Oral communication and body movement share important characteristics that are made possible through delicate control, which requires a complex coordination of multiple brain regions in a fraction of a second. The seminar will focus on the nature of neural coding by which such complex coordination and subtle control are established. Questions such as what factors bring about brain disorders, or how can we help people with language or motor impairments, etc, will be discussed.
SAVE THE DATE
Neural Codes Seminar 2025
VIP Event – Invited Participants Only
2-5 September 2025
Karuizawa, Japan
Organizers
Program
2025.09.02 – 2025.09.05 (Tue-Fri) |
Chikuma-C WIFI:
SSID: BANQUET_CHIKUMA
Password: 25092345
Chikuma-C WIFI:
SSID: BANQUET_CHIKUMA
Password: 25092345
Arrival and Check In
14:00–15:10
Free Time
15:10–15:30
15:30–15:50
Opening Ceremony
Chikuma-C 
+
Hiromu SAKAI
Hiromu SAKAI
Professor Hiromu Sakai awarded Ph.D. in Social Science from University of California, Irvine. Since then, he worked as a professor in Hiroshima University and Waseda University. His current research focuses on neural representation and processing of language, inference, and thought using neuroimaging technologies such as MEG, ECoG, fMRI and machine learning data processing algorithm.
Professor –Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Director –Center for English Language Education for Science and Engineering (CELESE), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Researcher (Joint Appointment) –Waseda Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
15:50–16:20
Event Partner Introduction
Chikuma-C 
+
Refael BARKAN
Refael BARKAN
Dr. Barkan holds M.D., Ph.D. in Brain Science, B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Computer Science. Founded the first academic faculty in Digital Medical Technologies in Israel.
Co-founded FUTURE@HIT – Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, one of the 10 national centers of its kind, supported by the Israeli government.
Graduate of the “Leadership in Academia” program – senior leadership development network in higher education and the “8400 HealthTech Leadership” program.
V.P. for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Internationalization / Transforming Healthcare Technology / Entrepreneur / Leading Innovation in Higher Education – Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Holon, Israel
16:20–16:40
Self-Introductions
Chikuma-C 16:40–17:30
Presentation
Chikuma-C Ms. Haruka AKAMA
Mr. Yuto HARADA
Tea Break
17:30–17:40
17:40–18:30
Presentation
Chikuma-C Mr. Yakir MENAHEM
Dinner (Free Time)
18:30~
Breakfast
06:30–09:00
09:00–09:10
Greetings
Chikuma-C
+
Hiromu SAKAI
Hiromu SAKAI
Professor Hiromu Sakai awarded Ph.D. in Social Science from University of California, Irvine. Since then, he worked as a professor in Hiroshima University and Waseda University. His current research focuses on neural representation and processing of language, inference, and thought using neuroimaging technologies such as MEG, ECoG, fMRI and machine learning data processing algorithm.
Professor –Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Director –Center for English Language Education for Science and Engineering (CELESE), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Researcher (Joint Appointment) –Waseda Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
09:10–10:40
Lecture
Chikuma-C 
+
Alexander HUTH
Alexander HUTH
Alex Huth is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the departments of neuroscience and statistics.
His lab uses natural language stimuli and fMRI to study language processing in human cortex in work funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Foundation, Sloan Foundation, Whitehall Foundation, NIH, and others.
Before joining the Berkeley faculty, Alex did his PhD and postdoc in Jack Gallant’s laboratory, where he developed novel methods for mapping semantic representations of visual and linguistic stimuli in human cortex, and then a professor at UT Austin, where his lab developed new methods for machine learning in neuroscience.
