Researcher's Profile

　　　　　　

March 1999	Bachelor of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Agriculturem, the University of Tokyo
March 2003	PhD, Veterinary Medical Science, Graduate Scool of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
April 2003	Research Assistant, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
April 2007	Research Associate, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
July 2010	Associate Professor, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
July 2020	Project Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
April 2024	Project Researcher, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
September 2024	Project Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology

My research focuses on (-)strand RNA viruses that cause severe disease. Viruses can become highly virulent and cause outbreaks when they cross over from their original species of infection to a new species. I am interested in this "mechanism of cross-species virulence" and am working to elucidate it using recombinant virus. I am also developing a vaccine against Nipah virus infections that have emerged in Asia in recent years, based on the knowledge and technics obtained from the above basic research. Nipah virus is a highly virulent virus that occurs annually in Bangladesh and India, with a fatality rate of 70-90%. Nipah virus does not cause disease in its natural host, the flying fox, but it has spread to livestock and humans, where it has become highly pathogenic. International collaborations with teams in Europe and the USA have brought us to the stage where we can soon start clinical trials. We are also conducting research into the development of cancer treatments using the measles virus. This research was initiated after we found that the measles virus kills cancers that express certain molecules very efficiently. To date, it has been shown to be effective against a wide range of cancer types, including breast, lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer. Phase I clinical trials are currently underway.