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199 news
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2026-01-15
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iTHEMS Colloquium by Hiroki R. Ueda on October 10, 2025
On October 10, 2025, Dr. Hiroki Ueda, Professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Medicine and former Team Leader at RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), delivered a splendid iTHEMS Colloquium talk on the Wako campus. His lecture, titled “Why Do We Sleep? The Role of Calcium and Phosphorylation in Sleep,” attracted a wide audience—not only researchers from iTHEMS but also colleagues from other RIKEN centers, including the Pioneering Research Institute (PRI) and the Center for Brain Science (CBS), as well as administrative staff. The talk was highly engaging and accessible to specialists and non-specialists alike. Dr. Ueda began with an overview of the long history of sleep research and the major unsolved questions that continue to inspire the field. He then presented his group’s recent discoveries on the role of calcium in sleep regulation. He also introduced a new theoretical framework—the WISE (Wake Inhibition Sleep Enhancement) mechanism—together with its mathematical modeling. Because sleep is closely connected to our daily lives, the audience had many questions from diverse perspectives, and Dr. Ueda kindly addressed each of them in detail. During and after the colloquium, including at the dinner that followed, we had stimulating discussions with him about his group’s model and potential new directions for sleep research and related areas of life science. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Ueda for his inspiring lecture and for sharing his broad expertise with our community. (Photos: courtesy of Assistant Chikako Ota, RIKEN iTHEMS.) Reported by Gen Kurosawa
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2026-01-08
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RIKEN–IBS Joint Workshop on Mathematical Approaches to Nature Held in Daejeon, Korea, December 9–12, 2025
In December 9–12, 2025, a collaborative workshop jointly organized by the Institute of Basic Science (IBS, Korea) and RIKEN was held in Daejeon, Korea. The workshop aimed to explore the unifying mathematical principles that underlie diverse natural phenomena—from the fundamental interactions that shape the universe to the complex behaviors observed in living systems. From RIKEN, iTHEMS researchers including Derek Inman, Ryo Namba, Alvaro Pastor Gutierrez, Shuntaro Aoki, Sungsik Kong, Amaury Micheli, Puttarak Jai-akson, Ryoko Oishi-Tomiyasu, Che-Yu Chen, and Christy Kelly delivered talks. All the presentations were impressive and thoughtfully prepared so that researchers from different fields could follow and appreciate the content. Indeed, there were many stimulating cross-disciplinary questions, and we enjoyed lively discussions over lunches and dinners, accompanied by excellent (and wonderfully spicy) food. Although the workshop was originally designed to foster collaboration between RIKEN and IBS, connections were already present—for example, through Shuntaro Aoki, a physicist at iTHEMS formerly at IBS, and Shingo Gibo, a mathematical biologist at IBS formerly at iTHEMS. This workshop further strengthened these ties and created new ones. The planning and local organization of the workshop were led by the center of Masahide Yamaguchi (IBS), Yusuke Yamada (IBS), and by Yuto Yamamoto and Ryo Namba at RIKEN iTHEMS, with strong support from IBS and the International Collaboration Section of the Global Strategy Division at RIKEN. We are deeply grateful for their dedicated efforts. I hope that the successful interactions fostered through this workshop will continue to develop even further. (Photos: courtesy of Director Satoshi Iso, RIKEN iTHEMS.) Reported by Gen Kurosawa
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2025-12-12
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Computing n-Time Correlation Functions without Ancilla Qubits
A research team led by Xiaoyang Wang (Postdoctoral Researcher, Quantum Mathematical Science Team, iTHEMS) has proposed a new method for computing n-time correlation functions, which play a central role in understanding the dynamics of quantum many-body systems. The proposed approach requires neither ancilla qubits nor controlled operations, and evaluates correlation functions using only the unitary time evolution of the system of interest. Conventional methods, such as the Hadamard test, rely on ancilla qubits that control the entire system, posing significant challenges for digital quantum processors with limited qubit connectivity and for analog quantum simulators where controlled operations are difficult or impossible to implement. The present work overcomes these limitations and broadens the range of quantum platforms on which multi-time correlation functions can be experimentally accessed. The protocol was demonstrated on IBM quantum hardware with up to 12 qubits, where the team successfully measured the single-particle spectrum of the Schwinger model and the out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) in the transverse-field Ising model. In addition, an error-mitigation strategy based on signal processing—combining signal filtering and correlation analysis—was introduced, enabling the recovery of ideal noiseless simulation results from noisy experimental data. This work provides a new foundation for experimentally probing complex quantum many-body correlation functions under realistic hardware constraints, thereby strengthening the connection between theoretical predictions and quantum experiments.
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2025-11-12
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The 1st Joint General Meeting of RIKEN Quantum and the QII RIKEN User Group on October 24, 2025
On Friday, October 24, the 1st Joint General Meeting of RIKEN Quantum and the QII RIKEN User Group was held at Okochi Hall on the RIKEN Wako campus, bringing together RIKEN researchers who utilize the ibm_kawasaki quantum computer. The meeting featured lively discussions on quantum computing research at RIKEN across a wide range of disciplines, including condensed matter physics, particle, nuclear and astrophysics, biomedical sciences, and the humanities. With over 60 participants, including members from IBM Quantum, the event was a great success. This meeting is expected to further accelerate the development of quantum computing research at RIKEN in the future.
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2025-11-06
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Miniature satellite NinjaSat discovers an unusually short X-ray burst cycle
An international collaborative research group including Akira Dohi, Special Postdoctoral Researcher, has observed an X-ray binary system known as a “clock burster,” which produces X-ray bursts at regular intervals, using NinjaSat, the CubeSat X-ray satellite led by RIKEN. The team discovered that this object has the shortest burst recurrence time ever recorded, 1.6 hours. For more details, please refer to the related link.
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2025-10-22
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The tides are changing for white dwarfs
A research team led by Lucy McNeill, a Hakubi Assistant Professor, at the Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University, and a Visiting Scientist at iTHEMS, has revealed that white dwarfs in compact binary systems can become significantly hotter and larger than previously predicted due to strong tidal forces. This “tidal heating” causes white dwarfs to expand to about twice their theoretical size, reaching surface temperatures between 10,000 and 30,000 K. As a result, the onset of mass transfer between the stars may occur at orbital periods up to three times longer than expected. The findings provide new insights into the evolution of white dwarfs and the origins of Type Ia supernovae. For more details, please visit Kyoto University’s press release page via the related link below.
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2025-10-20
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Paper Accepted at NeurIPS 2025, One of the World’s Premier Conferences in AI
A paper by Tsubasa Masumura and Associate Professor Masato Taki (Visiting Scientist at iTHEMS), both from Rikkyo University, has been accepted for presentation at NeurIPS 2025, an international conference in the field of machine learning. In this study, the authors proposed a new Transformer architecture that incorporates the principles of associative memory, successfully mitigating the issue known as “rank collapse” both theoretically and experimentally. The proposed method improves model performance without introducing additional parameters, offering potential contributions to the further advancement of large language models and generative AI. NeurIPS 2025 will be held in December 2025 in San Diego, USA. For more details, please refer to the Rikkyo University press release via the related link below.
