Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
What is consciousness? Can we tell if other animals experience subjectivity, or whether there will be conscious machines or robots? These fundamental philosophical questions are now being explored by neuroscientist Associate Professor Nao Tsuchiya and his team.
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Research interests
Why and how does our subjective conscious experience emerge from physical electrochemical activity in the brain? Why is neuronal activity in the cortex, but not in the cerebellum, responsible for consiousness? Do any other animals experience subjectivity? If so, how can we know? Will there be conscious machines or robots? How can we test it? These are fascinating fundamental questions, which used to be questions for philosophers, but now they are for neuroscientists. In particular, our current projects focus on:
1. Behavioural effects and neuronal correlates of conscious and non-conscious processing.
2. Clarifying the differences and relationship of the neuronal mechanisms of consciousness and attention.
3. Analysis of multi-channel neurophysiological data to understand the neuronal mechanisms of consciousness.
4. Testing and developing quantitative theories of consciousness using empircal neuronal data.
Monash teaching commitment
PSY3280 Neural basis of consciousness
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Computation and Neural Systems, PhD, Attention and Awareness: Visual Psychophysics and Aversive Conditioning in Humans, California Institute of Technology
1 Sept 2000 → 1 Jul 2005
Award Date: 1 Jul 2006
Science, Bachelor, Synaptogenesis in cultured cerebellum from rat brain, Kyoto University
1 Apr 1996 → 31 Mar 2000
Award Date: 31 Mar 2000
External positions
Visiting Researcher, Osaka University
1 Dec 2015 → …
Visiting Researcher, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)
1 Nov 2010 → …
Research area keywords
- Consciousness
- Neuroscience
- Attention
- Qualia
- Quantum Cognition
- Category theory
- Qualia Structure
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Emotions of an altered self: A study on subjective experiences of emotions in depersonalisation
Tsuchiya, N. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)) & Kusztor, A. (Chief Investigator (CI))
4/08/25 → 1/08/26
Project: Research
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The Dreamscape Project: Phenomenology and neurophysiology of dreams
Windt, J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Tsuchiya, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Andrillon, T. (Partner Investigator (PI))
ARC - Australian Research Council
13/06/24 → 12/06/27
Project: Research
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Lifting the veil: Altered visual perception in derealisation
Tsuchiya, N. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)) & Kusztor, A. (Chief Investigator (CI))
19/02/24 → 1/08/26
Project: Research
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Mind wandering and creative incubation: an online replication and extension
Decat, N. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Yokoyama, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Windt, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Tsuchiya, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Andrillon, T. (Chief Investigator (CI))
5/06/23 → 30/04/26
Project: Research
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NHMRC Equipment Grant - New system to manipulate neural circuit dynamics based on Digital Mirror Device (DMD) technology
Shimaoka, D. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Cowley, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Hall, G. S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Rosa, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Andrews, Z. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Coxon, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Fornito, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Pang, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Tsuchiya, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Bellgrove, M. (Chief Investigator (CI))
1/11/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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A dream EEG and mentation database
Wong, W., Herzog, R., Andrade, K. C., Andrillon, T., de Araujo, D. B., Arnulf, I., Ataei, S., Avvenuti, G., Baird, B., Bellesi, M., Bergamo, D., Bernardi, G., Blagrove, M., Decat, N., Demirel, Ç., Dresler, M., Eichenlaub, J. B., Elce, V., Gais, S. & De Gennaro, L. & 33 others, , Dec 2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, 1, 11 p., 7495.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access1 Citation (Scopus) -
Consciousness or pseudo-consciousness? A clash of two paradigms
Tononi, G., Albantakis, L., Barbosa, L., Boly, M., Cirelli, C., Comolatti, R., Ellia, F., Findlay, G., Casali, A. G., Grasso, M., Haun, A. M., Hendren, J., Hoel, E., Koch, C., Maier, A., Marshall, W., Massimini, M., Mayner, W. G. P., Oizumi, M. & Szczotka, J. & 2 others, , Apr 2025, In: Nature Neuroscience. 28, 4, p. 694-702 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment / Debate › Other › peer-review
14 Citations (Scopus) -
Cortical connectivity, local dynamics and stability correlates of global conscious states
Zhao, Y., Tsuchiya, N., Boley, M., Dhanawansa, V., Liu, Y., Karoly, P. J., Pelentritou, A., Woods, W., Liley, D. & Kuhlmann, L., 30 Sept 2025, In: Communications Biology. 8, 1, 18 p., 1391.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Lifting the veil: probing altered visual perception in derealization
Kusztor, A., Mulay, N., Yamada, M., Hohwy, J. & Tsuchiya, N., 2025, In: Neuroscience of Consciousness. 2025, 1, 17 p., niaf045.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Reply to Bosten and Franklin: Children’s color qualia structure is similar to adults’
Moriguchi, Y., Watanabe, R., Sakata, C., Zeleznikow-Johnston, A., Wang, J., Saji, N. & Tsuchiya, N., 28 Oct 2025, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 122, 43, 1 p., e2525916122.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › Other › peer-review
Open Access
Activities
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Convergence Science Network
Tsuchiya, N. (Contributor)
2019Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Consciousness and Cognition (Journal)
Tsuchiya, N. (Editorial board member)
2017Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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From Neural Basis of Consciousness to Artificial Consciousness
Tsuchiya, N. (Contributor)
2016Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Invited Lecturer for 4 summer schoolsConsciousness: from theory to practice. Neuroscience School of Advanced School (NSAS), Venice, Italy, 2018 (organized by Giulio Tononi) Participated as a co-presenter. Initiative for the Synthesis of Studies of Awareness (ISSA), Japan, 2017 (Lecturer: Tsuchiya, Kanai, Albantakis, Zahavi, Tani, Amano, Nishimoto, Yamagishi, Doya, Nagai, Ishiguro, Osaka, Hut) Initiative for the Synthesis of Studies of Awareness (ISSA), Japan, 2015 (Tsuchiya, Wilke, Gallagher, Myowa, Doya, Asada, Nagai, Amano, Nishimoto, Colombetti, Virgo, Guttenberg, Smith, Hut) Lecture at Autumn School for Computational Neuroscience (ASCONE) 2016, Nagano, Japan
Tsuchiya, N. (Organiser)
2015 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
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Master of the brain
Tsuchiya, N. (Contributor)
2015Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar