Faculty

Ryutaro Akiba, MD is currently the Assistant Professor of Department of Ophthalmology at Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. After graduating from Gunma University in 2012, he finished his residency and joined the Ophthalmology of Chiba University in 2014. He completed his PhD in the Takahashi Lab at RIKEN, where he carried out research of stem cell-derived retinal organoid transplantation for retinal degeneration. As a JSPS Overseas Fellow, he continued his research on retinal degeneration and remodeling using state-of-the-art electron microscopy at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA from 2019 to 2022. After finishing the fellowship, he rejoined the Department Ophthalmology at Chiba University. His research interests include the cell therapy for retinal degeneration, and analysis of retinal remodeling using electron microscopy. In recognition of his contributions, he received the Bayer Retina Award in 2023 and the Tano Young Investigator's Award in 2024.

1995 Graduated from Keio University, School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
2001-present VR surgeon at NHO Tokyo Medical Center (2021- Chief of the Ophthalmology department)
Currently involved in VR surgery, gene therapy, pneumatic retinopexy, etc.

March 2004: Graduated from Saitama Medical University School of Medicine
April 2004: Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital
April 2005: Omori Red Cross Hospital (Tokyo Medical and Dental University programme)
April 2006: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Hospital
October 2008: Imperial Household Hospital
April 2011: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Hospital
September 2015: Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Hospital
April 2024 Lecturer, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Hospital
Present

Takayuki Baba, MD, is the Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. After graduating from Tokyo Medical and Dental University in 1997, he finished his residency in Ophthalmology in 1999. He received the JSPS Overseas Research Fellowship and became a research fellow at Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MA in 2007. After finishing the fellowship, he rejoined the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science of Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine. His subspeciality is vitreoretinal surgery, especially complicated retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. His research interests include the surgical treatment of myopic macular complications and the development of treatment modalities for retinitis pigmentosa and other retinal degenerative diseases.

2017 Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama
2019 Joined the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Toyama
2020 Medical Staff, Department of Ophthalmology, Takaoka City Hospital
2023 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University School of Medicine
2024 Hospital Special Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Toyama

2003 Graduated from Osaka University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
2008-2012 Graduate Degree, Division of Medical Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
2012-2014 Researcher, Division of Vascular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan.
2014-2020 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
2020-2023 Specially Appointed Lecturer, Department of Ocular Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School, Osaka, Japan.
2023-present Specially Appointed Associate Professor, Department of Ocular Immunology and Regenerative Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School, Osaka, Japan.

Dr. Fukuyama is an Assistant Professor at Hyogo Medical University, Nishinomiya, Japan.
He graduated from Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine in 2011 and completed his residency at Osaka University Hospital in 2013. He completed his clinical fellowship at Kinan Hospital and Hyogo Medical University. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from Hyogo Medical University.

Dr. Hashimoto is a Japanese retina specialist focused on advanced retinal surgeries, including severe PDR and PVR. He is an Associate Professor and Chief Retina Surgeon at Toho University Sakura Medical Center, where he established a new retina fellowship program to train future retina specialists. His research on retinal and choroidal circulation includes collaborations with Drs. Sohan Hayreh and Randy Kardon at the University of Iowa, where he currently serves as an adjunct Associate Professor. In 2018, he received the prestigious Alcon Japan Hida Memorial Award and Overseas Research Fellowship, supporting his research at Iowa.

Masayuki Hata, MD, PhD is lecturer at Kyoto University, Japan. His interest focuses on the understanding of innate immunity in pathological angiogenesis and neuro-inflammatory diseases. He has conducted research on elucidation of pathological mechanisms, drug discoveries, and precision medicine in AMD and retinal degenerative diseases using various approaches of basic research, clinical research, and translational research. He has published >100 peer reviewed scientific papers in journals in the field of ophthalmology and fundamental science. He has first author or corresponding author publications in high impact journals such as Science, JCI, 2x PNAS, IOVS, etc. He has given over 30 presentations at various meetings including international symposium sessions.

