This English translation is provided for the information purpose only.

Application Guidelines
for Master’s Programin Biomedical Science and Engineering
Special Selection for International Applicants
October 2024 Enrollment

Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering,
Hokkaido University

Admission Policy
Philosophy
Contribute to the realization of a healthy, long-lived society by promoting research on the developmentof new medical technologies utilizing cutting-edge science and engineering and by developing
individuals who can pursue that research.
Educational Goals
Under the four basic philosophies of Hokkaido University (Frontier Spirit, Global Perspectives,
All-round Education and Practical Learning), the Graduate School of Biomedical Science andEngineering aims to cultivate individuals who possess advanced expertise, broad perspectives and astrong sense of ethics, who are able to contribute to the sustainable development of society as
specialists in biomedical science and engineering, who possess outstanding knowledge and excellent
research abilities, and who are able to meet the demand for sophistication and globalization regarding
various issues related to medical technology, medical device development and the like.
Desired Students(1) Knowledge, skills, interest and motivation
・Desired students are those who are inquisitive and strongly interested in biomedical science andengineering and their underlying disciplines (science, engineering and medicine), and who havethe basic academic and research abilities necessary for these studies
・Desired students are those who are willing to contribute to the sustainable development of society
as specialists in biomedical science and engineering by earnestly engaging in research utilizing
acquired knowledge and technology(2) Thinking, judgment and expressive abilities
・Desired students are those with basic scientific thinking, ethics and logical thinking(3) Openness to independent learning in collaboration with various people
・Desired students are those who are willing to work independently on research that leads to thedevelopment of new medical technology in collaboration with people from various fields
What to learn before admission
For graduates from science and engineering departments
Basic knowledge and skills of medicine and medical care, general knowledge of science andengineering, and English skills sufficient for one to obtain internationally accepted information
For graduates from health science and life science departments
Basic knowledge and skills of science and engineering, general knowledge of medicine andmedical care, and English skills sufficient for one to obtain internationally accepted information
Basic Policy for Entrant Selection(1) General entrance examination and entrance examination for working students
Entrants are selected based on the following: Paper on a given topic, specialized examination, external English proficiency test, andstatement of purpose for knowledge and skills
 Specialized examination and statement of purpose for interest and motivation
 Paper on a given topic, specialized examination, and statement of purpose for thinking,judgment and expressive abilities
 Specialized examination for openness to learning independently in collaboration withvarious people(2) Special selection for international students
Entrants are selected based on the following: Oral examination, external English proficiency test, and statement of purpose for
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



knowledge and skills
Oral examination and statement of purpose for interest and motivation
Oral examination, and statement of purpose for thinking, judgment and expressive abilities
Oral examination for openness to learning independently in collaboration with various
peopleEntrance exam
classification

Knowledge, skills, interest
and motivation

Thinking, judgment andexpressive abilities

General entrance
examination and entrance
examination for working
students◎◎

Paper on a given topic
Specialized
examination
Statement of purpose

Special selection forinternational students◎◎

Oral examination
Statement of purpose

Paper on a given topic
Specialized
examination
External English
proficiency test
Statement of purpose
Oral examination
External English
proficiency test
Statement of purpose

Openness to learning
independently incollaboration with various
people○Specialized
examination○

Oral examination

The mark ◎ indicates elements that are particularly important, and the mark ○ indicates elements that are important.

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Application Guidelines to Master’s Program
Special Selection for International Applicants(For enrollment October 2024)
1. Major and Number of Students Admitted
Biomedical Science and Engineering: a few students
2. Qualifications of ApplicantsThose who cannot arrive in Japan during the date of examination designated by Graduate School of Biomedical
Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University and those who can obtain consent from the prospective supervisor
prior to application. Applicants must satisfy either of the following requirements:
(1)
(2)

(3)
(4)

