My name is Tom Macpherson, a newly appointed lecturer in the field of Systems Biology since April 2025.
After graduating from my Ph.D. in Neuroscience at University of Sussex, UK in 2014, I moved to Kyoto University as a Postdoctoral researcher in the Graduate School of Medicine. In 2017, I joined Osaka University as an assistant professor in the Institute for Protein Research. In April 2025, I returned to Kyoto University to join the Graduate School and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences (ILAS) as a Lecturer.
My speciality is in the field of Neuroscience, where I research neural circuits controlling learning and decision-making. Specifically, my work incorporates cutting-edge brain imaging, optogenetics, and artificial intelligence behavioral analyses in mice to identify the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying reward and aversion learning, social behavior, and adaptive decision-making.
Beyond research, I am excited to be teaching on several ILAS courses, including Theory and Practice in Scientific Writing and Discussion, Basic Biology and Metabolism, Introduction to Biosciences, and Introduction to Molecular Cell Biology.
I look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.