GO TOP

Field

Integrative Life Sciences :
Brain and Nervous System

Research

JAPANESE
Assistant Professor AOKI Sho
Campus Katahira campus
Laboratory Brain Development
Tel +81-22-2117-6229
E-mail sho.aoki.d3＠tohoku.ac.jp
Google Scholar
 
I am determined to uncover the neural mechanisms underlying learning of novel actions and behavioral flexibility. I believe our discoveries help not only build the knowledge of human being, but eventually contribute to the better health and education.
Career
2008 Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences, Juntendo University, B.Sc.
2010　Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, M.Sc.
2010-2013　Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Doctoral Fellowship（DC1）
2010-2013　Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Ph.D.
2012-2013　Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, Dept of Neuroscience, Visiting Scholar
2013-2017　Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Neurobiology Research Unit, Researcher
2017-2019　 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Postdoctoral Fellowship（PD）
2018-2022　Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Research Associate
2022 Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Assistant Professor
Selected Publications
Sho Aoki *,#, Jared B. Smith #, Hao Li #, Xunyi Yan, Masakazu Igarashi, Patrice Coulon, Jeffery R. Wickens, Tom J.H. Ruigrok *, Xin Jin *. An open cortico-basal ganglia loop allows limbic control over motor output via the nigrothalamic pathway. eLife, e49995 (2019).
 
Sho Aoki, Patrice Coulon, Tom J.H. Ruigrok *. Multizonal cerebellar influence over sensorimotor areas of the rat cerebral cortex. Cerebral Cortex. 29(2): 598-614 (2019).
 
Sho Aoki *, Andrew W. Liu, Yumiko Akamine, Aya Zucca, Stefano Zucca, Jeffery R. Wickens *. Cholinergic interneurons in the rat striatum modulate substitution of habits. European Journal of Neuroscience. 47(10): 1194-1205 (2018).
 
Sho Aoki *, Andrew W. Liu, Aya Zucca, Stefano Zucca, Jeffery R. Wickens *. Role of striatal cholinergic interneurons in set-shifting in the rat. Journal of Neuroscience. 35(25): 9424-9431 (2015).
 
Sho Aoki, Yamato Sato, Dai Yanagihara *. Lesion in the lateral cerebellum specifically produces overshooting of the toe trajectory in leading forelimb during obstacle avoidance in the rat. Journal of Neurophysiology. 110(7): 1511-1524 (2013).
Activities in Academic Societies
Society for Neuroscience

Recent Activities

○ We identified striatal cholinergic interneurons that enable behavioral flexibility（Aoki et al., J Neurosci., 2015）
○ We uncovered a neural circuit mechanism for connecting emotion to action（Aoki et al., eLife, 2019）
○ We found a neural network mechanism for procedural motor learning（Aoki et al., 投稿準備中）
○ We are investigating neural mechanisms that support or interfere motor learning
○ We are also studying the balance between exploration and exploitation that underlies behavioral flexibility and their neural substrates

Message to Students

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Research