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2025-10-16
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Students from OTEMAE Senior High School Visited iTHEMS through the “Math Tour” Program
On October 2–3, 2025, students from OTEMAE Senior High School in Osaka visited the RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS) as part of the “Math Tour” training program. During their visit, the students attended lectures given by iTHEMS researchers and were inspired by the beauty and diversity of mathematical sciences. The lectures included “Introduction to Machine Learning” by Senior Research Scientist Akinomi Tanaka, “Principles of Biological Growth and Evolutionary Game Theory” by Senior Research Scientist Ryosuke Iritani, and “Spheres and Dimensions” by Research Scientist Taketo Sano. Through these sessions, the students experienced stimulating learning opportunities beyond their regular classroom studies. Many students commented that the visit was “very helpful in thinking about future career paths” and “opened new perspectives on the joy of mathematics.” This program successfully provided a valuable opportunity for the students to deepen their understanding and interest in mathematical sciences.
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2025-10-01
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Farewell message from Tomoya Naito
Our colleague, Tomoya Naito, has left iTHEMS at the end of September 2025 to join the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Management, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo as a Project Assistant Professor. We are grateful for his many contributions during his time with us and wish him every success in his new position. Here is a message from Tomoya: I first joined the Quantum Hadron Physics Laboratory (Hatsuda Lab.) at the Nishina Center in June 2017 as a student trainee, and from that time I also began attending iTHEMS activities. In April 2022, I officially became a member of iTHEMS as an SPDR, and from April to September 2025 I was a JSPS PD. During these three and a half years (or unofficially, more than eight years!), I really enjoyed being a member of iTHEMS. Although I was often away on business trips in the last two and a half years, I have always appreciated the activities of iTHEMS. My research is on low-energy nuclear physics and quantum many-body problems using density functional theory. Only a few people in iTHEMS are working in this field, but I had many opportunities to learn about other areas such as physics, mathematics, mathematical biology, and machine learning. These experiences gave me new knowledge and even led to new research topics. In particular, during the pandemic, I was not officially a member of iTHEMS, but I still joined many activities and had many discussions with iTHEMS colleagues. These experiences strongly influenced my current research direction. From this April, iTHEMS has been expanding and the atmosphere is also changing. It was a great honor to be a member during such an important period. In October 2025, I moved to the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, as a Project Assistant Professor. Since RIKEN is still geographically close, I would like to continue joining iTHEMS activities, and I look forward to further interactions with everyone. Finally, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all the researchers and assistants of iTHEMS for their kind support.
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2025-09-04
Hot TopicFarewell message from Seishiro Ono
Our colleague, Seishiro Ono, has left iTHEMS at the end of August 2025 to join the Division of Condensed Matter Theory, The Institute for Solid State Physics (ISSP), The University of Tokyo as an Assistant Professor. We are grateful for his contributions and wish him every success in his new position. Here is a message from Seishiro: I joined iTHEMS in April 2023 as a Special Postdoctoral Researcher, and as of August 31, I have left iTHEMS to start my new position as a Research Associate at the Institute for Solid State Physics, the University of Tokyo. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all members and staff at iTHEMS. Without such a supportive environment, I would not have been able to devote myself entirely to my research over the past two and a half years. I believe that iTHEMS is a truly unique research institute, and I have been continually impressed by its inspiring and researcher-friendly environment since I first joined. I sincerely hope to stay in touch, and I look forward to seeing you again in the near future. Once again, thank you very much for all your support in every respect.
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2025-08-26
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Workshop: N3AS Annual Meeting 2025 (August 5–7 @ UC Berkeley)
We (Keiya Hirashima, Camilia Demidem, Gabriele Di Ubaldo, Jan Schuette-Engel, Yuuka Kanakubo, Yuki Fujimoto, Shuntaro Aoki, Hiro Nagataki, Satoshi Iso, and Tetsuo Hatsuda) attended the N3AS Annual Meeting 2025, held at UC Berkeley (UCB) on August 5–7. N3AS stands for the Network for Neutrinos, Nuclear Astrophysics, and Symmetries, an NSF-funded program that began in 2016. iTHEMS and ABBL joined N3AS in 2020. During the meeting, Keiya, Camilia, Jan, Yuki and Shuntaro gave excellent presentations on their recent research. We also enjoyed many fascinating talks from N3AS members, including Mia Kumamoto and Kelsey Lund, both of whom participated in iTHEMS Now and Next 2025. Tetsuo and Hiro reported on the activities of iTHEMS, RBC, and ABBL, while Wick Haxton (PI of the N3AS program) provided an update on the status of N3AS. The meeting took place in the Physics building, where the RIKEN-Berkeley Center (RBC) is located. RBC is a hub for international collaboration of iTHEMS, such as researcher exchanges, joint workshops, and long-term fellowships. Now 3 researchers of iTHEMS (Jan, Gabriele, Yuuka) are staying there and engaging in international research collaborations. We made good use of the RBC office during our stay in the week of August 3. While at Berkeley, we (Satoshi, Tetsuo, and Hiro) had the opportunity to meet with Steve Kahn (Dean of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, UC Berkeley) and Martin Olsson (Chair of the Department of Mathematics, UC Berkeley) to discuss future communication and collaboration between iTHEMS and the Departments of Physics and Mathematics at UCB. We also visited Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), where another iTHEMS office is located. This visit reaffirmed the importance of the strong connection between RIKEN and Berkeley, and the key role of the RBC in supporting this collaboration.
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2025-08-26
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Exhibited “Black Hole Recorder” at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai: A Quantum Gravity Science-Art Project Recording Messages for the Future
iTHEMS exhibited “Black Hole Recorder,” a science art work based on quantum black hole theory created in collaboration with external creators in 2021, at the 2025 Japan International Exposition (Osaka-Kansai Expo) special exhibition "Entangled Moment - [Quantum, Sea, Universe] × Art" (hosted by the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) from August 14 (Thu) to August 20 (Wed), 2025. The exhibition featured research from nearly 20 research institutions and companies, along with approximately 20 artworks, presented across nine sections. The venue was designed to evoke a world where the microscopic quantum realm and the vast universe continuously cycle and regenerate like an “Ouroboros.” iTHEMS was the ninth and final section in the exhibition, where visitors could view the artwork alongside its explanation. Additionally, all sounds in the venue were continuously recorded using the “Black Hole Recorder,” and visitors were invited to record messages for 1,500 years in the future, with plans to eventually transmit the recorded sounds to a black hole via radio waves. Given the Expo setting, on many days the venue welcomed over 9,000 visitors daily (62,360 visitors over 7 days), allowing many people to experience and enjoy the exhibition. However, during peak hours, the venue became quite crowded, making it difficult for some visitors to view the exhibits at their leisure. Through the artworks, we were able to introduce visitors to black holes and the underlying theory of quantum gravity, and I believe many left with the message that these foundational theories may one day lead to useful technologies. Participating in this exhibition at the Expo provided a valuable opportunity to convey research findings and messages to those who typically have little interest in science. The exchange with other exhibitors also contributed to the future development of iTHEMS's social collaboration activities.
