Takehara Lab
Studying How the Brain Turns Experiences into Future-Guiding Knowledge
Our mission is to understand how the brain learns from experience, selects what to remember, and uses that knowledge to guide flexible behavior, and to translate these insights into new approaches for treating mental disorders.
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Our key research questions are:
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How does the brain learn from experience and apply knowledge flexibly?
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How does the brain decide what and when to remember?
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How do brain rhythms help us understand and treat memory disorders?
Kaori Takehara-Nishiuchi, Ph. D.
​Professor
​Department of Psychology
Department of Cell and Systems Biology
Collaborative Program in Neuroscience
The University of Toronto
Dr. Takehara‑Nishiuchi studies how the brain transforms experience into knowledge and uses it to support reasoning and problem-solving. Her work focuses on how groups of neurons identify patterns across experiences and apply them in complex, ever‑changing environments, as well as how disruptions in these processes affect cognition.
This research direction is shaped by her multidisciplinary background, spanning pharmaceutical sciences, neuroscience, and psychology. This unique path allows her to bridge different levels of understanding—from biological mechanisms to cognitive processes—and to connect basic brain research to mental health.
Her career has also taken her across Japan, the United States, and Canada, exposing her to diverse scientific cultures and ways of thinking. She brings this global perspective into her lab by fostering an inclusive, supportive training environment where students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to develop their strengths and reach their full potential.