Those who have completed or are expected to complete 16 years of formal education overseas by September
2024.
Those who have been awarded or are expected to be awarded by September 2024 a degree equivalent toBachelor’s degree from an overseas university or an overseas educational institution (limited to the one which
overall situation such as educational and research activities has been evaluated by the said foreign country’s
government or the agency accredited by related organization or the one which is specifically designated as
equivalent to above by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) by completing
three or more years of curriculum (including completing the said curriculum by an overseas educational
institution by way of distance education while residing in Japan or completing the curriculum at an educational
institution which is specifically designated by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology).
Those who are not fallen under (2) and have completed 15 years of formal education overseas, and are deemed
eligible to apply by Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University. (See Note)
Those who are deemed by Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University
under individual qualification review to have academic ability equal to or greater than university graduates,
and will be 22 years of age or older by 30 September 2024. (See Note)

Note: Those who apply under Qualifications of Applicants (3) or (4), must undergo qualification review. Refer to 3.
(6) Qualification Review for further information.
Qualification review described in Qualifications of Applicants (4) is the process to examine research history
and work experience of those who do not have university diploma.

3. Application Procedure(1) How to Apply
Applicants have to access the website designated by the prospective supervisor. The website will be notified
to only applicants who can obtain consent from the prospective supervisor. Applicants have to send the original
application documents listed in the following (3) Application Documents 1-8 to Student Affairs Office by post.
(2) Application Period
Online Registration:
From 10:00 (Japan Standard Time), Wednesday, 12 June 2024 to 17:00 (Japan Standard Time), Friday, 14 June
2024
Submission Deadline of Application Documents:
17:00 (Japan Standard Time), Monday, 24 June 2024
Original application documents must arrive at Student Affairs Office by post.

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(3) Application Documents
1

Application Form andCurriculum Vitae

Access the website and fill in your information. Print them out on A4 size
paper. (210mm x 297mm)

2

Photo ID Card

Access the website, fill in your information, and print it out on A4 size paper.
Paste your photograph (full-face, applicant’s name printed on the back, 4cm x3cm) taken within 3 months before (2) Submission Deadline of Application
Documents in the space provided.

3

Academic Transcripts

Must be issued by the university or college.

4Statement of Purpose

5

6

Download from the website. Explain the following 3 points in English (800words.): 1. Past Research Activities, 2. The motive for the application and 3.
Future Goals.
Must be issued by a university/college president or Dean.
Certificate of (expected)
Graduation or Completion (For graduates, be sure that the certificate includes information on your degree).
*Those who graduated or will graduate from a university in China (excluding
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau) must submit the following documents in addition
to a Certificate of (Expected) Graduation (Completion) .
Graduates:
a. Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate（教育b. Certified copies of your Graduation Diploma（毕业证书）and Degree Diploma（学位证书）that has been authorized by your university/college
部学历证书电子注册备案表）
Expected Graduates :a. Online Verification Report of Student Record（教育部学籍在线验证报告）Obtain documents “a” above by requesting it at “中国高等教育学历证书查询”:
http://www.chsi.com.cn/xlcx/bgys.jsp.
Also be sure that there are 15 or more days left until the expiration date of theonline verification at the time of its submission.
Proof of English Language If English is not your first language: Copies of the following test results as
proof of English language proficiency taken within 2 years before the deadline
Skillsof application. (e.g. TOEFL-PBT, TOEFL-iBT, TOEIC Listening & Reading
Test, IELTS)

If you only have a score sheet other than the above, contact the Student Affairs
Office promptly as there are cases in which such a document may be accepted.
78

Copy of Passport
The page which your photo and passport number are shown.
(If applicable)
Applicants from EEA must confirm the Handling of Personal Information
Consent to Transfer and on page 8 and submit their consent. The form will be sent by theprospective supervisor via e-mail.
Process Personal Data

Other documents may be designated by Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido
University and required to submit later as needed.

