Neural circuits for motivated behaviors to achieve goals

Motivation is an essential brain function for achieving goals. Appropriate motivation affects the survival of each individual and, ultimately, the prosperity of the species. On the other hand, depression, in which motivation is decreased, and addiction, in which motivation is abnormally increased, have become major social problems. This means that if we can accurately understand the motivational function and improve it based on this understanding, the social impact will be significant.

Although such research has been difficult in the past, recent remarkable progress in neuroscience has made it possible to elucidate the neural mechanisms responsible for motivation at a scientifically sophisticated level.

We will use an integrated approach of physiology, biology, psychology, medicine, computation, and other fields to investigate the neural mechanisms and the computational algorithms underlying motivated behaviors to achieve goals. We thus aim to understand the symptoms of impaired motivation and ultimately pave the way for the diagnosis and treatment. We also investigate neural mechanisms of decision-making and attention.

Major Activities  in 2024

Oct: Ogawa delivered an oral presentation at the symposium "Frustrative Nonreward: Behavior, Circuits, Neurochemistry, and Disorders" at Neuroscience 2024 (SfN) in Chicago.

Oct: Our paper has been published in The Journal of Neuroscience. 

July: Ogawa presented a poster at a Gordon Research Conference (Optogenetics) in Lucca, Italy.

April: Satoshi Nonomura has joined as an assistant professor. Haruka Kawamura has joined as a Ph.D. student. The 'Lab members' section has been updated.

March: Ogawa presented a poster at the Basal Ganglia Gordon Research Conference in Ventura, USA.

Major Activities  in 2023

November: The lab presented two posters at the Society for Neuroscience meeting (Neuroscience 2023) in Washington, D.C.

November: Seiya Ishino was appointed as an assistant professor of the department.

October: Ogawa gave an invited lecture at the NIPS Meeting on synapse in Kagoshima.

October:  The lab moved to Shiga University of Medical Science. Ogawa was appointed as a professor of the Department of Systems Physiology.

August:  The lab presented three posters at the 46th Annual Meeting of the Japan Neuroscience Society in Sendai. Ogawa organized a symposium and gave a lecture. The name of the symposium: "What makes you choose that action? -Frontiers of research on the neural circuits underlying decision making". Ogawa also gave a luncheon talk.