As of January 1, 2021, I have succeeded Professor Kiyono’s as the president of JSI. At the same time, Professor Osamu Takeuchi assumed the position of Chairman of the Committee of General Affairs and Professor Koji Hase became the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Professors Sho Yamasaki and Takaharu Okada were appointed vice chairmen of the Committee of General Affairs and Finance Committee, respectively. We will be honored to serve for two years as the headquarters of JSI.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world enormously. We hope that you, your families and your colleagues are staying safe and well. The number of COVID-19 patients and of deaths is unfortunately increasing day by day. We send our sympathies and condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and pray for the quick recovery of patients who are struggling in hospitals. We sincerely thank all medical professionals and their family members for their great efforts under the current difficult situation.
As it is the immune system that protects our body from infectious diseases, we as immunologists must work together with virologists and professionals in infectious diseases to uncover the properties of SARS-CoV-2 and contribute to the development of anti-viral drugs and effective vaccines. It is important to note that COVID-19 is an immune disease, and it is our responsibility to uncover the mechanisms leading to the severe condition in which patients suffer from a strong cytokine storm. We have seen a glimpse of hope from recent news regarding the efficacy of several vaccine candidates during phase III trials, resulting in the approval of a few of them. Immunization has started in the US and Europe, and we are waiting for the approval of the vaccines here as well. It is also our responsibility to communicate appropriate information about vaccination to the general public and contribute to a successful vaccination program in our country. I personally plan to get the vaccine when it becomes available.
We celebrated the 50th anniversary of JSI last year. We are proud of the research achievements of earlier generations of researchers. We need to follow in their footsteps and continue to send out new research outcomes to the world. The immune system has pleiotropic functions in our body, not only protecting us from infectious agents but also maintaining the homeostasis of the body. Immunology is a cross-disciplinary research field strongly related to fundamental fields in life sciences and human diseases. It is thus important that we cooperate with researchers in various fields in many different countries. We will continue to build and maintain strong ties with fellow researchers around the world, particularly with those in Asia-Oceania.
In 2021 we embarked in the second half-century of JSI’s history. It is crucial for our future that we give consideration to diversity in order to establish a strong foundation for JSI and provide future generations with a solid research environment. We are looking forward to working together with you to contribute to the advancement of JSI. Thank you for your cooperation.
Shigeo KOYASU
President
Japanese Society for Immunology
The Japanese Society for Immunology
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