(4) Payment of Examination Fee
Follow the on-screen instructions after completing website registration, and pay the examination fee (JPY30,000) by credit cards or Pay-easy. Please note that applicants have to pay transaction fee (JPY 500) besides
examination fee (JPY 30,000).
Payment of examination fee is not required for applicants who wish to enroll on a Japanese Government(Monbukagakusho: MEXT) Scholarship, a Chinese Government (China Scholarship Council: CSC) Scholarship, ora Hokkaido University President’s Fellowship.
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Those who apply under 2. Qualifications of Applicants (3) or (4), must pay the examination fee after
qualification review.
Examination fee is non-refundable unless:
1) The application was not made.
2) Application documents were not accepted due to the documents being incomplete.
3) Double-payments were made.
Please acknowledge that it takes considerable time for processing refund.
Please keep the receipt, as it is required when claiming the refund to Student Affairs Office.
(5) Important Notice1) Online registration, payment of examination fee, and submission of application documents by post must becompleted by (2) Submission Deadline of Application Documents.
2) Printers and email address are required for online registration.
3) Application documents submitted will not be returned.
4) Application documents should be sent to Student Affairs Office by safe and reliable methods such as
Express Mail Service (EMS). Late arrival due to postal accident will not be accepted.
(6) Qualification Review
Those who apply under 2. Qualifications of Applicants (3) or (4), must undergo individual qualification
review. Applicants have to contact the prospective supervisor by email. Applicants have to send the original 2)
Application Documents for Qualification Review 1-7 to Student Affairs Office by post.
1) Application Period for Qualification Review
Submission Deadline of Application Documents for Qualification Review:
17:00 (Japan Standard Time), Friday, 24 May 2024
Original application documents for qualification review must arrive at Student Affairs Office by post.

52) Application Documents for Qualification Review
1

Application Form for
Qualification Review

Sent by the prospective supervisor by email. Fill in your information. Print
them out on A4 size paper. Paste your photograph in the space provided.
(Full-face, applicant’s name printed on back, 4cm x 3cm, taken within 3months before 1) Submission Deadline of Application Documents for
Qualification Review.)

2

Academic Transcripts

3

Certificate of (expected) Must be issued by a university/college president or Dean.
Graduation or Completion (For graduates, be sure that the certificate includes information on your degree).
*Those who graduated or will graduate from a university in China (excluding
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau) must submit the following documents in addition
to a Certificate of (Expected) Graduation (Completion) .
Graduates:
a. Online Verification Report of Higher Education Qualification Certificate（教育部学历证书电子注册备案表）b. Certified copies of your Graduation Diploma（毕业证书）and Degree Diploma（学位证书）that has been authorized by your university/college
Expected Graduates :a. Online Verification Report of Student Record（教育部学籍在线验证报告）Obtain documents “a” above by requesting it at “中国高等教育学历证书查询”:
http://www.chsi.com.cn/xlcx/bgys.jsp.
Also be sure that there are 15 or more days left until the expiration date of the online
verification at the time of its submission.

4

Copy of Passport

The page which your photo and passport number are shown.

5

Proof of English

If English is not your first language: Copies of the following test results as
proof of English language proficiency taken within 2 years before the deadlineof application. (e.g. TOEFL-PBT, TOEFL-iBT, TOEIC Listening & Reading
Test, IELTS)

Language Skills

Must be issued by the university or college.

If you only have a score sheet other than the above, contact the Student Affairs
Office promptly as there are cases in which such a document may be accepted.
6(If applicable)
Applicants from EEA must confirm the Handling of Personal Information on
Consent to Transfer and page 7-8 and submit their consent. The form will be sent by the prospective
supervisor via e-mail.
Process Personal Data

7i) Certificate of research experience issued by the enrolled university or
research institute.

Othersii) Letter of Recommendation issued by supervisors or mentors of the enrolled
university or research institute. (Free format.)iii) Certificates of academic ability equivalent to or greater than university
graduates, or statement of academic achievements. (Such as scientific papers,
books, and reports.)iv) Other documents may be designated by the prospective supervisor asneeded.

