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Speaker: Professor Yoriko Atomi

Department of Life Sciences, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

The University of Tokyo

“Science for Self Discovery in the 21st Century - Human Body and its Connection to the Mind”

Date: 24 February 2006

Professor Yoriko Atomi obtained her PhD in education from the University of Tokyo in 1980. She started her career as a researcher at the Department of Education of the University of Tokyo, and was later lecturer and associate professor at the same department. In 1994 she took up her present position as professor at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Tokyo. She has also been a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkley, at Northwestern University (Evanston, USA) and at the National Institute of Neuroscience in Japan. She is a member of American Society of Cell Biology, American College of Sport Medicine, the Society for American Neuroscience, Japanese Society of Cell Biology, Japanese Society of Space Biology and Japanese Society of Sport Medicine.

Roundtable Topic

Thanks to the advances in scientific research, the human genome has been sequenced. However we cannot learn the real abilities of human beings through genome research alone. Life (cells) can adapt to the environment by responding to stress. If we can use this stress well, our cells and bodies can also be strengthened, both physically and mentally. Humans have evolved through the process of dynamic communication between our own cells and the environment, other life forms and human beings that surround us. The speaker will discuss the new symbiotic relationship from the point of view of principles of life activity. Life was born from space. Human beings then evolved their huge brains. But how much do we know about our life and brains? Standing: how do we stand? When standing, we are swinging back and forth because of a particular muscle’s stretch on the foot. If we stay in space for long time, both our muscles and bones will be weakened. Indeed, we can keep our mind and muscles healthy by movement (for example, stretching). Why standing on the earth is such a good stress? Why do our bedridden brains become weak? Physical exercise is often promoted only for its physical values -- but the impact of movement on the mind is far more important, since a strong body gives us the foundation for a strong brain. The speaker will emphasize the most recent research in the area of mind-body interconnection and highlight why this is so important in an increasingly globalized, complex and speedy world.

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