Introduction of overseas research bases
Tohoku University Philippines base
International Collaborative Research on Infectious Diseases at the Research Center in the Philippines
Tohoku University is working with local researchers from the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) and provincial hospitals in the Philippines to identify the pathogens and conduct epidemiological analyses, to establish a sustainable infection control program from a public health perspective in the Philippines.
RITM was established by JICA in 1981 after an agreement on the establishment of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine was signed between the Government of Japan and the Government of the Philippines in 1979. Initially, a research building and a 50-bed hospital were built, followed by an animal research facility (1984), a training center for tropical infectious disease research (1989), and the National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory in 2002. These facilities gave the institute the capacity to hold training sessions and workshops for medical professionals in the Philippines.
The collaborative research at this center focuses on pediatric respiratory infections (RS virus, enterovirus, rhinovirus, influenza virus, human metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, adenovirus, human coronavirus) and pediatric diarrheal diseases (norovirus, sapovirus, rotavirus).
Major papers and achievements
- Molecular Characterization of Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Children with Repeated Infections with Subgroup B in the Philippines. J Infect Dis. 2018 Aug 24;218(7):1045-1053. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiy256.
- Comparison of Rhinovirus A–, B–, and C–Associated Respiratory Tract Illness Severity Based on the 5′-Untranslated Region Among Children Younger Than 5 Years. Open Forum Infect Dis. 2022 Oct;9(10) doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofac387
- Incidence of lower respiratory tract infection and associated viruses in a birth cohort in the Philippines. BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 30;22(1):313. doi: 10.1186/s12879-022-07289-3.
- Genetic diversity of species A rotaviruses detected in clinical and environmental samples, including porcine-like rotaviruses from hospitalized children in the Philippines. Infect Genet Evol. 2020. Nov;85:104465. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104465.
A word from the R&D representative
In the Philippines, infectious diseases are the biggest problem in the field of health and hygiene, but the actual situation is not fully understood. It is expected that the results obtained at this center will greatly contribute to the establishment of sustainable infectious disease control measures in the Philippines in the future. Furthermore, these results can be applied to other developing countries through international organizations. In addition, the center assigns young researchers central roles in research projects, and it is expected that they will become leaders in infectious disease control around the world in the future.
Research Director or Center Director: Hitoshi Oshitani
Position: Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine
Degree: Doctor of Medicine
(Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine)
Biography
| 2005/09 - Present | Professor, Department of Virology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine |
|---|---|
| 1999/08 - 2005/12 | Regional Adviser, WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific |
| 1998/01 - 1999/08 | Assistant/Lecturer, Niigata University School of Medicine |