Tang, Jerry and LeBel, Amanda and Jain, Shailee and Huth, Alexander G (2023). Semantic reconstruction of continuous language from non-invasive brain recordings. Nature Neuroscience.
doi: 10.1038/s41593-023-01304-9
Jain, Shailee and Vo, Vy A. and Wehbe, Leila and Huth, Alexander G. (2023). Computational Language Modeling and the Promise of in Silico Experimentation. Neurobiology of Language.
doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00101
Antonello, Richard and Huth, Alexander (2023). Predictive Coding or Just Feature Discovery? An Alternative Account of Why Language Models Fit Brain Data. Neurobiology of Language.
doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00087
Huth, Alexander G and de Heer, Wendy A and Griffiths, Thomas L and Theunissen, Frederic E and Gallant, Jack L (2016). Natural speech reveals the semantic maps that tile human cerebral cortex. Nature.
doi: 10.1038/nature17637
Assistant Professor – Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley
Assistant Professor – Department of Statistics, University of California, Berkeley
Coffee Break
10:40–10:50
10:50–12:20
Lecture
Chikuma-C
+
Alexander HUTH
Alexander HUTH
Alex Huth is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the departments of neuroscience and statistics.
His lab uses natural language stimuli and fMRI to study language processing in human cortex in work funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Foundation, Sloan Foundation, Whitehall Foundation, NIH, and others.
Before joining the Berkeley faculty, Alex did his PhD and postdoc in Jack Gallant’s laboratory, where he developed novel methods for mapping semantic representations of visual and linguistic stimuli in human cortex, and then a professor at UT Austin, where his lab developed new methods for machine learning in neuroscience.
Tang, Jerry and LeBel, Amanda and Jain, Shailee and Huth, Alexander G (2023). Semantic reconstruction of continuous language from non-invasive brain recordings. Nature Neuroscience.
doi: 10.1038/s41593-023-01304-9
Jain, Shailee and Vo, Vy A. and Wehbe, Leila and Huth, Alexander G. (2023). Computational Language Modeling and the Promise of in Silico Experimentation. Neurobiology of Language.
doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00101
Antonello, Richard and Huth, Alexander (2023). Predictive Coding or Just Feature Discovery? An Alternative Account of Why Language Models Fit Brain Data. Neurobiology of Language.
doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00087
Huth, Alexander G and de Heer, Wendy A and Griffiths, Thomas L and Theunissen, Frederic E and Gallant, Jack L (2016). Natural speech reveals the semantic maps that tile human cerebral cortex. Nature.
doi: 10.1038/nature17637
Assistant Professor – Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley
Assistant Professor – Department of Statistics, University of California, Berkeley
Lunch Break
12:20–13:50
13:50–15:20
Lecture
Chikuma-C
+
Alexander HUTH
Alexander HUTH
Alex Huth is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the departments of neuroscience and statistics.
His lab uses natural language stimuli and fMRI to study language processing in human cortex in work funded by the Burroughs Wellcome Foundation, Sloan Foundation, Whitehall Foundation, NIH, and others.
Before joining the Berkeley faculty, Alex did his PhD and postdoc in Jack Gallant’s laboratory, where he developed novel methods for mapping semantic representations of visual and linguistic stimuli in human cortex, and then a professor at UT Austin, where his lab developed new methods for machine learning in neuroscience.
Tang, Jerry and LeBel, Amanda and Jain, Shailee and Huth, Alexander G (2023). Semantic reconstruction of continuous language from non-invasive brain recordings. Nature Neuroscience.
doi: 10.1038/s41593-023-01304-9
Jain, Shailee and Vo, Vy A. and Wehbe, Leila and Huth, Alexander G. (2023). Computational Language Modeling and the Promise of in Silico Experimentation. Neurobiology of Language.
doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00101
Antonello, Richard and Huth, Alexander (2023). Predictive Coding or Just Feature Discovery? An Alternative Account of Why Language Models Fit Brain Data. Neurobiology of Language.
doi: 10.1162/nol_a_00087
Huth, Alexander G and de Heer, Wendy A and Griffiths, Thomas L and Theunissen, Frederic E and Gallant, Jack L (2016). Natural speech reveals the semantic maps that tile human cerebral cortex. Nature.
doi: 10.1038/nature17637
Assistant Professor – Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Berkeley
Assistant Professor – Department of Statistics, University of California, Berkeley
Coffee Break
15:20–15:40
15:40–16:30
Presentation
Chikuma-C Prof. Masahiro YAMASHITA
Tea Break
16:30–16:40
16:40–17:30
Presentation
Chikuma-C Prof. Yushi SUGIMOTO
Tea Break
17:30–17:40
17:40–18:30
Presentation
Chikuma-C Mr. Koshiro AOKI
Dinner (Free Time)
18:30~
Breakfast
06:30–09:00
09:00–09:10
Greetings
Chikuma-C
+
Hiromu SAKAI
Hiromu SAKAI
Professor Hiromu Sakai awarded Ph.D. in Social Science from University of California, Irvine. Since then, he worked as a professor in Hiroshima University and Waseda University. His current research focuses on neural representation and processing of language, inference, and thought using neuroimaging technologies such as MEG, ECoG, fMRI and machine learning data processing algorithm.
