Educational Activities
The Okuno Laboratory is actively engaged in the educational activities of the School of Medicine and the Graduate School at Kagoshima University. In addition to the fundamentals of biochemistry and molecular biology, we incorporate the latest knowledge from neuroscience and brain science to nurture the next generation of researchers and medical professionals.
Courses Taught
Undergraduate Education
Faculty members of the lab teach Biochemistry and Basic Medical Practice, both core subjects in the first year of the medical curriculum. We also contribute to general-education courses such as Biology of the Brain and Mind and Animal Sensation, Brain, and Behavior. In addition, we participate in selected lectures from the second year onward.
Graduate Education
For graduate students at the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, we offer courses that systematically introduce neuroscience, including Introductory Neuroscience, Neuroscience, and Neuroscience Experiments. We also contribute to Molecular and Cellular Medical Sciences.
Joining the Lab
We are continuously looking for new members — graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants — who share our enthusiasm for research. If you are interested in neuroscience or molecular biology, we warmly welcome your inquiry.
Undergraduate and graduate students who join the lab receive guidance through daily experiments, paper-discussion seminars, and regular progress reports, building a solid foundation as researchers. Through participation in scientific conferences and through writing and submitting papers, we help students develop into independent scientists.
We welcome those who:
· Are deeply interested in memory and the workings of the brain
· Wish to study molecular biology, biochemistry, and neuroscience in depth
· Want to perform experiments by their own hands and pursue novel discoveries
· Are interested in collaborations with researchers in Japan and abroad
Lab Visits and Admission Inquiries
We accept lab visit requests and admission consultations at any time. Please feel free to reach out via the Contact page.
Graduate Admissions
Prospective applicants for our master's or doctoral programs may also refer to the official admission information from the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University.
- Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences — Admission Information Graduate program entrance examination details (currently only in Japanese)