President of UTokyo formulate his strategic planningfor this undertaking.
6)

Flexibility that will be given in applying, revising, or outfitting the host institution’s internal
systems as needed for the center to effectively implement new management methods (e.g.
English-language environment, merit-based pay, top-down decision making, cooperation in
graduate education) unfettered by conventional modes of operation.

The innovative solutions adopted at Kavli IPMU have revolutionized its organizational management
strategies. UTokyo has been making efforts to improve the international competence of its
administrativestaff in assisting with the relocation of researchers from overseas. For example, theproportion of staff members who have scored 800 or higher on the TOEIC (Test of English forInternational Communication) has increased by 10% in the past 10 years, and in the next decade,over 30% of the total staff body isexpected to be at this level. The current reform efforts of UTokyo
include a systematic review and integration of international programs, creation of World-leading
Innovative Graduate Study (WINGS), andsupport for graduate students. Such efforts will produce asynergistic relationship between IRCN and thegraduate schools of UTokyo.
UTokyo is the pioneer in academic reform among Japanese higher education institutions. For
example,we have adopted a cross appointment system and other programs to facilitate theemployment of leading junior researchers and female researchers. The new initiative, launched in
The University of Tokyo -3
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceApril 2018 to promote tenure-track faculty members aged 40 years or younger by leveraging avariety of revenue sources, has been supporting four Principal Investigators of IRCN. UTokyo is
dedicated to designing, revising, and implementing strategic faculty employment and allocation
policies.
7) The accommodation that will be given the center’s infrastructural requirements (forfacilities, e.g., laboratory space; equipment; land, etc.).

IRCN occupies a sizable, dedicated area on Hongo Campus to host an interactive, collaborativeenvironment. UTokyo’s cutting-edge apparatuses and equipment will continue to be made available tointernal and external users upon request. Agreements will be maintained to allow the WPI center
researchers to gain prioritized access to such facilities and other shared research spaces.
UTokyo is dedicated to fostering a safe and comfortable living environment for researchers andstudentsfrom abroad. Under the President’s globally outward-looking leadership, planning is under
way for construction of a new Life Science Innovation Building with 14 floors and 90,000 m2 space in
Hongo Campus. When realized, this area will be offered to accommodate the entire IRCN’s office andlaboratory space to cohabitate with other departments and institutes who pursue related branches oflife science research. In the meanwhile, IRCN will continue to receive prioritized allocation of thespace and infrastructure support by UTokyo, so as to sustain its research activities with high-techequipment and facility without interruption.
8) Other types of assistance that will be provided to give maximum support to the center inachieving its concepts and objectives and in becoming a world premier international
research center in both name and deed.

The UTIAS Steering Committee, chaired by the board member responsible for the WPI initiative,
provides guidance and recommendations on internationally competitive WPI centers. Specifically, thecommittee provides university-wide support for the proposed center, enabling close coordination andmaximum synergy with Kavli IPMU and IRCN. UTokyo, in addition, is assigning nine permanent
members from its administration pool as of 2022. This level of administrative support by UTokyo will
be maintained. They will carry out the whole range of administrative matters at IRCN under theleadership of the Director and Administrative Director, as assisted by fixed term staff who are hiredwith the WPI fund.
9)

How the host institution will self-evaluate the good results of the system reforms achievedby the center and take the initiative in extending them to departments throughout its
organization.

The 2021 WPI Follow-up Report delivered to UTokyo by the WPI Program Committee, reads asfollows:“The University of Tokyo has been supporting IRCN by providing it space and funding for its
renovation, basic instruments, and junior PI positions. The University of Tokyo has launched aworking group to develop specific strategies for the permanent installation of IRCN within the
The University of Tokyo -4
International Research Center for Neurointelligenceuniversity”.
UTokyo, through discussion at the Working Group above and elsewhere, will facilitate
adaptation of operational and managerial practice developed for IRCN in a wider range ofinstitutes across UTokyo.
10)

If the host institution has already established a WPI center, it should be fully supporting
the maintenance and further development of the existing center and be capable, at thesame time, of fully supporting the new center.

