Tomohiro Yanao is a Professor at Waseda University's Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Fundamental Science and Engineering. His academic career spans over 15 years at Waseda, having progressed from Assistant Professor (2009) to Associate Professor (2011) and finally to his current position as Professor. His research bridges the gap between microscopic molecular systems and macroscopic astronomical phenomena through the lens of nonlinear dynamics and geometric mechanics. His educational background includes: Ph.D. in Multidisciplinary Science from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo (2003) Professor Yanao's research interests focus on the intersection of physics, mathematics, and molecular science. He specializes in statistical mechanics, nonlinear dynamics, and geometric mechanics, applying these to understand collective motions in complex systems. His work reveals how geometric phase effects and symmetry breaking drive structural transitions in both molecular and astronomical systems. He has made significant contributions to understanding the mechanics of molecular motors, DNA structure, and orbital dynamics in celestial mechanics. His publication record shows a consistent focus on geometric mechanics applied to diverse systems, from polymer chains and DNA to celestial bodies. The research demonstrates how internal shape changes can induce rotational motions without external torque, connecting phenomena from the "falling cat" problem to molecular motors like ATP synthase. His work also bridges molecular and astronomical scales through the common framework of nonlinear dynamics and three-body problems. Professor Yanao has been actively involved in several major research projects: Study on the mechanisms for collective motions of molecular and astronomical systems based the methods of many-body problems (2014-2017) Study on collective motions and functions of complex molecular systems based on the geometry of shape and rotational dynamics (2011-2014) Elucidation of the mechanisms for collective motions of complex molecular systems with hierarchical structures (2009-2010) He teaches a wide range of courses including Statistical Mechanics, Dynamics, Applied Mechanics, and Aerospace Engineering Laboratory. He also supervises graduate theses in the Graduate School of Fundamental Science and Engineering, focusing on nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and applied mathematics.