3) Announcement of Results for Qualification Review
Results for qualification review will be notified to applicants by email by Monday, 10 June 2024.
After qualification review, eligible applicants have to see (1) How to Apply, and do necessary procedures.
Applicants have to send the original (3) 1) Application Form and Curriculum Vitae, 2) Photo ID Card, and 4)
Statement of Purpose to Student Affairs Office by post.
6(7) Application Documents should be submitted to:Student Affairs Office,Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University
Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, 060-8638 JAPAN
Phone: +81-(0)11-706-5523
Email: d-tanto@med.hokudai.ac.jp

4. Selection Procedure
Admission shall be determined individually based on the comprehensive evaluation of online interview (Zoominterview), and application documents submitted. Online interview will be held in English or Japanese. Applicantsmust prepare equipment such as a web camera and the proper network environment for online interview by 5.
Examination Date and Time.
5.

Examination Date and Time
Designated date between Wednesday, 3 July 2024, and Monday, 8 July 2024. Detailed examination date and time
will be notified to applicants by the prospective supervisor by email.
6. Announcement of AcceptanceA Letter of Acceptance will be sent to each successful applicant by email at 10:00 (Japan Standard Time) on
Friday, 19 July 2024. And the original letter of acceptance will also be sent by post. Any inquiry by telephone or othersource concerning examination result will not be accepted.

7. Enrollment Procedure(1) Registration Period
From 9:00 (Japan Standard Time), Monday, 9 September 2024 to 17:00 (Japan Standard Time), Friday, 13
September 2024, on weekdays(2) Enrollment and Tuition Fees
1) Enrollment Fee: JPY 282,000 (estimate)
Please note that it is not required for those who is granted a Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho:
MEXT) Scholarship, a Chinese Government (China Scholarship Council: CSC) Scholarship, or a Hokkaido
University President’s Fellowship.
2) Tuition Fee: JPY 267,900 per half year (JPY 535,800 per year) (estimate)
Tuition of the first period should be paid using the bank remittance form sent from Hokkaido University
Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering in middle of November 2024.
If the fee is revised, the new one will be adapted accordingly.
Payments of enrollment and tuition fees could be exempted or postponed. Further information will be included in
the notification of enrollment procedure.

8. Important Notice(1) Before filling in a column of the preferred field on the application for enrollment in 3. (3) 1) Application Formand Curriculum Vitae, refer to “Organization and main research contents at Graduate School of Biomedical
Science and Engineering”and the following URL
https://www.med.hokudai.ac.jp/en/bme/laboratory-nav/index.html and consult your prospective supervisor about
research contents and plan.
(2) Incomplete application documents and/or lack of documents will not be processed.
(3) Submitted documents are considered final and revision after submission will not be accepted.
(4) Enrollment may be cancelled at any time, should submitted documents be found to contain false information.
(5) Application documents must arrive at Student Affairs Office by post. Consider postal service situation andsend early enough to be arrived. Late arrival after 3. (2) Submission Deadline of Application Documents will not
be accepted.
(6) Any inquiry regarding examination and enrollment should be sent by email.
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9. Handling of Personal Information(1) All personal information collected by Hokkaido University will be completely protected in compliance with the
Act on the Protection of Personal Information Held by Independent Administrative Agencies, and the EU
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) pursuant to the Hokkaido University Regulations on Personal
Information Management.
(2) Your name, address, and other personal information you provide to the university through application andindividual admissions screening processes will be used solely for ① enrollee selection (application processing
and the screening process), ② the announcement of exam results, ③ admission procedures, ④ surveys andresearch on enrollee selection methods, and ⑤ other related processes.
(3) The personal information in section (2) above will also be used after enrollment, only for those who pass the exam,
for processes related to ① academic affairs (registration, academic guidance), ② student support services(health management, scholarship applications, dorm admission selection, welfare services, etc.), ③ job searchsupport services, ④ tuition, ⑤ use of the university library, ⑥ use of information education facilities, ⑦
confirming your safety and communication in a disaster or emergency situation, and ⑧ public relations(distributing newsletters, information on events, etc.).
(4) Personal information contained in exam results will be used to conduct surveys and research on enrollee selection
methods.
(5) For recruiting purposes, when we receive a request for information from the Hokkaido University Frontier
Foundation (Kita 8 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido; Tel: +81-(0)11-706-2017) or Hokkaido University
Athletic Union (Kita 17, Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido; Tel: +81-(0)11-716-4815), the only personal
information listed in section (2) will be provided for use within the scope of that organization’s activities.
(6) The personal information set forth in (2) will be retained for five years from the next academic year of ouracquirement.
(7) The university shall use Article 6, Paragraph 1 (a) of the EU GDPR as the basis for handling personal informationand obtaining consent to use it. Personal information will only be used for the purpose for which consent has
been given, except when required by laws and regulations.
(8) The consent set forth in (7) may be revoked at any time. However, this does not affect the legal handling of
personal information before consent was revoked.
(9) Individuals who provide personal information may make the following requests to the university based on the EU
GDPR and related laws and regulations:① Disclosure of personal information，② Correction of personal information，③ Erasure of personal information，④ Limitation of the handling of personal information, ⑤ Objection to the handling of personal information，⑥ Transfer of personal information to other service providers(10) If you have provided personal information within the European Economic Area, you may file an objection to asupervisory authority in accordance with Article 51, Paragraph 1 of the EU GDPR if you are dissatisfied with theuniversity’s handling of your personal information, etc.
(11) Some of the processes in (2)－(5) mentioned above may be outsourced by the university to a contracted service
provider (hereinafter referred to as “contractor”). All or some of the personal information provided by applicants
may be provided to the contractor only as needed to perform the tasks for which it has been contracted.
(12) This university is subject to Japan’s Law for the Protection of Personal Information Retained by Independent
Administrative Institutions, but not subject to adequacy decisions by the European Commission.
May 2024
Student Affairs Office,Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hokkaido University
Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, JAPAN
Phone: +81-(0)11-706-5523

