Aiming for the Development of Next-Generation Medicine

Seven years have passed since Tohoku University established the Advanced Research Center for Innovations in Next-Generation Medicine (INGEM) as one of the world’s top research centers. In April 2023, I was appointed as the third Executive Director of the Center, succeeding Dr. Masayuki Yamamoto, who made great efforts in establishing the center, and Dr. Nobuo Yaegashi, who strengthened cooperation among participating departments and dramatically developed the clinical biobank. I will also serve a second term starting in fiscal year 2025. In fiscal year 2024, Tohoku University was recognized as the first University for International Research Excellence by the Japanese government, further enhancing its position as a hub for life science research within Japan, and as an organization that supports and leads the research across academia. In collaboration with Deputy Directors Dr. Kengo Kinoshita and Dr. Naoto Ishii, I will continue our mission of “providing world-class research investigating the relationship between genetics, environmental factors, and diseases, and the clinical implementation and dissemination of the results,” and will strive to improve research and education to realize personalized medicine, disease prevention and wellbeing.

 

Based on the accumulation of experience from the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, which has one of the world’s largest integrated biobanks with 150,000 participants, the center has established a clinical biobank that makes extensive use of biospecimens and information from patients at Tohoku University Hospital for cutting-edge research, and has already become one of the leading infrastructures in Japan where almost all departments that handle biospecimens participate. Based on this foundation, we are going to establish a system for the smooth operation and utilization of the clinical biobank, which will be developed in collaboration with Tohoku University Hospital, the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, and the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, in addition to the Graduate Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences, Information Sciences, Life Sciences, and the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials. Through this collaboration, we will bring together the wisdom and collective power of Tohoku University to produce world-class research results and realize social implementation that will benefit society at large.

 

Based on the vast amount of biospecimens and information we have accumulated, at INGEM, researchers from a wide range of fields can create new value and strive to form a world-leading center. We sincerely ask for your support and guidance, as well as your participation.

 

April, 2025