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2025-08-20
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Farewell message from Congcong Le
Our colleague, Congcong Le, will be leaving iTHEMS to join the Hefei National Laboratory as a Research Scientist. Since joining iTHEMS in August 2021 as a Postdoctoral Researcher, he has spent four wonderful years making progress in research and actively engaging in our community. We will all miss him and wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor. Here is a message from Congcong: I joined iTHEMS in August 2021 as a Postdoctoral Researcher and have spent four wonderful years here. Looking back on this journey, I have not only made significant progress in my research but have also felt immense warmth and care in my daily life. For researchers, the most valuable thing is to have an open environment where we can freely explore ideas, follow our curiosity, and ask every question that comes to mind. iTHEMS has provided such an environment, and I consider myself very lucky to have been part of it. In our weekly Coffee Meetings, I always benefit from the vivid biological facts and mathematical tricks. In the weekly group discussions hosted by Chingkai, I can share the new problems and the new ideas, and these exchanges have continually broadened my perspective and strengthened my research abilities. On a personal note, I am especially grateful to Hatsuda-san and all the iTHEMS assistants. During a challenging time for my family, they offered us sincere support and help. I still clearly remember that when we arrived in Japan from Germany in 2021, my wife was pregnant. Due to COVID-19, we needed to quarantine. To ensure my wife’s safety, Tomoko-san and Sasaki-san helped us find a hotel near the hospital, and after the quarantine, Hatsuda-san personally drove my family and me to RIKEN. This kindness and care will always remain in my heart. Next, I will be moving to the Hefei National Laboratory in China. Although I am embarking on a new journey, I sincerely hope to return often to visit and continue enjoying the unique academic atmosphere here. Let’s stay in touch and keep enjoying the beauty of both research and life.
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2025-08-18
Hot TopicExhibition of the Science-Art Work “Black Hole Recorder” at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan
The science-art work Black Hole Recorder, created in 2021 by iTHEMS in collaboration with external creators and based on quantum black hole theory, will be exhibited at the special exhibition “Entangled Moments — [Quantum, Ocean, Universe] × Art” (hosted by the Cabinet Office and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, from Thursday, August 14 to Wednesday, August 20, 2025. To mark the exhibition, a YouTube video introducing Black Hole Recorder has been released, along with a digest version of a dialogue between physicists: Atsuto Iso (Director, iTHEMS, RIKEN) × Nomura (Director, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics), discussing quantum gravity and black holes. For details, please refer to the related links.
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2025-08-18
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Farewell message from Misako Tatsuuma
Our colleague, Misako Tatsuuma, will be joining the Department of Electronic Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Tokyo College as an Assistant Professor starting September 2025. She will continue to be involved with iTHEMS as a visiting scientist. We will all miss her and wish her the best of luck in this new endeavor. Here is a message from Misako: Although it has only been about two years since October 2023, my time at iTHEMS has been a lifelong treasure for me. My research field is planet formation theory, but by joining seminars from many different fields, I was able to learn a lot of new things and gain many new ideas for future research. I also had opportunities to engage in outreach and teaching, which gave me valuable experiences. I am especially grateful that, during the most difficult period of childcare, I was allowed to work flexibly, including working from home. I will continue to be involved with iTHEMS as a visiting scientist, so I look forward to staying connected with you. From September 2025, I will be teaching in the field of information engineering at a National Institute of Technology (KOSEN), which is a five-year school for students from the equivalent of the first year of high school to the second year of university. This will be a new field for me, so I hope to learn a lot while also incorporating what I can into my research. Thank you very much for everything.
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2025-08-06
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RIKEN Wako Science Camp 2025 — High School Students Challenged the Violation of Bell’s Inequality with a Quantum Computer
Sixteen high school students selected from across Japan gathered at RIKEN Wako Campus to participate in the "RIKEN Wako Science Camp 2025." Divided into three courses based on their applications, the students joined one of the following research units: Inter-Individual Brain Dynamics Collaboration Unit (CBS), Molecular Ligand Target Research Team (CSRS), and RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS). Over the four-day program held from July 28 to 31, 2025, they experienced cutting-edge science and technology in an immersive camp-style setting. At iTHEMS, Masazumi Honda and Ryo Namba led Course C: "Exploring the Quantum World – Observing the Violation of Bell’s Inequality on a Quantum Computer." In this course, students used an actual cloud-based quantum computer provided by IBM Quantum to investigate and experimentally verify the violation of Bell’s inequality, which demonstrates the fundamental departure of quantum theory from classical physics. The students showed remarkable enthusiasm and drive. Despite the fact that the topic went far beyond the scope of high school-level mathematics and physics, they not only implemented the necessary programs on the quantum computer to verify the violation of Bell’s inequality, but also developed their own original methods, impressing the researchers in charge. In addition to the hands-on activities, the students toured RIKEN’s in-house quantum computer "A" and supercomputer "HOKUSAI," experienced "A" through VR, and visited exhibitions at the Nishina Center. While deepening friendships with like-minded peers, they also interacted informally with other researchers at iTHEMS over lunch and coffee breaks, gaining firsthand insight into the life of a real scientist — sparking reflections on their own future paths. The four-day program concluded by the students' presentations on what they had learned and experienced during the camp in front of fellow students and instructors, as well as RIKEN's president and executive directors, on the final day. RIKEN Wako Science Camp is an annual program by RIKEN for high school students, traditionally focused on experimental sciences. This year marked the first time a theoretical course was offered, with iTHEMS researchers taking on the role of instructors.
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2025-07-25
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Investigating the World Inside the Atom: Interview with Yan Lyu published on the JICFuS Website
An interview with Dr. Yan Lyu (Postdoctoral Researcher, iTHEMS), titled “Investigating the World Inside the Atom” has been published on the JICFuS (Joint Institute for Computational Fundamental Science) website. Dr. Lyu explores lattice QCD (quantum chromodynamics) through large-scale numerical simulations using supercomputers. In the article, he discusses how he became interested in this field, the interplay between theory and computation, collaborative research through JICFuS, and his personal approaches to research. This inspiring interview offers insight into his journey as a researcher striving to understand the hidden structure of matter. Please see the related link below to read the full article.
