Nonequilibrium Physics of Living Matter Lab

About the Lab

We are a group of biophysicists exploring phase transitions, nonlinear dynamics, morphogenesis, evolution, and chromatin physics through theoretical and experimental approaches. We integrate theoretical physics, machine learning, and a range of experimental techniques, from long timelapse imaging of cells to single-molecule microscopy, to address diverse biological questions from an original viewpoint.

News

• September 2026: The RIKEN lab is moving from the Kobe Campus to the Wako Campus, officially starting in October 2026.
• September 2026: Yohsuke has started his own group at Kyushu University. Congratulations!
• September 2026: Paper with Takahiro and Kyosuke on nonequilibrium phase behavior beyond local detailed balance is published.
• September 2026: Kyosuke's paper on a loop expansion in polymer field theory is published.
• July 2026: Kyosuke's work on convection under thermal gradients is online (Phys Rev E, arXiv).
• April 2026: Preprint by Kawahira, Yamamoto et al. (collaboration with Nakano lab, UCLA) on topological defects and chirality in heart contraction is online.
• April 2026: Kota has joined the UTokyo lab.
• April 2026: Kyogo received the Kobe Prize Young Investigator Award.
• March 2026: Rory and Takaki were awarded the RIKEN Ohbu award. Congratulations!
• March 2026: Kyogo has been selected as an InaRIS Fellow by the Inamori Foundation.
• March 2026: We are starting an HFSP Research Grant in collaboration with the Saranathan lab (CNRS) and the Chuong lab (USC).
• March 2026: Preprint with Takahiro and Kenta Ishimoto on the hydrodynamic origins of symmetric swimming strategies is online.
• February 2026: Rory's preprint (joint with Hiratani lab, RIKEN BDR) on the universal predictor of chromatin compartment organization across species is online.
• January 2026: Review with Kazuki Sone, Kazuki Yokomizo, and Yuto Ashida on Hermitian and non-Hermitian topology in active matter is published.

Members

• Kyogo Kawaguchi – Chief Scientist (RIKEN), Associate Professor (U Tokyo) [researchmap] [Google Scholar]

RIKEN

• Yuko Sakaide – Technical staff (joint with Oginuma lab, RIKEN BDR)
• Kyosuke Adachi – Researcher (joint with RIKEN iTHEMS) [researchmap]
• Rory Cerbus – Researcher (joint with Hiratani lab, RIKEN BDR) [researchmap]
• Yuko Tokuhisa – Assistant

Univ Tokyo (Hongo)

• Mayuko Niwata - Administrative staff
• Yuka Kimura - Administrative staff (IPI)
• Shoma Inoue - Graduate student (FoPM)
• Masahito Mori - Graduate student (RIKEN JRA)
• Sangwon Lee - Graduate student (Korean Government Scholarship Program) [Google Scholar]
• Shunshi Kohyama - Assistant Professor [Google Scholar]
• Kentaro Yamashiro - Graduate student
• Yoshizuki Fumoto - Researcher (JSPS)
• Kota Sakaguchi - Graduate student (FoPM)

Past Members

• Yohsuke Fukai – Researcher (RIKEN), now at Kyushu University [researchmap]
• Takaki Yamamoto – Researcher (RIKEN) [researchmap]
• Somayeh Zeraati – Technical staff (RIKEN)
• Setsuko Kanamura – Technical staff (RIKEN)
• Lisa Yamauchi – Technical staff (RIKEN)
• Takahiro Kanazawa – Graduate student (U Tokyo), now at U Chicago

Classes

FY 2026

• Biophysics (for 3rd year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo)
• Modern Experimental Physics, second half (School of Science, Univ Tokyo) (OpticsPhysLab: web app on the physics of microscopy)
• Physics Experiments II: Biophysics (for 3rd year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo) (Github)

FY 2025

• Biophysics (for 3rd year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo)
• Fundamental Equations and Their Meaning (for 1st and 2nd year undergraduates, Junior Division, Univ Tokyo)
• Advanced Biophysics (for graduate students, School of Science, Univ Tokyo)
• Physics Experiments II: Biophysics (for 3rd year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo) (Github)

FY 2024

• Biophysics (for 3rd year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo)
• Physics Seminar (for 3rd year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo)
• Introduction to Modern Physics (for 4th year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo)
• Physics Experiments II: Biophysics (for 3rd year undergraduates, School of Science, Univ Tokyo) (Github)

Opportunities

Postdoctoral Fellowships

• JSPS
• Human Frontier
• RIKEN SPDR

Students

• Admission of International Research Students (U Tokyo)

Contact

kyogo.kawaguchi@riken.jp