Tohoku University Cognitive Neuroscience Application Center

On July 30 (Wed) and 31 (Thu), 2025, the CogNAC held an event as part of the university’s Open Campus. We offered high school students an opportunity to learn about our affiliated research labs and observe a live fMRI experiment. A total of 47 students joined us over the two days, getting a firsthand look at cutting-edge brain science research.

On the day of the event, affiliated laboratories including the Sugiura Lab, Jeong Lab, Taki Lab, Kiyama Lab, and Tsutsui Lab participated.During the lab introductions, each lab representative gave an overview of their research themes and day-to-day lab life using posters. Visitors showed strong interest, asking questions such as, “Do you run experiments every day?” and “How do you recruit participants?”

In the fMRI demonstration, students observed a real experiment in progress. The researcher gave a 10-minute explanation of the study and provided clear guidance on how MRI works and how brain images are analyzed.

Despite the hot weather, students engaged with great enthusiasm. We hope this event sparked their curiosity and deepened their interest in neuroscience. We look forward to continuing to share the excitement of brain science through similar opportunities in the future.（Chunlin）