Report: The 16th BRI International Symposium

The 16th annual BRI symposium took place at Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, on March 2, 2026. This year's theme was "Evolutionary Genomics: From Biodiversity to Human Disease."

The aim of this international symposium was to promote in-depth discussion on the establishment of "evolutionary brain pathology," a new research initiative at BRI. To this end, leading experts from diverse fields within evolutionary genomics were invited to present their cutting-edge research and to explore novel approaches and strategies for elucidating the evolutionary origins of disease as well as the evolutionary characteristics of the human brain.

From overseas, Dr. Kim Hie Lim (Nanyang Technological University), Dr. Janet Song (Harvard University), and Dr. Wen Hu (Weill Cornell Medicine) joined the symposium in person to deliver lectures highlighting cutting-edge international research. From Japan, Dr. Masato Nikaido (Institute of Science Tokyo), Dr. Fumitaka Inoue (Kyoto University), and Dr. Ikuo Suzuki (The University of Tokyo), Dr. Masatoshi Matsunami (University of the Ryukus), as well as Dr. Hideaki Matsui, Dr. Sohkichi Matsumoto, Dr. Naoko Fujito, and myself from Niigata University, presented their latest research findings.

The symposium was organized into three main sections: the first focused on the evolutionary genomics of the human brain, the second on the evolutionary genomics of human populations and pathogens, and the third on the evolutionary genomics of disease mechanisms. By elucidating the interrelationships among these areas, the program emcompassed an exceptionally broad spectrum of topics, ranging from population genomics to analysis of genomic factors underlying brain pathologies. In doing so, the symposium highlighted new research directions emerging from interdisciplinary collaboration. These outcomes are expected to further promote and strengthen international collaborative research frameworks in the years to come.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the speakers, session chairs, and participants of the symposium, as well as to the administrative staff involved in its preparation and management.

By Kohta Yoshida (Dept. of System Pathology for Neurological Disorders - Laboratory for Evolutionary Brain Pathology)

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