Professor –Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Director –Center for English Language Education for Science and Engineering (CELESE), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Researcher (Joint Appointment) –Waseda Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
09:10–10:40
Lecture
Chikuma-C 
+
Liberty HAMILTON
Liberty HAMILTON
Dr. Liberty Hamilton’s research is focused on how the brain transforms sounds into meaningful speech using a combination of intracranial recordings, computational modeling, and behavior. She completed her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Neurosurgery. To investigate how speech develops in the brain at high spatiotemporal resolution, she collaborates with neurosurgeons and epileptologists at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, TX, and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX. Her lab also uses noninvasive EEG in healthy populations to understand complex sound processing during naturalistic speech perception and production. Dr. Hamilton is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and holds joint appointments in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School. She also holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Her work is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and the Coleman Fung Foundation.
Associate Professor – Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
Associate Professor – Department of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
Coffee Break
10:40–10:50
10:50–12:20
Lecture
Chikuma-C
+
Liberty HAMILTON
Liberty HAMILTON
Dr. Liberty Hamilton’s research is focused on how the brain transforms sounds into meaningful speech using a combination of intracranial recordings, computational modeling, and behavior. She completed her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Neurosurgery. To investigate how speech develops in the brain at high spatiotemporal resolution, she collaborates with neurosurgeons and epileptologists at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, TX, and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX. Her lab also uses noninvasive EEG in healthy populations to understand complex sound processing during naturalistic speech perception and production. Dr. Hamilton is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and holds joint appointments in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School. She also holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Her work is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and the Coleman Fung Foundation.
Associate Professor – Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
Associate Professor – Department of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
Lunch Break
12:20–13:50
13:50–15:20
Lecture
Chikuma-C
+
Liberty HAMILTON
Liberty HAMILTON
Dr. Liberty Hamilton’s research is focused on how the brain transforms sounds into meaningful speech using a combination of intracranial recordings, computational modeling, and behavior. She completed her Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Department of Neurosurgery. To investigate how speech develops in the brain at high spatiotemporal resolution, she collaborates with neurosurgeons and epileptologists at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, TX, and Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, TX. Her lab also uses noninvasive EEG in healthy populations to understand complex sound processing during naturalistic speech perception and production. Dr. Hamilton is a tenured Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and holds joint appointments in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences and the Department of Neurology at Dell Medical School. She also holds an Adjunct Assistant Professor appointment in the Department of Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. Her work is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and the Coleman Fung Foundation.
Associate Professor – Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
Associate Professor – Department of Neurology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
Coffee Break
15:20–15:40
15:40–16:30
Presentation
Chikuma-C Prof. Shinri OHTA
Tea Break
16:30–16:40
16:40–17:30
Presentation
Chikuma-C Mr. Atsushi MIURA
Free Time
17:30–18:00
18:00–20:00
Social Event - Dinner Reserved
Asama-A
Free Time
20:00~
Breakfast
06:30–09:00
09:00–10:00
Closing Ceremony
Chikuma-C
+
Hiromu SAKAI
Hiromu SAKAI
Professor Hiromu Sakai awarded Ph.D. in Social Science from University of California, Irvine. Since then, he worked as a professor in Hiroshima University and Waseda University. His current research focuses on neural representation and processing of language, inference, and thought using neuroimaging technologies such as MEG, ECoG, fMRI and machine learning data processing algorithm.