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2025-07-03
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Farewell message from Yuki Fujimoto
Our colleague, Yuki Fujimoto, left iTHEMS on June 30 and has moved to Niigata University to take up a position as Assistant Professor. We thank him for his time at iTHEMS and wish him all the best in this new chapter. Here is a message from Yuki Fujimoto: As of June 30, I have left iTHEMS, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the members of iTHEMS. I am moving to Niigata University to take up a position as an assistant professor. I joined iTHEMS in October 2024 as a RIKEN-Berkeley Fellow and was primarily based at the RIKEN center at UC Berkeley. Although my time at the Wako campus was brief, I greatly enjoyed the interactions and discussions with colleagues from a wide range of fields. I will continue to be affiliated with iTHEMS as a visiting scholar, and I look forward to seeing you all when I visit Wako. You are all very welcome to visit me in Niigata as well. I wish iTHEMS continued growth and success in the future.
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2025-04-23
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iTHEMS x academist online event was held on April 19, 2025
iTHEMS held an online lecture event for the general public with the help of Academist Inc., on April 19, 2025. This year’s speakers were Yuuka Kanakubo, Kan Kitamura, Leo Speidel, and Yuki Yokokura, who delivered clear and easy-to-understand lectures that even middle school students could comprehend. Each speaker also served as a commentator for other lectures and facilitated Q&A sessions based on audience questions. During the lunch break, as part of the lunch program, Director Iso, a physicist, and Prof. Fumiharu Kato, a mathematician, engaged in a discussion about the future possibilities of mathematics, moderated by Ms. Shinozaki. The event was organized and hosted by Ms. Michibayashi and Mr. Katada from Academist, who helped make the event a success. The event was attended by 414 people, and at one point there were over 250 in the audience.
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2025-04-09
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Greeting from the Director, Satoshi Iso
This April, iTHEMS entered a new phase with a renewed and expanded structure. While we continue to grow and evolve, the spirit of iTHEMS remains unchanged.
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2025-04-08
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iTHEMS Starter Meeting for FY 2025 on April 4, 2025
On Friday, April 4, 2025, the annual iTHEMS Starter Meeting was held at 12:30 PM in Suzuki Umetaro Hall. Unlike the regular Coffee Meetings that take place every Friday at the same time, the Starter Meeting marks the beginning of the academic year and serves as a special occasion to introduce new members, allow existing members to reintroduce themselves, and share the outlook for the year ahead. This year’s meeting was held on a larger scale than usual to commemorate a major organizational milestone—the transformation of iTHEMS from a program into the newly established RIKEN Center for Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences. The meeting opened with a commemorative talk by Tetsuo Hatsuda, former Program Director, who reflected on the history of interdisciplinary mathematical science research at RIKEN, beginning with the iTHES program and leading up to the evolution of iTHEMS. He also expressed heartfelt appreciation for the contributions of former Deputy Program Directors Takashi Tsuboi and Takemasa Miyoshi. Following his talk, the new Center Director, Satoshi Iso, provided an overview of the structure and vision for the newly reorganized iTHEMS, including the establishment of new research units and teams designed to further expand and deepen the center’s interdisciplinary mission. Flower bouquets were then presented to Hatsuda-san and Tsuboi-san as a gesture of gratitude, while Miyoshi-san, who was absent, was also acknowledged for his contributions. After a brief intermission, Tsukasa Tada, Deputy Director, introduced the newly adopted iTHEMS Code of Conduct. He emphasized its core principles—mutual respect, scientific integrity, inclusivity, and responsibility—and explained how the Code reflects the ethical foundation that each member is encouraged to uphold and shape as the community evolves. This was followed by a series of one-minute self-introductions by all members, each using a single slide, continuing the tradition of fostering familiarity and collaboration across disciplines. The meeting concluded slightly before 5:00 PM, after which participants returned to the Main Research Building to attend a reception in the open space on the third floor. The reception provided an opportunity for further discussion and networking among iTHEMS members and affiliated researchers, marking a warm and promising start to the new academic year under the expanded vision of the iTHEMS Center.
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2025-04-08
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Takashi Tsuboi Appointed Honorary Research Fellow at RIKEN
The former Deputy Program Director of iTHEMS, Takashi Tsuboi, has been appointed "Honorary Research Fellow" at RIKEN by President Makoto Gonokami, effective April 1, 2025.This honor recognizes Takashi’s many years of distinguished service as Deputy Program Director of iTHEMS (FY2017–FY2024), as well as his outstanding achievements and dedicated contributions. He will continue to support iTHEMS as a Senior Visiting Scientist. Congratulations, Takashi!
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2025-04-01
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Farewell message from Daiki Kumakura
Our colleague, Daiki Kumakura, joins R&D Division at Daiichi Sankyo Co. as Translational Scientist after receiving PhD last week from Hokkaido University. We wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor. Here is a message from Daiki: I joined iTHEMS as a Junior Research Associate (JRA) in April 2022, and since then I have been fortunate to experience a wealth of opportunities and engaging discussions that go far beyond what I encountered at university. When I started as a JRA, I set myself the dual goals of advancing both research and education. In research, I pursued mathematical and computational analyses with a focus on microbial themes. In education, I established a Young Researchers in Mathematical Biology group for students and organized a summer school. Additionally, I participated in public outreach by designing a “one poster per family” project, and through appearances on FM radio and our university’s YouTube channel, I helped spread the excitement of mathematical science and the unique identity of iTHEMS to students throughout Japan. I am deeply grateful to the many individuals at iTHEMS whose support made all of these endeavors possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Starting in April 2025, I will be embarking on a new chapter as a Translational Scientist at Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. In this role, I will analyze and interpret clinical trial data across various disease areas, including cancer, with the aim of enabling faster and more appropriate drug prescriptions for patients. I look forward to applying the invaluable experiences I gained at iTHEMS to establish a strong position for mathematical science in industrial applications. My career has flourished thanks to iTHEMS, and I sincerely wish for the continued growth and success of the iTHEMS community. I hope to maintain close ties with all of you in the future. Thank you very much for everything.
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2025-03-24
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Farewell message from Akihisa Yamamoto
Our colleague, Akihosa Yamamoto, will be joining Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Faculty of Systems Design at Tokyo Metropolitan University as an Associate Professor starting April 1st, 2025. We will all miss him and wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor. Here is a message from Akihisa: I joined RIKEN iTHEMS as a research scientist in April 2024. Although it has only been a year, I truly enjoyed my time here. I have encountered many exciting and diverse research topics that have significantly expanded my scientific horizons and thoroughly enjoyed attending seminars across various fields. Due to the great diversity and high quality of the presentations, it has not always been easy to grasp the key take-home messages and formulate relevant questions. Nonetheless, I have always enjoyed the opportunity to immerse myself in these stimulating discussions. I am also very grateful for the positive atmosphere of iTHEMS, fostered by talented and considerate colleagues. It has been a great pleasure to be a part of this fantastic institute, and I sincerely thank the Program Director Hatsuda-san and every member of iTHEMS including all the assistants for collectively maintaining such a supportive environment. I will be appointed as an Associate Professor in the Biomechanical Engineering Area in the Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Faculty of Systems Design at Tokyo Metropolitan University on April 1st, 2025. I plan to continue my exploration of the mechanistic understanding of homeostasis and the dynamics of living systems. I am sure that the scientific perspective and thought processes I have developed during my time at iTHEMS will remain with me throughout my scientific career. I sincerely wish for the continuous and even greater success of iTHEMS, and I look forward to staying in touch with iTHEMS members.
