Positions
We welcome motivated researchers from any country to join our lab as PhD students, postdocs, technicians, or short-term visiting scholars. English is our working language; Japanese is encouraged but not required.
Our lab values curiosity, scientific independence, and rigor. We support members through external fellowships and university programs. Prospective members are encouraged to contact us early — most fellowship deadlines are six to twelve months ahead of intake.
A lab where international researchers do their best work
Researchers who joined us from outside Japan have published first-author papers in the strongest journals in our field, won national fellowships, and moved on to faculty positions and leading laboratories abroad. This is the track record we intend to keep building.
First-author papers in leading journals
- Deependra Kumar — Neuron (2020): Sparse activity of hippocampal adult-born neurons during REM sleep is necessary for memory consolidation.
- Sakthivel Srinivasan — Nature Communications (2025): Transient reactivation of small ensembles of adult-born neurons during REM sleep.
- Pablo Vergara — Nature Communications (2025): A comprehensive suite for extracting neuron signals across multiple sessions.
Fellowships won while in the lab
Four of our international members have been awarded the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan — Deependra Kumar, Sakthivel Srinivasan, Pablo Vergara, and Yuteng Wang. We help candidates prepare these applications from the first draft onward.
Where our members go next
- Sakthivel Srinivasan — postdoctoral researcher in Paul Frankland’s laboratory in Toronto, Canada, on a fully funded fellowship.
- Deependra Kumar — Assistant Professor in Masashi Yanagisawa’s laboratory at the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (IIIS), University of Tsukuba.
- Pablo Vergara — Assistant Professor at the University of Yamanashi.
English is the working language of the lab, and our members have come from across Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Africa. Kobe is an easy city to live in as a newcomer to Japan — see Living in Kobe.
Doctoral students
Apply through Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine. Admission is twice yearly (April and October). Financial support routes include JSPS DC1/DC2 and MEXT.
Postdoctoral fellows
Researchers with strong publication records and a clear research vision are welcome. We support applications to the JSPS Research Fellowship (PD) for Japanese nationals and permanent residents, and to the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research in Japan for applicants of other nationalities, as well as to HFSP and EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Visiting scholars & interns
Short-term visits (one to six months) for collaborative experiments are possible. Funding via the JSPS Invitational Fellowship or via collaborator grants.
Research technicians
Positions in animal husbandry, mouse genetics, hardware development, and clinical research coordination open at varying times. Inquire by email.
How to apply
Please send the following materials to Masanori Sakaguchi by email (masakagu [at] med.kobe-u.ac.jp):
- A brief cover letter describing your research interests and which program (PhD / postdoc / visiting / tech) you are applying for.
- A CV with publication list and contact information for two references.
- A one-page research statement (postdoc applicants only).
Specify your preferred starting date and any external fellowship you intend to pursue. We respond to most inquiries within two weeks.