Researches & Researchers

"I’m leaving for the U.S. tomorrow," says Yuuka Kanakubo, who joined iTHEMS in October 2024 as a Postdoctoral Researcher and RIKEN-Berkeley Fellow. Her specialty is elementary particle and nuclear theory. She will be conducting research during a long-term stay at the RIKEN-Berkeley Center, iTHEMS' satellite office. "This position is perfect for me," Kanakubo says. We asked her about her journey so far and what makes this opportunity ideal.

"I have always walked along the boundaries between different fields," says Research Scientist Akihisa Yamamoto. Currently, he is focusing on the interdisciplinary field between medicine and mathematics , seeking to identify patterns in doctors' experiential knowledge, translating them into mathematical models, and applying them to deepen our understanding of biological phenomena while contributing to clinical practice. We spoke with him about the encounters that led him to this path, as well as the unique challenges and excitement of working at the intersection of disciplines.

What are the fundamental building blocks of the universe? What is the ultimate physical law that govern the universe? How did the universe begin? Theoretical high energy physics, which seeks to answer these profound questions, is the main research field for Masazumi Honda. We spoke with Honda about his journey to iTHEMS, the breadth of his research approaches and disciplines, and his recent research on applying quantum computers to high energy physics.

Daiki Kumakura, is a Ph.D. student at the Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University. He is also a Junior Research Associate (JRA) at RIKEN iTHEMS, where he conducts his research. We asked him about the advantages of conducting research at iTHEMS as a student and his aspirations for the future.

What processes lead to the formation of planets? — Research Scientist Misako Tatsuuma aims to theoretically answer this question. Describing herself as "indecisive at times but fundamentally a perfectionist," Tatsuuma adds, "I consider strategies carefully before acting." This approach applies not only to her research but also to her private life. What are these strategies?

Professor Yasunori Nomura, a theoretical physicist at the University of California, Berkeley, has been staying at RIKEN iTHEMS for about two months each summer since last year, conducting research. Despite his busy schedule, Nomura is also actively engaged in outreach activities. We spoke with him about his life journey and thoughts on his research activities.

When we think of mathematics, the image of a large blackboard covered with various equations often comes to mind. Spirited conversations in front of such blackboards frequently appear in videos and photos capturing the research atmosphere of the Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS). How are these lively discussion spaces created? We spoke with Tomoya Nagai, the Coordinator and Director of the Program Director's Office, whose work involves creating a conducive research environment.

When people think of research in quantum field theory, most imagine physicists. However, Special Postdoctoral Researcher Yuto Moriwaki is a mathematician. In this interview, we asked Moriwaki about the allure and challenges of working across the fields of mathematics and physics.

Living organisms are immensely complex. Their complexity renders it challenging to understand organisms’ behaviors and evolutionary processes. Despite advances in genomic analysis starting to reveal more biological details, many mysteries remain unsolved. Mathematical biology aims to unravel these mysteries using mathematics. We spoke with Senior Researcher Ryosuke Iritani, who is conducting research in this field, about why he chose this field and found it so fascinating.

In November 2021, a workshop was held at iTHEMS, initiated spontaneously by three young researchers during a casual conversation. How did this workshop come about, and what impact did it have on iTHEMS researchers?

What comes to mind when you hear the term "mathematical researcher"? Is it an image of someone shut away in a room, tirelessly conducting research? While this may be one side of a mathematician's life, discussions and communication with others can also lead to insights and problem-solving breakthroughs. Senior Research Scientist Hiroyasu Miyazaki believes that being in the interdisciplinary environment of iTHEMS has greatly expanded his perspective.

Many people think of experiments when they hear the words “biological research.” However, Jeffrey Fawcett researches the evolution of species by analyzing genetic information using computers. Below, we will introduce some of his theoretical research. 　

The rapid development of AI is driven by technology called deep learning. However, no one knows yet why AI with high performance can be achieved through deep learning. We asked Masato Taki, who is working on deep learning in iTHEMS, about applied technology that extends from deep learning.

Ade Irma Suriajaya (Chacha) is originally from Indonesia and shifted her field from aeronautical engineering to mathematics. We will introduce the beauty of mathematics, which Chacha has been eager to learn, going so far as to move from Indonesia to China and then onto Japan.