Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine

Parenting is essential for mammalian offspring. Since the child, especially before weaning, relies completely on breast milk for nutrition, he or she can't survive without parenting by the mother. Moreover, young have a less developed ability to live, such as less ability to control their body temperature, and mothers expend lots of energy not only producing milk but also caring for their young in other ways. Focusing on such characteristics of mothers, I work to clarify the structure whereby a mother rears her children and the special abilities that enable mothers to provide such rearing. I also work on the neuroscience of child abuse, which is a serious problem in human societies.

Furthermore, many industries relating to animal husbandry are viable thanks to the characteristics of mammals: birthing and breastfeeding their young. I apply myself to addressing various problems in veterinary medicine and animal husbandry, and I aim to contribute to the stable supply of food and the promotion of the food industry.

• Study of neuronal mechanism for maternal behavior
• Study of neuronal mechanism for child abuse
• Study of neuronal mechanism for stress coping in dams