Research Topic

The objectives of our researches in the Department are to contribute to the improvement in medical treatments and the health of people all over the world by presenting the results of research in tropical medicine and malaria. The paradigm of tropical medicine has largely shifted from that of a medical science defined merely by climate and natural features to a fully mature medical science conscious of the importance of environmental and ecosystem preservation. The importance of tropical medicine has been increasingly recognized for its giving ideas to international health and medical care that have dissolved inequalities in health, society, and economy in different countries and regions. The overall goal of our researches in tropical medicine and malaria is to bring about the successful treatment of the diseases and improvement of health and to build world peace.

The following two subjects are our biggest research targets.
1. Researches on controlling emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases of international importance including neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
2. International medical cooperation researches on malaria and other tropical diseases.

For these challenging issues, we are dedicatedly conducting not only basic researches but also clinical and epidemiological researches to control malaria and other tropical diseases and to overcome intolerable health differentials. Specific research projects are:
1) Biology and pathophysiology of malaria and other parasitic diseases
　(a) Researches on the development of malaria vaccine
　(b) Basic and clinical researches on malaria and other parasitic diseases
　(c) Basic researches on water / food-borne infectious diseases in developing countries
2) Social technology development for controlling the diseases in developing countries
　(a) Researches on global malaria and parasite control strategy
　(b) Researches on water-borne and food-borne diseases in developing countries
　(c) Evaluation of international health cooperation projects
3) Control of communicable infectious diseases in Japan
　(a) Researches on health development of international travellers
　(b) Researches on the control of imported malaria and other parasitic diseases
　(c) Researches on the development of diagnostic and therapeutic methods for malaria and other tropical/parasitic diseases