Osaka University has produced scientists who successfully advanced the research in the field of life sciences. For example, Dr. Tadamitsu Kishimoto, former President of Osaka University, and Dr. Toshio Hirano, current President, conducted research that led to the development of an antibody (tocilizumab) which blocks the effects of an overproduced cytokine (interleukin-6: IL-6) in immune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. Such research efforts from our University have shown that an intervention with anti-human IL-6 receptor antibody (now available as Acetmra) is clinically effective for Castleman`s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Despite such a successful precedent, we still have no or minimum controls over many diseases that people suffer from. We believe that research in life science is an indispensable tool in conquering formidable diseases that are otherwise unavoidable.
We believe that the overspecialization of each life science field is a barrier for developing effective treatments. We have, thus, launched a graduate program - the Interdisciplinary Program for Biomedical Sciences (IPBS) - which focuses on integrating each highly-specialized field. IPBS recruits professors/researchers not only from academia (Graduate School of Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Engineering, Frontier Biosciences, Science, and Dentistry), but also from industry (e.g. Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Shionogi & Co., Ltd), so students can engage with them in cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. IPBS was designed to break down the boundaries that long existed between school departments, and between university, government and industry, thereby bridging the gap between the basic and clinical sciences and to put forward effective treatments. Through IPBS, we believe we can nurture young scientists with a comprehensive and multidisciplinary understanding of biological phenomena, and thus, they may conquer formidable diseases in their research career.
International applications are strongly encouraged. Through the curriculum, we hope Japanese and international students would be able to build long-term friendships and, perhaps, develop future collaborations. If you have the passion for biomedical research and wish to help advance the research field towards curing diseases, please consider applying to our program.