Professor –Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Director –Center for English Language Education for Science and Engineering (CELESE), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Researcher (Joint Appointment) –Waseda Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Check Out and Departure
10:00–11:00
Organizing Committee
Hiromu SAKAI
Waseda University
Hiromu SAKAI
Professor Hiromu Sakai awarded Ph.D. in Social Science from University of California, Irvine. Since then, he worked as a professor in Hiroshima University and Waseda University. His current research focuses on neural representation and processing of language, inference, and thought using neuroimaging technologies such as MEG, ECoG, fMRI and machine learning data processing algorithm.
Professor –Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Director –Center for English Language Education for Science and Engineering (CELESE), Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Researcher (Joint Appointment) –Waseda Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Dmitry PATASHOV
Waseda University
Dmitry PATASHOV
Dr. Dmitry Patashov holds Ph.D. in Systems and Information Engineering from University of Tsukuba, Japan. He specializes in Information Engineering. His main interests are Methods for Processing and Analysis of Neuroimaging Data.
Assistant Professor / Researcher – Waseda Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Visiting Researcher – RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Riken Institute, Saitama Japan
Michal BALBERG
Holon Institute of Technology
Michal BALBERG
Dr. Balberg’s research focuses on optical, non-invasive and localized functional imaging and monitoring of the brain. She holds a B.Sc. in physics and a Ph.D. in neural computation, both from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was a Beckman Fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Senior Lecturer – Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
Refael BARKAN
Holon Institute of Technology
Refael BARKAN
Dr. Barkan holds M.D., Ph.D. in Brain Science, B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Computer Science. Founded the first academic faculty in Digital Medical Technologies in Israel.
Co-founded FUTURE@HIT – Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, one of the 10 national centers of its kind, supported by the Israeli government.
Graduate of the “Leadership in Academia” program – senior leadership development network in higher education and the “8400 HealthTech Leadership” program.
V.P. for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Internationalization / Transforming Healthcare Technology / Entrepreneur / Leading Innovation in Higher Education – Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Holon, Israel
Michal EISENBERG
Holon Institute of Technology
Michal EISENBERG
Michal holds a PhD in Computational Neuroscience from The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel. She has worked as a Senior Data Scientist in Tech for several years. She is now a faculty member in HIT and is currently doing research on fatigue prediction using Electrooculogram recordings and other sensors.
Lecturer – Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
Yuri HATANO
Waseda University
Yuri HATANO
Coordinator of the International Symposium on Brain Function and Cognition (ISBFC).
Research Associate / Lab Assistant – Waseda Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Visiting Technician – RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
Ira IVSHIN-GUETTA
Holon Institute of Technology
Ira IVSHIN-GUETTA
Ms. Ira Ivshin Guetta holds her B.A. degree in social science and M.A. degree in business management.
Responsible of the International Partnerships and Programs at the International Office. Within the responsibilities, she conducts the International Agreements with strategic academic partners, among which Erasmus+. She also represents HIT in international conferences, organizes such in HIT, invites staff and students to participate in workshops and conferences overseas and straightening the collaboration between the academic partners.
International Partnerships and Programs Manager – Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Holon, Israel
Marina MICHAELI
Holon Institute of Technology
Marina MICHAELI
Ms. Marina Michaeli holds her M.A. degree in Linguistics from Bar Ilan University. English for Academic Purposes Lecturer. Operations and International Projects Management. Part of International Office of Holon Institute of Technology (HIT).
Erasmus+ Projects Coordinator – Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Holon, Israel
Manabu TANIFUJI
Waseda University
Manabu TANIFUJI
Dr. Manabu Tanifuji has worked on neural mechanisms of object recognition from 1997 till 2020. He is also the inventor of fOCT (functional optical coherence tomography), the optical technique to visualize 3D functional structure. He moved to Waseda University in 2020 and has started to investigate language processing in the brain with MEG (magnetoencephalography).
Adjunct Professor – Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
Revital MARBEL
Holon Institute of Technology
Revital MARBEL
Revital Marbel received her B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science from Ariel University.
Today, Revital Marbel is a faculty member at Holon Institute of Technology (HIT).
Her main research includes the use of NLP Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) and graph neural network (GNN) models for cybersecurity issues like SMS frauds and API and cloud security.
Lecturer / Researcher – Holon Institute of Technology (HIT), Holon, Israel
Conference Sponsors
Contact Us
Do you have any questions? Want to talk to us?
You can leave a message and we will reply as soon as possible