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2025-03-23
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Farewell message from Rongyang Sun
Our colleague, Rongyang Sun, will be joining Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge, as a postdoctoral researcher, starting April 2025. We will all miss him and wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor. Here is a message from Rongyang: I joined iTHEMS in April 2023 as part of RIKEN Quantum, and you may not even meet me on campus as my base is at R-CCS in Kobe. Although my time in iTHEMS has been short, formally only half a year, and I participated in the events remotely most of the time, I learned so much, far more than I expected, from this active research institute, which owns the best diversity and productivity. I would like to thank all the members of iTHEMS, including the directors, researchers, and assistants. Thank you for giving me such a unique experience in my research career! While I am moving to the US, a physically very far away place, I will continue to follow the development of iTHEMS and share in its success. Starting in April 2025, iTHEMS will be upgraded to a research center. I sincerely wish all the members and the institute greater success in this new era!
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2025-03-18
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Farewell message from Steffen Backes
Our colleague, Steffen Backes, will be joining the RIKEN TRIP Research DX Team as an Expert Technician, starting April 1, 2025. We will all miss him and wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor. Here is a message from Steffen: I joined iTHEMS and RIKEN in August 2023, so only about 1.5 years ago, but this time had a lasting impression on my personal life and scientific career. It is hard to overstate how much I enjoyed being part of iTHEMS, as it has been an incredibly enjoyable and rewarding time. Being able to meet so many knowledgeable and kind people from different fields and parts of the world, and coming up with new and unconventional ideas due to different backgrounds, was truly amazing. I am very grateful for having been accepted to iTHEMS, which I think is a very special and outstanding place due to this diversity and scientific freedom, that is hard to be found elsewhere. In FY2025 (April 1st) I will change to an Expert Technician position in the RIKEN TRIP Research DX Team, Wako Campus, so I will still stay close to iTHEMS! As far as time allows, I will make sure to drop by and say hello :) Thank you everyone for this great time, and let's meet again soon!
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2025-03-12
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Farewell message from Jizhou Li
Our colleague, Jizhou Li, will be joining Professor Akira Shudo's group in the Department of Physics at Tokyo Metropolitan University as a postdoctoral researcher, starting April 1, 2025. We will all miss him and wish him the best of luck in this new endeavor. Here is a message from Jizhou: As I move on to my next position at Tokyo Metropolitan University, I just wanted to say a big thank you to all of you. I’ve really enjoyed the discussions, collaborations, and all the insightful talks at iTHEMS. The biology seminars and coffee meetings, in particular, have been a fantastic learning experience for me. Luckily, since I live just 1 km from RIKEN, I’m not going too far! I still plan to drop by for the biology seminar every Thursday, so I’m looking forward to more chats and discussions with you all. Thanks again, and see you around!
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2025-03-06
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RIKEN-Nara Women's University Joint Diversity Promotion Workshop 2025 on March 3, 2025
On March 3 and 4, a total of 19 students from various courses at Nara Women's University—including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological sciences, and environmental sciences (comprising first-year, second-year, and third-year undergraduate students, as well as first-year master's students)—visited RIKEN. During their visit, they toured several research facilities, including the RIBF Facility at the RIKEN Nishina Center (RNC), the RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS), the Laboratory for Sensorimotor Integration at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS), the Photonics Control Technology Team at the RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics (RAP), and the Molecular Bioregulation Research Team at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS). At each laboratory, the students had the opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research up close, observe experimental equipment, and ask researchers about their work. In the evening, they participated in a networking session with RIKEN researchers, where they explored research topics in depth through iTHEMS members' poster presentations. This interactive session also provided insights into the daily lives and career paths of researchers, offering students valuable inspiration from the research environment. This diversity promotion initiative is a collaborative project between the Faculty of Science at Nara Women's University and the RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS), conducted under the auspices of the RIKEN Diversity Promotion Office. It is organized alongside a series of lectures at Nara Women's University and is planned to continue in the coming years.
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2025-02-25
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Farewell message from Jeffrey Fawcett
Our colleague, Jeffrey Fawcett will move on to a new career as a Chief Scientist at Regional Fish Institute, Ltd. as of March 1st, 2025. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Jeffrey Fawcett: I will be moving to Kyoto to work at a company called Regional Fish from March. I will also most likely have a joint position at Kyoto University at a lab funded by the company. The company was started a few years ago mostly be people from Kyoto University, Graduate School of Agriculture, where I did my study, and specializes in breeding and developing fish and aquatic species using genome editing and various other techniques. My task will mainly be to perform genomic data analysis for the company, although I will also have some freedom to pursue my own research. I am looking forward to the new challenge to utilize my expertise and work for a company whose I mission I can identify with. I have been in iTHEMS for exactly 7 years, which say how much I enjoyed and appreciated the setup of iTHEMS. I remember some people telling me its their first time meeting a biologist, whereas I never imagined I would ever have the opportunity to enjoy talks on pure mathematics and theoretical physics. I would like to thank all the people involved in iTHEMS and hopefully I will be able to visit iTHEMS from time to time and keep up the connection.
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2025-02-10
Hot TopicFarewell message from Nozomi Kakinuma
Our administrative staff member, Nozomi Kakinuma, will be leaving RIKEN on February 14 to return to academic research. We will greatly miss her and wish her all the best in her future endeavors. Here is a message from Nozomi: Since April last year, I have been part of iTHEMS as a staff member in the iTHEMS Promotion Office. However, I have recently decided to pursue a career in research. Through coffee meetings, where researchers passionately discussed their work and explained it in an accessible way, I came to deeply appreciate both the excitement and significance of fundamental research. Inspired by these experiences, I am now committed to dedicating myself to research. I am truly grateful for all the support and guidance I have received. Thank you very much.
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2025-01-24
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Farewell message from Liang Zhang
Our colleague, Liang Zhang, has returned to the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences to complete his PhD thesis. We will all miss him and wish him the very best of luck in successfully defending his thesis ! Here is a message from Liang Zhang: I joined iTHEMS in January 2023 as a joint student and completed my two-year journey here in January 2025. I initially joined iTHEMS to study lattice QCD and the HAL QCD method, and I am deeply grateful to Hatsuda-san and Doi-san for guiding me into this fascinating field. However, I soon realized that my experience at iTHEMS extended far beyond my original purpose. For example I had a discussion with Namba san on chiral symmetry breaking which is studied in both particle physics and cosmology. It left an immediate impression that physics is so universal other than reading such sentences in textbooks. And the interdisciplinary energy at iTHEMS constantly amazed me. When I first came here I always struggled to pinpoint people’s major. In some seminars, theoretical physicists gave a biology talk (like Christy)! I vaguely feel like there is a group theory for nature which can be expressed to different representations, biological, mathematical, physical, etc. Is this what the “i” in iTHEMS means? At last I would like to thank everyone in iTHEMS again for my two-year experience here. This experience gives me a great impulse to expand the possibilities of my future research life. iTHEMS’s uniqueness lies in its boundless possibilities. And I dearly hope our paths will cross again!
