Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences
Tohoku University

On Selecting a Mentor

On Selecting a Mentor

In the recruitment of Assistant Professors at Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences (FRIS), applicants should select a professor or associate professor of the University (but not a visiting or specially appointed professor) as their mentor. To select a mentor, The TOHOKU UNIVERSITY Researchers website at the URL below or the websites of each graduate school or research institute are helpful.

# TOHOKU UNIVERSITY Researchers:
https://www.r-info.tohoku.ac.jp/

 
Applicants are required to obtain the prior consent of the mentor regarding the internal regulations on the mentors and the attached description of the responsibilities of mentors shown at the URL below. When selecting a mentor, applicants are expected to experience a variety of research environments, for example, by selecting a mentor from other than the applicant’s former laboratories.

# Internal regulations on the mentors and the responsibilities of mentors:
https://www.fris.tohoku.ac.jp/media/files/mentorregulations_rev20220620_EN.pdf (English)
https://www.fris.tohoku.ac.jp/media/files/mentorregulations_rev20220620_JP.pdf (Japanese)

# TOHOKU UNIVERSITY Researchers:
https://www.r-info.tohoku.ac.jp/

 
It is also possible to select a professor or associate professor of FRIS as a mentor. The research fields and contact information of faculty members who can serve as mentors are listed below.
 

Platform |  Materials and Energy

Hiroshi Masumoto Professor

Research Fields

Inorganic material science, Multi-functional materials, Thin film processing

Research Subjects

Development of new multi-functional (Tunneling Magneto-Dielectric effect and Tunneling Magneto-Optical effect) materials by metal-ceramic nano-granular films

 

Message

When metals and ceramics are composited at nanoscale, they exhibit unprecedented functional properties. We have discovered new multi-functional properties such as the Tunneling Magneto-Dielectric (TMD) effect and the Tunneling Magneto-Optical (TMO) effect. Through interdisciplinary research in magnetic physics, medical engineering, and materials science, we are pioneering a new field of nano-composite thin films with new functions.

E-mail

hiromasu[at]fris.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Information and Systems

Takehito Shimatsu Professor

Research Fields

Magnetic film deposition, Room temperature bonding of wafers, High-density storage

Research Subjects

Atomic diffusion bonding technique for electric/optical devices, High density MAMR/HAMR recording media

Message

We have proposed an atomic diffusion bonding method for bonding wafers of different materials at room temperature using the rearrangement of crystal lattices at the contact interface of thin films. Using this method, we are developing research on new device formation. We are also working on research on functional thin films used in electronic devices using the thin film deposition technology that is the basis of the bonding technique.

E-mail

shimatsu[at]fris.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Advanced Basic Science

Takaaki Tomai Professor

Research Fields

Material Process Engineering, Nanomaterial Science, Chemical Engineering

Research Subjects

Material conversion processes for carbon circulation / Multi-scale structural control of materials based on science of dynamic interfaces / Development and application of hydrothermal electrochemical process

Message

Our laboratory specializes in controlling materials and processes in high-temperature, high-pressure environments, including supercritical fluids. As our commitment to fostering a carbon-circular society, we focus on developing hierarchically structured nanocatalysts and designing highly efficient material conversion processes that fully harness the potential of the nanomaterials.

E-mail

takaaki.tomai.e6 [at] tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Advanced Basic Science

Junji Saida Professor

Research Fields

Non-equilibrium materials, Microstructures of materials, Metal physics

Research Subjects

Structure, transformation and deformation in metallic glasses, Relaxation and rejuvenation phenomena in metallic glasses

Message

Random atomic structured materials such as amorphous or metallic glass have significantly different properties with those of conventional crystalline alloys and are anticipated to have industrial uses in the next generation. We address an important challenge by controlling the relaxation behavior of glasses to improve their mechanical properties and to contribute to their applications.

