Recent events

Oct. 1, 2026 I launched a new research project as Principal Investigator under the JST PRESTO program (Strategic Basic Research Programs), entitled "Elucidating the Biological Potentials Underlying Genome Evolution through Spatiotemporal Analysis of Hybrid Genomes in Nematodes" This is an exciting project aimed at measuring the hidden vitality that genomes inherently possess.

Sep. 25, 2026 Our collaborative study with Dr. Hosoki at Hokkaido University and Prof. Jun Kitano at the National Institute of Genetics was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The study investigates the genomic evolutionary mechanisms underlying a fascinating phenomenon: two stickleback species that became mixed following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami gradually recovered their original species identities over time. [Link]

Sep. 11, 2026 I gave an invited talk at the workshop "Repeats Are Not Junk! — New Insights into the Roles of Non-Dispersed Repeats in Genome Stability and Evolution" at the 98th Annual Meeting of the Genetics Society of Japan [Link]. It was a great opportunity to share our recent findings connecting repeat evolution and chromosome evolution with leading researchers at the forefront of repeat biology.

Aug. 27, 2026 I presented our recent research at the Brain Research Institute Seminar at Niigata University [Link]. This annual seminar welcomes students from outside the university who are interested in the Brain Research Institute, making it a refreshing and enjoyable opportunity to share our work with a new audience.

Aug. 21, 2026 I attended the 29th Annual Meeting of the Society of Evolutionary Studies, Japan, held in Nagoya, and gave an oral presentation [Link]. I've always enjoyed the friendly and welcoming atmosphere of this meeting, and it was a pleasure to have so many stimulating discussions with fellow evolutionary biologists.

Aug. 17, 2026 I attended the Meeting for the Future of Nematode Research and presented a poster [Link]. This annual meeting brings together nematode researchers from across Japan. Students and early-career researchers take the lead in presenting and discussing their research, creating a uniquely energetic and youthful atmosphere that is rarely found at other scientific meetings in Japan.

July 6–7, 2026 I attended the 5th International Pristionchus Meeting at the Max Planck Institute in Germany and gave an oral presentation [Link]. I was impressed by how much the Pristionchus research community has grown and expanded. The intensive and stimulating discussions provided fresh ideas and new momentum for our research.

Apr. 1, 2026 I became the representative of "Mushi no Tsudoi," a Japanese nematode research community. I hope to help strengthen and energize the nematode research community in Japan. If you're interested, please visit the Mushi no Tsudoi website! [Link]

Apr. 1, 2026 Our laboratory made a fresh start this academic year as the Department of Evolutionary Genomics. As part of the reorganization of the Brain Research Institute, six departments, including ours, have come together to form the new "Division of Evolutionary Brain Pathology". Evolutionary brain pathology will now be one of the major research pillars of the institute.

Mar. 13, 2026 I gave an invited talk at the 2nd PRI Umetaro Suzuki Symposium at RIKEN, Wako. It was a truly inspiring symposium, featuring cutting-edge research from a wide range of biological fields. [Link]

Mar. 4–5, 2026 I was invited to give a presentation at the workshop "Population Genetics in the Era of Population Genomics", held at the National Institute of Genetics.

Mar. 2, 2026 I organized the 16th International Symposium of the Brain Research Institute, "Evolutionary Genomics: From Biodiversity to Human Disease," at Niigata University. This was an important symposium that helped shape the future direction of our research. Many thanks to all the speakers for their excellent presentations! [Link]

Feb. 23–25, 2026 I attended the annual research meeting of the JST CREST program "Cellular Dynamics". I'm always inspired by the outstanding research presented by the participants.

Feb. 5–6, 2026 I attended the annual BRI–NIPS–Ehub Joint Symposium in Inuyama and presented a poster on our new research related to ALS.