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2025-01-17
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Farewell message from Lucy McNeill
Our colleague Lucy McNeill has moved on to a new career as a Hakubi Assistant Professor at The Hakubi Center for Advanced Research, Kyoto University as of January 16, 2025. We all will miss her and wish her the best of luck in her latest endeavor. Here is a message from Lucy McNeill: During my 1 year at iTHEMS as a postdoctoral researcher, I was presented with opportunities to further both my own research and professional development at every turn. I am especially grateful for iTHEMS directors and colleagues' support in starting the "asymptotics in astrophysics" iTHEMS study group, ample chances to travel abroad to share my work, and the frequent international workshops organised at iTHEMS. In particular, workshops co-hosted with RIKEN-Berkeley left this lasting impression on me; that new stellar astrophysics and supernova physics paradigms are creatively and efficiently conceived when physicists, mathematicians and data scientists join forces to solve longstanding astrophysical puzzles. iTHEMS is such a special place where those necessary first interactions are regularly facilitated, and I am sad to leave. But... "I'll be back"!
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2025-01-10
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Farewell message from Yantao Wu
Our colleague Yantao Wu will move on to a new career as a faculty member at Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences as of January 10, 2025. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Yantao Wu: I joined iTHEMS in June 2021 as a RIKEN-Berkeley fellow, and have stayed here for three years and a half now. iTHEMS is a precious rare place in the academic world, where there seems to be no responsibility, no one telling you what to do, and infinite space for travel; where there seems to be a curious mind on every subject and every question ought to be asked. The interdisciplinary nature of the group has forever left an imprint on me, and I will always remember the vivid biological facts and mathematical tricks that I have learned here. Entering as a condensed matter physicist and leaving as a condensed matter physicist, my heart will always have a spot for the particle theory which I have learned from here. It has been an unexpected, yet very pleasant mix. Sadly, it appears that every gathering ends somewhere, and I need to leave this warm and protective bubble to a new place, to really enter the grown world of independent research and start my own group. iTHEMS will always remain as a source of lasting encouragement. I will move to the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing to start a faculty position. If you ever want to visit, please let me know you are from iTHEMS and I will make you a cup of tea (amidst taking you to the great wall and covering your travel costs.)
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2024-12-24
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iTHEMS Science Outreach Workshop 2024 was held on November 15-17, 2024
On November 15-17, we had Meeting on Outreach of RIKEN iTHEMS 2024 @Sendai & Zoom. This year as the last year the meeting was held at TOKYO ELECTRON House of Creativity 3F, Lecture Theater, Katahira Campus, Tohoku University. It was organized by RIKEN iTHEMS and Mathematical Science Center for Co-creative Society of Tohoku University and co-organised by Tohoku Forum for Creativity, Organization for Research Promotion, Tohoku University and RIKEN CPR, Prediction Science Laboratory. There were 39 people participated at TOKYO ELECTRON House of Creativity and 16 more by zoom. There were 20 talks at the venue and 2 talks by zoom. There were 2 posters, one photo exhibition. There were really a variety of thought around the past and the future of mathematics. Some of highlights are: talks concerning about causality from designers and physisists; about teaching mathematics in Art University; about the preparation of "Mathematics Connecting to the World: One S&T poster for Every Household"; etc. 7 talks were given by journalists and 1 by MEXT. The on-site participants consist of 10+1 members from RIKEN, 14+3 from universities and institutes, and 12+5 journalists (at venue + by zoom). We organized a social gathering on the first evening which was successful. We thank very much for the help of Tohoku University for the warm hospitality. By the success of this meeting, we hope the continuation of Journalist in residence program and this workshop next year. Reported by Takashi Tsuboi
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2024-12-17
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Hadrons and Hadron Interactions in QCD -- Experiments, Effective theories, and Lattice -- (HHIQCD2024) was held from Oct. 14 to Nov. 15, 2024
On Oct. 14 (Mon) - Nov. 15 (Fri), a long-term workshop "Hadrons and Hadron Interactions in QCD -- Experiments, Effective theories, and Lattice -- (HHIQCD2024)" was held at Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics (YITP), Kyoto University. The week of Oct. 28 (Mon) - Nov. 2 (Fri) was held as "Nishinomiya-Yukawa symposium". The workshop was sponsored by YITP and supported by RIKEN-iTHEMS and several JSPS/JST programs. We had 193 participants from all over the world, with most of them attending in-person. There were 64 invited talks and 49 contributed talks. The international school, "Introduction to QCD and related topics", was also held and 5 lectures were given. The purpose of this HHIQCD2024 workshop was to bring researchers in lattice QCD, various effective field theories and also experimentalists together and make extensive discussions on hadron physics. Furthermore, the workshop also focused on formal developments of quantum field theories and frontiers of first-principle calculations (quantum computation and tensor network methods). The workshop expected to bring a new direction of researches to understand the nature of QCD. This long-term workshop was a "stay-and-discuss" style workshop in a relaxed atmosphere, where each participant was encouraged to stay long. With this style, participants had intensive discussions with other participants, and even started new collaborations during the workshop. Presentation slides can be downloaded from the HHIQCD2024 web page.
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2024-12-16
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The second internal meeting of RIKEN Quantum on December 6, 2024
On Dec. 6 (Fri), the second internal meeting of RIKEN Quantum was held at Room 359, Main Research Building, RIKEN (Wako), attended by over 40 RIKEN Quantum members and related researchers. At this meeting, Yantao Wu, Himadri Pathak, and Xiaoyang Wang who have become RIKEN Quantum researchers this fall gave presentations on their recent research. In addition, 8 researchers from outside RIKEN who have become RIKEN visiting scientists in September to conduct collaborative research proposals also gave short talks to introduce themselves. They had a very lively discussion that will deepen understanding of their research. During the banquet following the meeting, participants deepened exchanges in a relaxed atmosphere and engaged in various conversations that will lead to the future development of RIKEN Quantum's activities.
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2024-11-26
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Farewell message from Shingo Gibo
Our colleague Shingo Gibo will move on to a new career as senior researcher at Institute for Basic Science (IBS), South Korea as of December 1, 2024. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Shingo Gibo: I joined iTHEMS in September 2018 and spent six years as a postdoctoral researcher at iTHEMS. During this time, I have theoretically studied biological oscillations with Kurosawa-san. Additionally, I collaborated on interdisciplinary research on waveforms in circadian clocks with physicists, Hatsuda-san and Kunihiro-san. I would like to thank all the members for the valuable discussions and support. I have learned a lot and truly enjoyed my time at iTHEMS. From December, I will be moving to Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in South Korea as a senior researcher. Thank you for the great six years and see you again!
