Masashi Tanaka

Masashi Tanaka is an Associate Professor at Waseda University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, specializing in neuroscience and experimental psychology. His research bridges animal behavior and human cognitive processes through songbird models.

• PhD in Psychology (The University of Tokyo, 2013)
• MA in Psychology (The University of Tokyo, 2010)
• BA in Letters (The University of Tokyo, 2008)

Research Focus: Dr. Tanaka investigates neural mechanisms of vocal imitation, dopamine-driven cultural transmission, and amygdala functions in social learning. His work connects songbird neurobiology to human speech acquisition and cultural evolution.

Publication Trends: His research spans from foundational retinal processing (2010) to complex vocal learning circuits (2016-2025), emphasizing dopamine pathways (2018), GABAergic synapse stability (2015), and social motivation regulation (2025). Studies involve zebra finches as models for imitative learning.

Academic Contributions: He has taught courses in perception, cognition, and behavioral science at Waseda University since 2023. His lab explores how social cues and neural circuits shape cultural transmission across species.