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Organization and main research contents at Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering,
Hokkaido University
Quantum Biomedical Science and Engineering Course
Department: Particle Beams for Biomedical Science and Engineering
Laboratory Radiation Oncology
Instructor
HASHIMOTO Takayuki, Associate Professor
KOBASHI Keiji, Lecturer
NISHIOKA Kentaro, Assistant Professor
Radiotherapy can be characterized by the possibility of preserving the function originally
Outline1

Laboratory
Instructor
Outline2

possessed by the living body and maintaining the function of individual patients throughinduction of disappearance of neoplasm/tumor, unlike surgical treatment which treats cancer byremoving organs/tissues out of the body. Radiotherapy with X-ray and particle beam therapy withcharged particles achieve treatment through utilization of the physical characteristics of theserays in medicine by means of scientific/engineering technology. Development of morepractically useful and effective devices and therapeutic techniques will be enabled if we view anddiscuss the frontier technology of engineering and science on the basis of deep understanding of
human body structure/function and medical/physiological viewpoints, focusing for example ondose concentration for the purpose of tumor control, dose reduction to normal tissues/organs tominimize adverse reactions and dealing with body and organ movements that always change theirlocation under the influence of respiration, cardiac beating, peristalsis, etc. This laboratory is
aimed at cultivating talents capable of contributing to improvement in disease curing rate andQOL (quality of life) of patients with cancer and other diseases through research on technology
dealing with motion of organs during radiotherapy, research on particle beam therapy anddevelopment of new medical technology, as well as cultivating globally active researchers andeducators on these topics.