Atsushi Hayashi, M.D., Ph.D. FASRS is the chair and professor of Department of Ophthalmology and the Director of Toyama University Hospital. My clinical practice focuses on vitreoretinal surgery. I graduated the Osaka University Medial School in 1988 and received M.D. and Ph.D. from the Osaka University Medical School. I worked as a vitreoretinal staff at Osaka University Hospital, and worked as a research fellow of Prof. Eugene de Juan Jr. at Wilmer Eye Institute and University of California, San Francisco for total 4 years.

1998 Department Ophthalmology, Juntendo University school of medicine
2000 Assistant professor, Department Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital
2001 Assistant professor, Department Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital

2003 Department of Ophthalmology, Shinshu University, Medical School. M.D.
2006 Department of Ophthalmology, Shinshu University. Clinical fellow
2010 Department of Ophthalmology, Shinshu University, Medical School. Ph.D.
2014 Department of Ophthalmology Shinshu University Hospital, Assistant Professor
2017 Doheny Eye Institute (UCLA), Research Fellow
2020 Department of Ophthalmology Shinshu University Hospital, lecturer
2023 Department of Ophthalmology Shinshu University Hospital, Associate Professor

1996 Graduated from Kyushu University School of Medicine
1996 Kyushu University Hospital
1999 Graduate School of Medicine, Kyushu University
2005 Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyushu University
2005 MEEI research fellow, Harvard Medical School
2011 Kyushu Medical Centre, National Hospital Organization
2016 Associate Professor, Kyushu University Hospital
2019 Associate Professor, Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital

1991 Graduated from Kobe University School of Medicine and obtained M.D.
1996 Obtained Ph.D. at Departments of Ophthalmology, Bio-signal Research Center, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.
1998 Department of Ophthalmology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis.
2001 Department of Ophthalmology, Tazukekofukai Medical Research Institute, Kitano Hospital.
2004 Assistant Professor, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.
2014 Associate Professor, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine.
2018 Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine.
2022 Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine.

2012 Graduated from Juntendo University, Tokyo
2012 Resident, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital, Shizuoka
2014 Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University,Tokyo
2015 Department of Ophthalmology, Saitama Prefecture Children's Medical Center, Saitama, Japan
2016- Department of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Shizuoka Hospital, Shizuoka

2001- Graduated from Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine and started his career as a retina specialist
2007-2009 Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Ophthalmology and Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Penn State University School of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
2009-2010 Assistant Professor, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
2010-2014 Clinical fellow to Chief Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe Kaisei Hospital
2014-2024 Assistant Professor to Senior Assistant professor, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine
2024- Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Kansai Medical University

2004: M.D., Yokohama City University
2006: Residency, Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center
2012: Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center
2015: Research fellow, Manhattan Eye Ear and Throat Hospital
2016: Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center
2018: Lecturer, Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center
2020 - present: Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center

2004 Kyushu University, M.D.
2012 Kyushu University, PhD.
2013-2015 Doheny Eye Institute, research fellow
2016-present Kyushu University hospital

Yasuki Ito is Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at Fujita Health University in Japan. He received his MD and PhD degree at Nagoya University in Japan in 1992 and 1997, respectively. He was the post-doctoral research fellow at Wayne State University (USA) from 1999 - 2002.
His clinical research interests include retinal and choroidal imaging, and surgical treatments of vitreoretinal disorders.

