Atsushi Iriki
Appointment
Fellow
Brain, Mind & Consciousness
About
Atsushi Iriki’s research focuses on uncovering evolutionary precursors of human higher cognitive functions that are grounded in physical morphologies and patterns of structured bodily actions.
He studies the behaviour and neurophysiology of macaque monkeys that are trained to use tools and other high-tech apparatus. Iriki is also working to uncover neurobiological mechanisms of evolutionary and developmental processes that give rise to symbolic cognitive functions, using experimental marmoset models.
Awards
- Lee Wee Nam Lecturer, 2013
- Otto Creutzfeldt Lecturer, 2009
- Creative Research Award, 2008
- Golden Brain Award, 2004
Relevant Publications
Ferrari, P.F., Tramacere, A., Simpson, E.A.,& Iriki, A. (2013). Mirror neurons through the lens of epigenetics. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 17(9): 450–57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2013.07.003
Iriki, A., & Taoka, M. (2012). Triadic (ecological, neural, cognitive) niche construction: A scenario of human brain evolution extrapolating tool-use and language from control of the reaching actions. Philosophical Transactions B, 367, 10–23. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.1098%2Frstb.2011.0190
Yoshida, K., Saito, N., Iriki, A., Isoda, M. (2012). Social error monitoring in macaque frontal cortex. Nature Neurosci, 15(9), 1307–1312. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.3180
Quallo, M.M. Price, C.J., Ueno, K.,…Iriki, A. (2009). Gray and white matter changes associated with tool-use learning in macaque monkeys. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, 106(43), 18379–18384. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0909751106
Maravita, A., & Iriki, A. (2004). Tools for the body (schema). Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(2), 79–86. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2003.12.008