E-mail

jsaida[at]fris.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Materials and Energy

Takashi Itoh Associate professor

Research Fields

Electrochemistry, Industrial physical chemistry, Material chemistry

Research Subjects

In situ Raman Spectroscopy for battery active materials, Development of Zn-air batteries, Li ion batteries and fuel cells

Message

Analyzing the interfaces between the electrolyte solutions and the electrodes for lithium secondary batteries, fuel cells, next generation batteries and molecular electronic devices is important for developing electrochemical energy conversion devices. Our present study investigates the behavior of molecules at the interface with In situ Raman spectroscopy and focuses on the dynamical changes in the Raman spectra at different battery conditions.

E-mail

itoh[at]fris.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Life and Environments

Shinsuke Niwa Associate professor

Research Fields

Cell Biology, Cytoskeleton, Molecular Genetics, Neuroscience

Research Subjects

Molecular mechanisms of the axonal transport, neuronal development and neuronal diseases

Message

We are interested in the relationship between nanomechanics in the cell and cellular morphogenesis. We are analyzing how and why disruption of the cellular nanomachines in our body, such as molecular motor proteins and cytoskeletal proteins, leads to human diseases such as neurodegeneration, infertility, and blindness.

E-mail

shinsuke.niwa.c8[at]tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Advanced Basic Science

Kenji Toma Associate professor

Research Fields

Theoretical astrophysics

Research Subjects

Extreme phenomena driven by black holes, Polarized light, Dark matter, Objects in the early universe, Collaborative study with observations and numerical simulations

Message

I am a member of the theory team in the Event Horizon Telescope consortium, which captured the first-ever image of a black hole. Every day at FRIS, I am stimulated by chats with colleagues in other research fields. I also have published omnibus books with young researchers from FRIS and DIARE.

E-mail

toma[at]fris.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Device and Technology

Yuanyuan Guo Associate professor

Research Fields

Bioelectronics, biomedical engineering, neural interface

Research Subjects

Microelectronic fiber based multimodal bio-interface

Message

Our group works on the development of  the unique microelectronic fibers that are integrated with disparate materials and functions. Such fibers can be used as neural interface to probe brain dynamics across its multimodal signaling mechanisms. In addition, we recently weave such fibers into textile as smart clothes for monitoring multimodal physiological signatures from human body.

E-mail

yyuanguo[at]fris.tohoku.ac.jp / yuanyuan.guo.a4[at]tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Advanced Basic Science

Masaki Okumura Associate professor

Research Fields

Structural biology, Protein Science, Biochemistry

Research Subjects

Elucidation of protein quality control mechanism in the endoplasmic reticulum

Message

Protein folding coupled with disulfide bond formation, that is oxidative protein folding, proceeds mainly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Greater than 20 Protein Disulfide Isomerase family members (PDIs) are conserved in the mammalian ER to catalyze this reaction. However, it remains an important open question how PDIs recognize various substrates and guide their proper folding through disulfide bond formation and isomerization. The goal of this study is to understand how protein homeostasis is maintained in the mammalian ER. To this end, I employ multiple approaches including single-molecule observation by high-speed AFM, NMR/SAXS analyses in solution, X-ray crystal structure analysis, and several biochemical assays. Diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases are caused by impairment of the protein quality control systems in cells, and hence this study will provide molecular insights into the mechanism underlying these diseases.

E-mail

okmasaki [at] tohoku.ac.jp  (Please replace [at] with "@")

Platform |  Advanced Basic Science

Kohei Ichikawa Associate professor

Research Fields

Observational Astronomy, Astrophysics

Research Subjects

Active galactic nuclei, Supermassive black holes, multiwavelength astronomy

Message

We have revealed a population of supermassive black holes that have been missed until now, by combining multi-wavelength electromagnetic wave observations. I am also working with historians to search for astronomical phenomena recorded in historical documents. For more information, please visit my website.
https://motigomeman.wordpress.com/about/

E-mail

k.ichikawa [at] astr.tohoku.ac.jp (Please replace [at] with "@")

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