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2024-11-12
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Farewell message from Yaokun Lei
Our colleague Yaokun Lei will move on to a new career as associate research fellow at Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, China as of November. 11, 2024. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Yaokun Lei: I joined iTHEMS last August. Although it’s a short time, it has been a truly enriching experience to be a part of iTHEMS. The support and collaborative spirit here have been invaluable, and I am especially grateful for the guidance and help from Hatsuda-san and Sugita-san, whose encouragement has greatly impacted this journey. I am thankful for the friendships and knowledge shared, and as I step forward, I carry with me not only the insights from my research but also the inspiration from our exchanges. I hope our paths cross again in future collaborations. Thank you all for everything, and wishing you continued success and discoveries.
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2024-10-16
Hot TopicRIKEN Quantum Workshop on “Quantum-Like Modeling in Cognitive & Social Sciences" on October 11, 2024
On Oct. 11 (Fri), RIKEN Quantum Workshop on “Quantum-Like Modeling in Cognitive & Social Sciences” was held at Room 359, Main Research Building, RIKEN (Wako). The workshop was hosted by RIKEN Quantum and had 30 participants from a variety of fields, including cognitive and social sciences as well as life sciences, mathematics, and physics. This was the first workshop at RIKEN to discuss “Quantum-Like Modeling” for various phenomena in cognitive and social sciences. “Quantum-Like Modeling” suggests that using quantum probability calculus and its applications could be useful to rationalize cognitive and social phenomena as open quantum systems and expand previous understandings, obtained through simple linear algebra, by applying quantum formalizations. After Atsushi Iriki, one of the organizers, explained the purpose of the workshop, there were four invited talks. Andrei Khrennikov gave a comprehensive talk on applications of the methodology and formalism of quantum theory outside of physics, in cognition, psychology, decision making, social and political sciences, economics and finance, genetics and evolutionary biology. Masanao Ozawa gave an introduction to his proposed quantum instrument theory, which unifies quantum measurement and quantum cognition through quantum simulation. Haruki Emori talked about applications of quantum computers to cognitive sciences based on the quantum instrument theory. Finally, Miho Fuyama introduced her empirical research on subjective experiences and superposition states of quantum probability theory in narrative reading. These invited talks were followed by a general discussion and networking mixer, which deepened understanding of “Quantum-Like Modeling” in cognitive and social sciences from various perspectives and promoted new networking among the participants.
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2024-10-09
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Report on the induction ceremony of American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Tetsuo Hatsuda attended the induction ceremony of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences [1], held in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from September 29 to October 1, 2024, as a newly elected International Honorary Member (HIM). This year, 250 new members were inducted, including 25 HIMs [2], across various fields such as Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Humanities and Arts, and Leadership, Policy and Communications. The ceremony began with a gathering of new members at the House of the Academy [3]. The formal induction took place on September 30 at Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall at Harvard University [4], starting at 3 p.m. During the ceremony, each inductee was called to the stage individually to sign the Academy members’ book. In addition to the induction ceremony, there were receptions on September 29 and 30. The event concluded with a special lecture titled "Memory is about your future – what we think we become," delivered by André Fenton. In the photograph, Tetsuo Hatsuda is seen on the left signing the Academy's book. On the right, he is pictured conversing with Bonnie Fleming [5], a fellow inductee in physics and a neutrino experimentalist from Fermilab. Throughout the meeting, Tetsuo enjoyed engaging in conversations not only with fellow physicists but also with researchers from the social sciences and humanities.
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2024-10-08
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Presentation of iTHEMS outreach at NuFACT conference
iTHEMS is a fantastic environment in which we conduct interdisciplinary research daily. Along with our research activity, a variety of outreach activities have been conducted so far. Tomoya Nagai (Coordinator, iTHEMS) presented this special environment and its outreach activity at the NuFACT 2024 conference. At the conference, a session for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Education, and Outreach (IDEEO) was composed. The session itself was organized so that we could visualize diversity in terms of speaker's and convener's properties. It provided us with a good opportunity to know IDEEO-related activities all over the world, which can be a chance to recognize and reconsider the issue around to achieve "good environments for everyone". One special example of the iTHEMS outreach was the "Journalist in residence" program. The uniqueness of the activity caught significant attention from the participants of the conference. Also, "Mathematics Connecting to the World: One S&T poster for Every Household" seemed to be intriguing. Although we had only a limited time for this exhibition and discussion, Nagai's attendance brought the conference a fresh view of the outreach activity as well as the achievements of the interdisciplinary and diverse environments. iTHEMS can be so influential to our community in multiple contexts!
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2024-10-02
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RIKEN - LBNL Workshop on Quantum Information Science on September 3-6, 2024
On Sep. 3 (Tue) - 6 (Fri), RIKEN - LBNL Workshop on Quantum Information Science was held at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). The workshop was co-hosted by RIKEN-iTHEMS and LBNL and sponsored by RIKEN Quantum, with 32 and 40 participants from Japan and USA, respectively. This was the second in-person workshop by RIKEN and LBNL on quantum information science since the first was held at LBNL in January 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together researchers worldwide to discuss and collaborate on the latest developments in quantum technologies and quantum computing including algorithms, hybrid quantum-classical computing, error mitigation, and applications in physics and chemistry. There were 36 talks and 4 poster presentations during the entire four days. In the afternoons of the second and third days, in addition to tours of LBNL's Advanced Quantum Testbed (AQT) and National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC) facilities, special sessions delved into discussions on several focus areas and provided networking opportunities for future collaborations.
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2024-09-27
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Farewell message from Eiji Inoue
Our colleague Eiji Inoue will move on to a new career as an assistant professor at Kyoto University as of Oct. 1, 2024. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Eiji Inoue: I spent three and a half years in iTHEMS as an SPDR on math. I would like to thank the program director and assistants for their mindful support over these three and a half years. I also wish to thank iTHEMS members for discussion on many occasions. These years I spent in iTHEMS were invaluable for me. Among all, the best experience for me was that I could gradually get a feeling on "physics in the real world" not only mathematical structure of physics, from the choice of words physicists use in daily discussion. In these casual discussions, I could also try if my understanding of physics are correct. I also enjoyed playing quantum computers. I think it was impossible to experience without this tolerant environment of iTHEMS; indeed, it just started from a casual conversation with the director. It was the first time I experienced quantum phenomena, especially quantum entanglement, in the real world where I exist. This may sound a little strange, but I feel like I haven't had that feeling of interest in how the real world works in a long time. While I was going through these experiences like a newborn child, as a mathematician, I could finally achieve my original project on Perelman entropy in the last half year during my visits to Cambridge, Montreal and Aarhus. There are still many thigs to do, but this is certainly the foundation of this new theory. One regret is that I could not finish writing a paper on this result while enrolled at iTHEMS. I'll be an assistant professor at Kyoto University (Department of Math) from October. I welcome people from iTHEMS to come to Kyoto and discuss. I will also ask iTHEMS for help. See you again!
