RIKEN Center for Brain Science Hierarchical Neural Computation RIKEN ECL Research Unit

RIKEN ECL Unit Leader: Toshitake Asabuki (Ph.D.)

Japanese Page

Research Summary

The brain can flexibly learn from new experiences by integrating them with prior knowledge. This requires hierarchically organizing information to form rich representations of the external world. Our lab investigates the neural circuit mechanisms behind this by building mathematical models of synaptic plasticity that enables multiple interconnected neural circuits to collaboratively learn. We aim to deeply understand the computational principles of the brain's remarkable learning abilities by using computational models to replicate diverse experimental findings.

Main Research Fields

Interdisciplinary Science & Engineering

Related Research Fields

Engineering
Informatics
Complex Systems
Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Biological Sciences
Computational brain science
Learning
Information processing

Keywords

Computational neuroscience
Synaptic plasticity
Neural network

Selected Publications

1. Asabuki, T. and Clopath, C.:
"Taming the chaos gently: a predictive alignment learning rule in recurrent neural networks."
Nature Communications, 16: 6784. (2025).
DOI：10.1038/s41467-025-61309-9
2. Asabuki, T., Gillon, CJ., and Clopath, C.:
"Learning predictive signals within a local recurrent circuit"
PNAS, 122 (27) e2414674122. (2025).
3. Asabuki, T. and Clopath, C.:
"Embedding stochastic dynamics of the environment in spontaneous activity by prediction-based plasticity."
eLife, 13:RP95243. (2025).
DOI：10.7554/eLife.95243
4. Asabuki, T. and Fukai, T.:
"Predictive learning rules generate a cortical-like replay of probabilistic sensory experiences."
eLife, 13:RP92712. (2025).
DOI：10.7554/eLife.92712
5. Asabuki, T and Fukai, T.:
"Somatodendritic consistency check for temporal feature segmentation."
Nature Communications, 11:1554. (2020).
DOI：10.1038/s41467-020-15367-w
6. Asabuki, T., Hiratani, T., and Fukai, T.:
"Interactive reservoir computing for chunking information streams."
PLOS Computational Biology, 14(10): e1006400. (2018).
DOI：10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006400

Lab Members

Principal investigator

Toshitake Asabuki: RIKEN ECL Unit Leader

Contact Information

Brain Science Central Bldg.
2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
Email: toshitake.asabuki@riken.jp