Radiation Medical Physics
TAKAO Seishin, Associate Professor
YOKOKAWA Kohei, Assistant Professor

Following recent improvement in the outcome of treatment thanks to advances inmedical/scientific/engineering technology, the need to radiotherapy has been increasing
remarkably. Among others, particle beam therapy, which applies accelerators to healthcare, isreceiving much expectation as a means of minimizing the patient’s physical stress throughachieving dose concentration on the target cancer. Recently, the use of image guiding technology
has made it possible to provide treatment in a way tailored to the patient’s motions during
treatment, morphological changes of the tumor, bioreactions and other factors. This laboratory is
aimed at utilization of the technology of science/engineering (radiation physics, quantum beam
applied engineering, image engineering, etc.) to healthcare. Specifically, in collaboration with the
Hokkaido University Hospital Proton Beam Therapy Center, this laboratory will engage indevelopment of irradiation technology/devices capable of reducing adverse reactions andimproving therapeutic efficacy, development of image guiding technology incorporating detailed
information about patient’s motions and tumor’s morphological changes, development of dose
calculation/optimization techniques for realization of high precision treatment, andcomprehensive education/research through links of medicine, science and engineering(verification of therapeutic efficacy, taking into account also the cellular level reactions, etc.).
Through these activities, this laboratory will cultivate researchers of medical physics andengineers for medical device development.

Department: Radiation for Biomedical Science and Engineering
Laboratory Medical Applied Basic Physics
Instructor
AIKAWA Masayuki, Professor
In medical fields, such as radiation therapy and particle therapy, a basic understanding of natural
Outline3

Laboratory
Instructor
4

Outlinescience, especially physics, can play an important role to solve problems and develop newtechnologies. For example, it is necessary to investigate probabilities (cross sections) of nuclear
reactions systematically to accurately estimate the necessary amount of radioactive isotopes (RI)
for medical care while minimizing unnecessary by-products. We focus particularly on
charged-particle induced reactions, and experimentally measure production cross sections of the
RI for medical use. In this manner, we train specialists to obtain new knowledge for medical carefrom the viewpoints of basic physics.

Medical Physics and Engineering
ISHIKAWA Masayori, Professor
NAKAMOTO Takahiro, Assistant Professor

Although medical physics is an indispensable element for radiotherapy, it seems to be less mature
in Japan than in other countries. In the United States, leading the world in terms of radiotherapy,
each facility providing radiotherapy has medical physicists, who is in charge of quality control ofradiotherapy and development of new radiotherapy techniques. In Japan, there is no sufficientenvironment for such active roles of medical physicists. Radiation measurement
is a core9

Laboratory
Instructor
Outline5

technology not only for radiotherapy, but also diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine.
Expertise education on these topics is an element indispensable for cultivation of researchers in
the field of medical physics and engineers engaged in development of radiotherapy devices. This
laboratory will cultivate researchers and engineers capable of contributing to healthcare throughdevelopment of clinically useful technologies, in collaboration with the Hokkaido University
Hospital.

Clinical Medical Physics
SUZUKI Ryusuke, Assistant Professor
TAMURA Masaya, Assistant Professor
KANEHIRA Takahiro, Assistant Professor

New discovery for the next generation can be achieved if problems with clinical practice areviewed as research seeds and attempts are made to find solution to such problems throughutilization of the knowledge/skills of science and engineering. To this end, students will carry out
research in areas closer to a hospital and check the ideas arising from such research throughexperiments, simulation, etc. at our laboratory, towards the goal of acquiring research capabilities
leading to future radiotherapy and development of medical devices. In this laboratory, treatment
plan quality for radiation therapy, research for effect of organ motion on radiotherapy, adaptive
radiation therapy and other topics will be conducted as educational and research activities. In
addition, development of novel technique and algorithm for real-time image guided radiation
therapy will also be conducted. During the course of such activities, students acquire thecapabilities needed for medical physicists. In this way, talents capable of contributing to thesociety will be cultivated.

Molecular Biomedical Science and Engineering Course
Department: Biomedical Imaging
Laboratory Medical Image Analysis
Note: Laboratory of Medical Image Analysis is not available to accept newstudents enrolling in October 2024.
Instructor
KATOH Chietsugu, Professor
This laboratory involves research on computerized processing of images yielded from nuclear
Outline6

Laboratory
Instructor
Outline7

Laboratory
Instructor
Outline8

medicine tests (PET, SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography)), CT, MRI and soon aimed at precisely collecting medical information from such visual data. Regarding tumor
images, research is made on estimation of tumor malignancy and volume, estimation of theperiphery of lesions, estimation of appropriate range of irradiation, correction of artifacts on
images arising from respiratory motions and cardiac beats, and so on. Regarding images of
myocardium and brain, compartment model analysis is carried out on serial dynamic images
following a dose of contrast material or radioisotope for the purpose of quantitative evaluation ofischemic lesions and quantitative analysis of tissue blood flow, oxygen consumption, etc. New
technique is under studying using Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Deep Learning for analyses of
medical image data. Talents capable of developing programs for achievement of these goals will
be cultivated.