Kavli IPMU has adopted a variety of innovative administrative measures, which include a crossappointment system (a first among Japan’s higher institutions), a flexible wage system to recruit
world-class scientists, quick top-down decision-making, and the appointment of an internationallycompetent administrative staff to provide daily-living support for overseas researchers and theirfamilies who have relocated to Japan. Their success has positively shaped the subsequent reform
actions by the Administration Bureau. IRCN, under UTokyo’s encouragement, has also established
its tight communication channel with Kavli IPMU which allows to funnel the know-hows on many
aspects of managerial practice. Inspired by the success of Kavli IPMU, UTokyo has introduced a
special employment system for promising junior researchers which has been applied to four of the
Principal Investigators of IRCN.
Kavli IPMU is devoted to the mystery of the birth of the universe, whereas IRCN aims to investigate
the neural basis of human intelligence. Despite the differences in the research fields, both centersaddress fundamental scientific challenges using approaches characterized by excellence and diversity,
the hallmarkof UTokyo. The mutual influences between the two centers will help UTokyo gain worldwide recognitionas a premier research university.

The University of Tokyo -5
International Research Center for NeurointelligenceList of Principal Investigators
・If the number of principal investigators exceeds 10, add columns as appropriate.
・Place an asterisk(*) by the name of the investigators who are considered to be ranked among the world’s top researchers.
・For investigators who cannot participate in the center project from 1 April 2022, indicate the time that their participation will start in the “Notes”
column.
・Include principal investigators affiliated with satellite institutions. Give the name of their satellite institutions in the “Notes” column.

Name

Current affiliation(Institution, department,
specialization)

Academic degree

Notes

Director, Project Professor,
International Research Center for
Neurointelligence, The Universityof Tokyo Institutes for Advanced
Study
1

2

3

4

Takao Kurt Hensch*

Masanobu Kano*

Kazuo Emoto*Kazuyuki Aihara*

Professor, Molecular andCellular Biology, Center for Brain
Science, Harvard University
Professor, Neurology, Kirby Center,
Boston Children's Hospital
Deputy Director, International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence, The Universityof Tokyo Institutes for Advanced
Study
Professor, Department of
Neurophysiology, Division of
Functional Biology, Graduate
School of Medicine, The University
Deputy Director, International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence,The University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
Study

Ph.D.

M.D. & Ph.D.

Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Biological
Sciences, Graduate School of
Science, the University of Tokyo
Deputy Director, International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence,The University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
Ph.D.
Study
University Professor, the Universityof Tokyo

Boston Children's
Hospital5Haruo Kasai*

Project Professor, International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence, the University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
M.D. & Ph.D.
Study
Neurophysiology

6

Kiyoto Kasai*

Professor, Department of
Neuropsychiatry, Graduate Schoolof Medicine, The University ofTokyo

M.D. & Ph.D.

Neuroimaging and Early
Intervention for Schizophrenia

7

Kenichi Ohki*

Professor, Department ofIntegrative Physiology, Division of
Functional Biology, Graduate
School of Medicine, the Universityof Tokyo

M.D. & Ph.D.

Neuroscience

8

Yukiko Gotoh*

Professor, Department ofPharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Ph.D.
the University of Tokyo
Neural Stem Cells

9

10

11

Yasushi Okada*Professor, Department of Physics,
Graduate School of Science, theUniversity of Tokyo
Bioimaging

Shoji Takeuchi*

Professor, Department of
Mechanical and Biofunctional
Systems, Institute of Industrial
Science, the University of Tokyo
Biohybrid Systems

Takamitsu
Watanabe

M.D. & Ph.D.

Ph.D.

Associate Professor,International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence,The University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
M.D. & PhD
Study
Cognitive Neuroscience12

Yoko YazakiSugiyama

Project Associate
Professor,International ResearchCenter for Neurointelligence,The
University of Tokyo Institutes for
Advanced Study
Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Okinawa
Institute for Science andTechnology Graduate University
Biological Science13

Yukie Nagai

Project Professor,International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence,The University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
Ph.D.
Study
Engineering

14

Sho Tsuji

Assistant Professor,International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence,The University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
Ph.D.
Study
Psycholinguistics

15

Zenas C. Chao

Associate Professor,International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence,The University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
Ph.D.
Study
Biomedical Engineering

16

Mingbo Cai

Assistant Professor,International
Research Center for
Neurointelligence,The University ofTokyo Institutes for Advanced
Ph.D.
Study
Neuroscience
The University of Tokyo

IRCN