Division of Morphological Neuroscience SUMS English Top Page

Corresponding: aimi@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp Link to the detailed department page:

Staff and specialities

Professor: Motoi KUDO - Auditory nervous system and comparative neuroanatomy, developmental neuroanatomy Associate Professor: Yoshinari AIMI - Peripheral nervous system and molecular neuroanatomy Assistant Professor: Kousuke TAKI - Neuroanatomy and molecular biology

Outline of the department

Our labolatory works on the neurobiological mechanism relavant to the mammalian auditory system at network, cellular, and molecular levels. Combined molecular and morphological methods are used in the analysis of projection and local circuit of neural structures involved in auditory sensory processing. Developmental and genetic analysis of genes related to differentiation and maturation of GABAergic neurons is also carried out in order to reveal the underlying principles of network formation, taking advantage of the viewpoint of comparative anatomy. Current projects are as follows : 1) Projection and local circuit of the inferior colliculus, the largest center of auditory brainstem. 2) Development and differentiation of GABAergic neuron. 3) Promotor analysis of genes involved in differentiation of GABAergic neuron. 4) Analysis of neuronal circuit using trangenic mouse with specificially-visualized auditory pathway. 5) Histchemical characterization of neuronal subpopulations in the inferior colliculus. 6) Development and improvement of combined molecular and morphological techniques, i.e. visualization of induced artifitial DNA. 7) Induction of differentiation to cells constituting gastroendocrine system.