1992 Graduated from Kanazawa University School of Medicine (M.D.)
1992 Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Kanazawa University Hospital, Japan
2000 Chief physician, Department of Ophthalmology, Toyama Red-Cross Hospital, Japan
2003 Chief physician, Department of Ophthalmology, Toyama Prefectural Central Hospital, Japan
2008 Research fellow, Wilmer eye institute, Johns hopkins University, USA
2012 Assistant professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
2019 Professor and chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Akita University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan

Dr. Hiroki Kaneko graduated from Nagoya University School of Medicine in 2002 and completed his PhD course there in 2008. Throughout his PhD course in Japan and his post-doctoral experience in Dr. Ambati's lab at the University of Kentucky, USA, he has continued both clinical and basic medical research on age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal detachment, while also performing vitrectomy surgeries.
He is currently the Chair and Professor at the Department of Ophthalmology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, where he focuses on treating various refractory retinal diseases, including pediatric ocular conditions.
His recent research achievements include proposing a new concept in retinal cell death and developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic methods. He aims to contribute to the field of medicine by collaborating with specialists not only in ophthalmology but also in other disciplines.

Dr Satoru Kase has shown an impressive commitment and enthusiasm in ophthalmic pathology and ocular inflammation in basic science and intraocular and ocular adnexal tumors in clinical aspect. He graduated from pathology and got PhD degree in graduate school of medicine, Tottori University, Japan in 1999. He started working as an ophthalmologist in Hokkaido University Hospital after that. He worked as a research fellow in Doheny Eye Institute, Los Angeles, CA in USA from 2007. He underwent education under professor Stephen J Ryan, and professor Narsing A Rao guidance regarding retinal diseases, inflammation and ophthalmic pathology. Now he works on vitreoretinal surgeries and ocular tumors and doing translational researches combined with clinical examinations and pathology in Hokkaido University Hospital. He has expanded his knowledge experiences obtained from various leaders to pursuit further studies here in Japan. He published over 200 articles in English journals, and wrote over 70 articles as a first author.

1995: Graduated from the School of Medicine, Yamaguchi University.
2007: Assistant Professor. Dept. of Ocular pathology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine.
2009: Associate Professor. Dept. of Ocular pathology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine.
2010: Associate Professor. Dept. of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine.
2016: Professor. Dept. of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine.
2019: Vice-President. Yamaguchi University Hospital.
2020: Deputy Vice President's Assistant. Yamaguchi University.

Shuhei Kimura, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan. After graduation of Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, he completed the residency in ophthalmology and retina fellowship at Okayama University Hospital.
Dr. Kimura specializes in vitreoretinal surgery. His current interests include pathogenesis and treatment of submacular hemorrhage.

1982-1988 Graduation, Chiba University School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan
1988-1992 Residency in Ophthalmology, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
1992-1994 Vitreoretinal Fellow, Department of Ophthalmology, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka,
Japan
1994-1995, Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka,
Japan
1995-1997 Research Fellow, University of Miami, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami, USA
1997-2009 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka,
Japan
1999-2001 Researcher, Division of Genome Analysis, Institute of Genetic Information, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
2009-09/2013 Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
2013~ present Professor and Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan

Dr. Takashi Koto serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Kyorin University School of Medicine, where he specializes in advanced retinal surgeries, with a focus on treating complex conditions such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy, diabetic retinopathy, and high myopia. His research is centered on integrating innovative surgical technologies into clinical practice, including 3D heads-up surgery systems for enhanced precision in surgery.

Dr. Koto earned his M.D. from Keio University School of Medicine in 2001 and went on to receive his Ph.D. in 2007, conducting significant research on retinal vascular barriers and choroidal neovascularization. Following a vitreoretinal fellowship at Keio University, he joined Kyorin University in 2013 as an Assistant Professor, achieving promotion to Associate Professor in 2021.

Tomoki Kurihara is an aspiring adult and pediatric VR surgeon who is currently a first-year VR fellow at Kyorin Eye Center. He completed his BA in biology at Williams College, worked as a technician in Dr. Patricia D'Amore’s laboratory at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, then transferred into medical school at Osaka University. He completed junior residency at St. Luke’s International Hospital, ophthalmology residency at Keio University, and a pediatric VR fellowship at Kindai University.

