征矢 英昭

Dr. Hideaki Soya has been working in the fields of exercise biochemistry and sports neuroscience using animals and humans (as a translational research), with pioneer studies on 1) the effects of exercise on the brain and cognitive functions and 2) brain regulation for physical performance, based on body and mind integration. In his most recent publications, he describes the beneficial effects of mild exercise on the brain (hippocampus and prefrontal cortex) and cognition, and proposes that brain glycogen works as a fuel in exercising brains, which could be a determinant factor for central fatigue with endurance exercise. His work has been published in significant journals such as Neuron, PNAS, Neuroimage and others, and has been reported on five times in the New York Times (2011, 2012, 2012, 2015, 2018) and in National Geographic (2014). Thanks to these breakthroughs, he worked as a leader for MEXT (Ministry of Education) supported research projects entitled, “Body and Mind Integrated Science” (2010-2013) and “Global Initiative for Human High Performance (HHP)” (2014~2018); the purpose of these projects was to innovate training regimens that maximize the cost effectiveness of HHP (endurance, cognition, resilience). He also leads in JSPS-supported Innovative Areas: Next Generation Exercise Program for Developing Motivation, Body and Mind Performance (2016-2020). He has over 200 publications (English and Japanese) and is an editor for several international journals (including Sci Rep, Front Physiol and Plos One, etc.). He will also work as a leader of “Japan Sports Agency”-initiated “Sports Research Innovation Project (SRIP)” to support Olympians and Paralympians through science. I have several international collaborations with the Cajal Institute and Rockefeller University, among others. He was the chair of the Doctoral Program of the Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences at Tsukuba University (2012~2016), and is now Director for Advanced Research Initiative for Human High Performance (ARIHHP).