Integrated Molecular Imaging
KUGE Yuji, Professor
MIZUNO Yuki, Assistant Professor

For realization of diagnostic molecular imaging, it is indispensable to develop a probe (molecular
probe) for conversion of molecular information of the living body into measurable signals. This
laboratory is aimed at developing clinically applicable molecular imaging technology throughresearch of new molecular probes, i.e., through exploration of functional molecules, designing ofprobes, development of probe synthesis technology and synthesis devices, and translational
research using experimental disease models for clinical application. This laboratory is also
actively conducting research on linking diagnostic molecular imaging technology to accurate
treatment, that is, precision medicine and theranostics. Through these research and development
activities, this unit will guide students to acquire necessary knowledge/skill systematically so thatthey can contribute to healthcare and society.

Biomarker Imaging Science
THA Khin Khin, Associate Professor
Kenneth Lee Sutherland, Assistant Professor

In recent years, close attention has been paid to tailored medical care technology throughmolecule-targeted treatment and pin-point irradiation of proton beam, etc. Noninvasive or
least-invasive imaging modalities such as MRI and CT have been extensively used for selectionof treatment methods, treatment planning and prediction/assessment of responses to treatment.
This laboratory is aimed at utilization of latest MRI and CT techniques for development of image
diagnosis techniques with high resolution and precision, imaging methods enabling detection ofearly subtle changes of the living body conventionally difficult to find, noninvasive or
least-invasive imaging techniques reflecting not only morphological information but also

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information on physiological changes of living body at cellular/molecular level and frontier highprecision and noninvasive or least-invasive image diagnosis technology with little burden on
patients. Education and research on normal radiologic anatomy making use of these imaging
techniques will also be provided.

Department: Biology for Biomedical Science and Engineering
Laboratory Molecular Oncology
Instructor
YASUDA Motoaki, Specially Appointed Associate Professor
Correct understanding of the mechanism for carcinogenesis at the molecular level is necessary
Outline9

Laboratory
Instructor
Outline10for sufficient control of cancer, the leading cause of death among Japanese people. Suchunderstanding is indispensable for development of new cancer diagnosis/treatment methods. In
recent years, thorough analysis of RNA including non-coding RNA has been advanced after theend of genome project, and the diverse relationships between carcinogenesis and RNA have been
revealed increasingly. At this laboratory, new mechanisms for carcinogenesis are explored on thebasis of molecular biological analysis covering RNA, viruses, etc., and systematicaleducation/research, ranging from basics to applied one, will be provided concerning developmentof new cancer diagnosis/treatment methods making use of the findings from such exploration.

Molecular and Cellular Dynamics Research
ONODERA Yasuhito, Associate Professor

Radiation therapy is commonly used for treatment of cancer as one of the three major treatment
modalities. However, as the underlying mechanisms for malignant properties of cancer cells arediverse and variable, the radiation effects and its molecular mechanisms on tumor andsurrounding normal tissues still remain elusive. We have been investigating mechanisms
inducing/suppressing the cell death in cancer cells, and the resulting unfavorable effects intumors, which take place under the environmental stresses induced by therapy including radiation
and also by cancer cells themselves. We especially focus on the roles of the three-dimensional
cell/tissue structures, extracellular microenvironment, cell-cell communication and cellular
metabolism, using the experimental techniques of biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology
and synthetic biology. Through the research and education program, we train students to beworld-leading scientists and educators with great expertise in cancer research and experimental
techniques.

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