I take over the president position of the Japanese Society for Immunology as of January 1, 2025, from Dr. Tomohiro Kurosaki.
Japanese immunology, which began as a discipline to unravel the phenomenology of immunity, cloned a series of cytokine genes in the 1980s to elucidate the molecular reality of immune phenomena, and in the 1990s, made full use of the technology to create gene-targeted mice to clarify the in vivo functions of immune molecules in mice. In recent years, innovations in analytical instruments such as next-generation sequencers have made it possible to obtain large amounts of precise information from small samples. Under these circumstances, immunology in the future must work closely with fields of clinical medicine, informatics, and other fields to understand the human immune system in order to overcome human disorders.
To keep abreast of these trends in immunology and ensure the sustained international development of the Japanese Society of Immunology, it is important to continue to address the following three issues that former President Kurosaki has been focusing on.
1) Collaboration with other academic societies: Although we have held joint symposia with the Japanese Society of Allergy and the Japanese Society of Mucosal Immunology, we must build a deeply collaborative relationship, including joint meetings with clinical societies, to lead immunological research based on understanding of human immune system and disorders.
2) Fostering the next generation: We consider it extremely important to build an environment that facilitates the activities of early-career researchers. In addition to the “Kibo” project, we must create an environment where promising young scientists can fully demonstrate their abilities.
3) Globalization: Related to the fostering of the next generation of researchers, globalization of academic activities through collaboration with international academic societies in order to create an environment that fosters researchers who will be active on a global scale.
To realize these tasks, I will work together with Dr. Koji Yasutomo, Chair of the General Affairs Committee, Dr. Shohei Hori, Vice Chair of the General Affairs Committee, Dr. Kazuko Shibuya, Chair of the Finance Committee, and Dr. Kiyoshi Hirahara, Vice Chair of the Finance Committee.
Thank you very much for your cooperation.
Kiyoshi TAKEDA
President
Japanese Society for Immunology
The Japanese Society for Immunology
2nd Floor, 1-4-2 Kandaizumi-cho,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 101-0024, JAPAN
Phone: +81-3-5809-2019 Fax: +81-3-5809-2089
E-mail: info@meneki.or.jp