Toshihide Kurihara is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and a Principal Investigator in the Laboratory of Photobiology at Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. He received his M.D. degree from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan in 2001. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Keio University Hospital in 2005, and obtained his Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Professor Kazuo Tsubota from Keio University Graduate School of Medicine in 2009. Dr. Kurihara did his postdoctoral training under the mentorship of Professor Martin Friedlander at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, USA. His research interest is hypoxia responses in development, physiology, and pathophysiology of the retina. Currently, he also conducts research focusing on visual restoration utilizing optogenetics technology and molecular mechanism of myopia development and progression.
Further information: https://researchmap.jp/kurihara?lang=en

Yasuo Kurimoto, M.D., Ph.D., is the Director of Kobe City Eye Hospital. He graduated from Kyoto University School of Medicine in 1986 and started his career as an ophthalmologist. During his postgraduate years, he began researching the regeneration of the central nervous system at the Kyoto University Brain Research Institute. Since then, while engaging in clinical practice as an ophthalmologist, he has been involved in retinal stem cell research at Shinshu University and Harvard University. In 2003, he became director of the Department of Ophthalmology at Kobe City General Hospital and the Visual Function Regeneration Research Team at the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation Hospital. In 2014, he served as the clinical team leader and primary surgeon for the first-in-human iPS cell therapy, transplantation of iPS cell-derived RPE sheet for age-related macular degeneration. He continues to serve as a clinical team leader for developing iPS cell therapy at Kobe City Eye Hospital.

After graduating Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, he finished residency program at Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University. After finishing a vitreoretinal fellowship at Osaka National Hospital, he joined a research fellowship program at University of Michigan to study the physiology of retinal glial cells under supervision of Donald G. Puro, MD., Ph.D.
After coming back to Osaka University as an assistant professor in 1997, he started pediatric retina surgery. In 2001, he did his first ROP surgery. Since then, he has become one of a few surgeons who perform ROP surgery regularly in Japan. He is also a pioneer of anti-VEGF treatment of ROP in Japan. He has become a professor and chair at Department of Ophthalmology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine since 2018. Currently, his main interests are surgical treatment of various vitreoretinal disorders, including pediatric retinal diseases, and basic research of pharmacological treatment of ocular neovascular diseases.

Sentaro Kusuhara is a senior assistant professor of Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. His work focuses particularly on vitreoretinal disorders, ocular inflammation, and secondary glaucoma in clinical research, as well as retinal vascular behavior and its role in the neurovascular unit in response to various insults in basic research. He enjoys spending time in nature, grooming his garden, and taking walks in a nearby park on weekends. His professional experience is as follows:

2018-Present Senior Assistant Professor, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
2016 Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe University Hospital, Japan
2012 Senior Research Associate, Translational Vision Research Lab, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, UK
2007 Chief Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Hospital, Japan
2004 Research Associate, RIKEN, Center for Developmental Biology, Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology, Japan
1998 M.D., Kobe University, Japan

1987 Graduated with a degree in Medicine, Osaka Medical College
1987 Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical College Hospital
1989 Department of Ophthalmology, National Osaka Hospital
1994 Tane Memorial Eye Hospital
1996 Research Fellow, Duke University Eye Center
1997 Medical Director, Tane Memorial Eye Hospital
2004 Senior Lecturer, Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka Medical College
2007 Vice President, Tane Memorial Eye Hospital
2009 Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Toho University Sakura Medical Center
2023 Professor, Endowed Department of Innovative Visual Science, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine

2012: M.D., Okayama University
2014: Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University
2017: Clinical fellow, Fukuyama City Hospital
2020-present: Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Okayama University

Hidetaka Matsumoto received an M.D. in 2001 and a Ph.D. in 2010 from Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan. He worked in the Angiogenesis lab at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School from 2011 to 2014. Dr. Matsumoto is currently an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine. His research area is retinal diseases, specifically age-related macular degeneration and pachychoroid spectrum diseases, and he has published numerous articles in this field. Dr. Matsumoto is a member of the Macula Society.

