Special Postdoctoral Researcher, Division of Fundamental Mathematical Science, RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS)
Kenji Okubo
Ph.D.
- Research Fields
- Evolutionary Biology, Theoretical Biology, Mathematical Biology, Biophysics, Network Science, Cultural Evolution, Mathematical Archaeology
- Appointment History
- 2025/04/01 - Special Postdoctoral Researcher, Division of Fundamental Mathematical Science, RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS)
- Related Website
- Kenji Okubo's personal website
Self-introduction
I have been using evolutionary simulations of gene regulatory networks to explore how the rules of inheritance change over time. My work has addressed fundamental questions in biology, including the evolutionary meaning of sexual reproduction and why genetic rules such as dominance emerged.
More recently, I have been investigating how organisms with additional sets of chromosomes (polyploids) evolved, as well as the evolutionary mechanisms underlying aging. I am also applying mathematical models beyond biology—to language change, statistical patterns in ancient Japanese tombs, and the spread of stone tools. Through this work, I aim to uncover shared mathematical structures that cut across very different fields.
Currently, I am incorporating ideas from statistical physics into genetics, seeking new ways to understand gene sequences and evolutionary processes. Moving forward, I hope to use network science and mathematical modeling to reveal the hidden structures and principles that shape complex systems across disciplines.
Related Events
iTHEMS x academist Online Event "World of Mathematical Sciences 2026"
April 18 (Sat) 10:00 - 15:30, 2026 Special Lecture
Toward a Mathematical Prehistory of Homo sapiens: Data Integration and Statistical Representation in PaleoAsiaDB
March 26 (Thu) 13:00 - 14:00, 2026 Seminar iTHEMS Biology Seminar
Biological Background of Duplicated Sequence Evolution: A Focus on Gene Conversion
December 4 (Thu) 13:00 - 14:00, 2025 Seminar iTHEMS Biology Seminar