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2024-09-24
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Farewell message from Kazuki Kannaka
Our colleague Kazuki Kannaka will move on to a new career as an assistant professor at Kanazawa University as of Oct. 1, 2024. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Kazuki Kannaka: At iTHEMS, thanks to the support from Hatsuda-san, Tada-san, Tsuboi-sensei, and all the assistants, I was able to focus on my research in a wonderful environment. During this period, I made several discoveries that were interesting at least to me. Also, discussing with researchers from other fields at iTHEMS was exciting. I am especially grateful to Namba-san and Iritani-san for providing the opportunity for such discussions. I look forward to continuing our research exchanges. Thank you!
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2024-09-10
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Farewell message from Keita Mikami
Our colleague Keita Mikami will move on to a new career as an assistant professor at University of Hyogo as of Oct. 1, 2024. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Keita Mikami: My five and a half years at iTHEMS have been truly outstanding. The environment here has been exceptional, significantly enriching my research in many different ways. One of the key highlights has been the stimulating and insightful discussions with researchers from diverse fields. Furthermore, my experiences working on MACS, organizing math seminars, and coordinating other events such as SSP have been invaluable. My research visit to UCB was also an incredible experience. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all the researchers and assistants at iTHEMS. I am especially grateful to the director, Hatsuda-san, for his unwavering support.As I move forward, I hope to continue interacting with the iTHEMS community, albeit in a new capacity. Once again, thank you for these five wonderful years.
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2024-08-27
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Farewell message from Takeru Yokota
Our colleague Takeru Yokota will move to RIKEN Quantum Computer Center (RQC) starting from September 1, 2024, and will then be posted to a University as a faculty member as of April 1, 2025. We all will miss him and wish him the best of luck in his latest endeavor. Here is a message from Takeru Yokota: I am grateful for having spent the past three and a half years in an environment where I could focus on research at iTHEMS. Engaging in discussions with researchers from various fields of mathematical sciences has been a valuable experience. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the director, Hatsuda-san, the staff, and the assistants who created such a wonderful environment, as well as to the members who engaged in these valuable discussions. I look forward to continuing my interactions with the members of iTHEMS in the future.
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2024-07-26
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SLMath Summer Graduate School "h-principle" on July 1, 2024
The SLMath Summer Graduate School "h-principle" Sendai 2024 was held from July 1 to July 12, 2024 at TOKYO ELECTRON House of Creativity (Chi no Yakata) in Katahira Campus of Tohoku University. This two weeks lomg summer graduate school was organized by Simons Laufer Mathematical Sciences Institute (SLMath) and RIKEN iTHEMS, and coorganized by Mathematical Science Center for Co-creative Society (MathCCS) and Tohoku Forum for Creativity (TFC) of Tohoku University. There were 18 graduate students from the supporting institutions of SLMath and 12 graduate students from Japanese universities. There were four courses consisting of five 90 mintes lectures given by Emmy Murphy (Toront University), Dominik Inauen (Leipzig University) and Takashi Tsuboi (RIKEN iTHEMS / Tohoku University). The titles of lectures were "h-principles in smooth topology" by Emmy Murphy and "Riemannian geometry and applications to fluid dynamics" by Dominik Inauen in the first week, and "Contact and symplectic flexibility" by Emmy Murphy and "Foliation theory and diffeomorphism groups" by Takashi Tsuboi in the second week. We took video of the lectures and it can be seen later from the website of SLMath. There were 4 teaching assistants, Toru Yoshiyasu (Kyoto University of Education), Noboru Ogawa (Tokai University), Masato Ogawa (Tohoku University) and Sonia Mahmoudi (SUURI-COOL Sendai, Tohoku University) who took care of the 30 graduate students. Some details can be seen at SLMath website. The staffs of RIKEN iTHEMS, SUURI-COOL Sendai and MathCCS supported this summer graduate school for all the time, and all the participants are realy grateful for their help. TOKYO ELECTRON House of Creativity is really a nice place for the discussions in front of blackboards, and the house was filled with the discussions among the participants for 9:00 - 17:30 and some of the discussions continued in the meeting room in the hotel. The welcome party and the farewell party of Summer Graduate School were held jointy with the participants of G-RIPS Sendai 2024 which went on at MathCCS and which iTHEMS is cohosting. Reported by Takashi Tsuboi
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2024-06-26
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Professor, how many dimensions does "space" have!? ── Asking Theoretical Physicist Yasunori Nomura about the Nature of "Space" from Subatomic to Cosmic Scale
In VOL.53 of the Japanese edition of the magazine 'WIRED,' we delve deeply into the potential of "space" × "computing." However, how should we define the very essence of "space"? A superficial exploration would undoubtedly result in a half-baked understanding. Therefore, we sought the wisdom of one of the foremost theoretical physicists of our time. We visited the office of Yasunori Nomura on the 4th floor of the Physics Department building at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). Professor Nomura, what exactly is "space"? What is space? This question is directly related to the progress of modern physics. It can be said that modern physics is a discipline that seeks to understand "space and time." So, before delving into the perspective of quantum gravity theory, which is my specialty, I would like to briefly explain the relationship between physics and space. For the continuation, please visit the WIRED website through the related link.
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2024-06-12
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Faculty of Science 2023 Year in Review: Catherine Beauchemin
Catherine Beauchemin(Deputy Program Director, iTHEMS) was interviewed by the Toronto Metropolitan University about her interdisciplinary research and its impact. For a physics professor, Catherine Beauchemin certainly gets involved in biology research more than you might expect. Her embrace of interdisciplinarity has taken her to many places, currently to Japan, where she is serving as Deputy Program Director of the Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences (iTHEMS) programme at RIKEN, Japan's largest research institute. One of the best aspects? “My position allows me to host TMU trainees in Japan and expand their research and life horizons.” Please see the related links for more details.
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2024-05-29
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Event report: OIST x iTHEMS Workshop Series 1
Renowned globally for its eminent scientists and cutting-edge infrastructures, RIKEN is the largest Japanese research organization in basic natural sciences. This distinction renders RIKEN a very attractive partner for OIST, a burgeoning research-oriented university. Cementing their collaborative endeavorsm, both institutes signed bilateral agreements including a MoU in 2020-2021, triggering and facilitating ambitious projects and fostering new collaborations. Among these, RIKEN Interdisciplinary Theoretical and Mathematical Sciences Program (iTHEMS) has emerged as a dynamic hub for active collaboration with OIST. The workshop “OIST x iTHEMS Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe and Life - Series 1 | Cosmic ray and Life project” held at OIST on March 4-6 may be one best example of the type of brainstorming needed for addressing the most challenging questions. To read more, please visit the related link.
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