2026
01 About
I'm an interdisciplinary researcher based in Japan, currently doing my PhD in the Computational Clinical Psychology Lab at Senshu University, led by Dr. Yoshihiko Kunisato, one of the pioneers of computational psychiatry in Japan.
Before that, I completed an MSc in Psychology of Mental Health and Well-Being at the University of Wolverhampton, where I ran a randomized controlled trial on whether ChatGPT could ease momentary stress using CBT techniques. I received my undergraduate education at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where I learned about zoology, genetics, economics, conflict resolution, and more. It laid the foundation for my interdisciplinary perspective, and I will always be grateful for the amazing teachers there.
02 Research
My dissertation focuses on the relationship between perceived isolation and psychopathology. It's well established that loneliness and social isolation are linked to depression, anxiety, and more — but research uncovering why remains limited.
My objectives are to:
- identify the distinct, fundamental "connection needs" we have as Homo sapiens (e.g., the need to share understanding and attitudes), and
- examine how mental health symptoms arise when those needs go unmet.
Evolutionary theory, I believe, speaks directly to the first question and, less directly, to the second. To get at both, I draw on evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and social psychology, alongside network and computational approaches.
We should never be blinded by our passion for evolution — but it has real potential to bring order to the chaos of psychiatric research.
Beyond the dissertation, I have a broader interest in evolutionary psychopathology, ethology, the philosophy of science, and more.
03 Presentations
04 Education
PhD, Psychology
MSc, Psychology of Mental Health and Well-Being
BA, Social Science
05 Affiliations
- International Society for Evolution, Medicine & Public Health (ISEMPH)
- Japanese Psychological Association
- Pi Gamma Mu (International Honor Society in Social Sciences)
06 Contact
As a researcher studying the importance of connection, I am always very open to connecting with other researchers who want to exchange ideas or collaborate.
takekuro@hawaii.edu
Kanagawa, Japan