Research Outline

In our laboratory, we perform neurophysiological experiments on behaving macaque monkeys, which have brains similar to humans. Specifically, we train monkeys for various cognitive tasks and record single neuronal activities from brain areas of interest. Combined with local drug administration and electrical stimulation experiments, we further analyze how various functional molecules are involved in the generation of neuronal signals and how they are used to control behavior. As a psychiatrist, Ryo aims to elucidate the treatments of cognitive dysfunction in patients with psychiatric disorders. Among cognitive functions, he is currently focusing on working memory, then studying neural mechanism of working memory using behavioral pharmacology and electrophysiology techniques.