2015 M.D., Kagoshima University School of Medicine
2015 Resident, Kagoshima University Hospital
2017 Hospital Doctor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University
2021 Enrolled in Graduate School, Kagoshima University
2024 PhD, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University

Masahiro MIYAKE is a Japanese Ophthalmologist. He got a Ph.D. degree at Kyoto University and an M.P.H. degree at Harvard School of Public Health. After various working experiences, including Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and Genome Institute of Singapore, he works as an associate professor at Kyoto University Department of Ophthalmology. He specializes in high myopia, age-related macular degeneration, pachychoroid neovasculopathy, and central serous chorioretinopathy. Through a combination of clinical research, genetic association studies, and artificial intelligence/big data analyses, he has published many articles in high-impact journals. He is a board member of the Japanese Society of Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology.

2021 Associate Professor/Lecturer, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine
2017 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine
2016 Graduated Harvard School of Public Health (M.P.H.)
2016 Deputy Director, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development
2015 Graduated Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine (Ph.D.)
2015 Expert Officer, Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
2014 Visiting Scholar, Genome Institute of Singapore
2011 Graduate Student, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine
2008 Senior Resident, Kyoto University Hospital and Tenri General Hospital
2006 Junior Resident, Kobe City General Hospital
2006 Graduated from Osaka City University

Dr. Yusuke Murakami is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and the unit leader for inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) at Kyushu University Hospital in Fukuoka, Japan. He earned his MD and PhD in pathology from Kyushu University. Dr. Murakami completed his residency and fellowship in the Department of Ophthalmology at Kyushu University Hospital. Additionally, He trained as postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, where he received the 1st Evangelos S Gragoudas Prize for the best Retina paper.

His primary research interests focus on the biology of retinal degeneration and the development of therapies for blinding diseases. Ongoing research includes studies on cell death, immunology, nanomedicine, and gene therapy. Based on pre-clinical studies, his team has conducted a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of neuroprotective gene therapy for patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). He is also developing statin-encapsulated nanoparticle medicine for retinal degenerative disorders. His research projects have received over $5 million in funding, and he has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals, including PNAS and Progress in Retinal and Eye Research.

1986 Graduate from Kyushu University, School of medicine, Japan
1996 Research Associate, Doheny Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California USA
1998 Research Fellow, Children's Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School, Boston Massachusetts USA
2004 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyushu University

1994 Graduation of Nihon university school of medicine
2008 Assistant Professor, Nihon university school of medicine
2012 Clinical Associate Professor, Nihon university school of medicine
2016 Associate Professor, Nihon university school of medicine
2017 Clinical Professor, Nihon university school of medicine
2017 Eye Center Chairman of Nihon University Hospital
2020 Professor, Nihon university school of medicine
2022 Vice-Director of Nihon University Hospital

2001 : Graduated from the School of Medicine, Osaka University
2001 : Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Hospital
2002 : Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka National Hospital
2010 : Completed the Ph.D at the Graduate School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University
2010 : International Fellow at UCLA Jules Stein Eye Institute
2012 : Department of Ophthalmology, Sakai City Hospital
2015 : Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University
2019 : Associate Professor, Department of Advanced visual neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University
2021 : Associate Professor, Department of Advanced Device Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University
2024-present : Associate Professor, Department of Advanced Device Regenerative Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University

Research Interest : Artificial Vision, Diabetic Retinopathy, Vitreoretinal surgery

1999: Resident, Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Hospital, Japan
2007: Assistant prof., Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Hospital
2012: Clinical Research Associate, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, UK
2014: Associate prof., Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
2020: Prof., Ophthalmology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine

Kyoko Ohno-Matsui is Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Ophthalmology at Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU). She is also the Chief of the Advanced Clinical Center for Myopia. She is a founding president of Japan Myopia Society and was the president of the 17th International Myopia Conference in 2019.
She graduated from Yokohama City University Medical School and received her PhD at TMDU. She did postdoctoral fellowship at Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
Her research focuses on myopia, especially pathologic myopia. She established an international photographic classification of myopic maculopathy. As a method to visualize the shape of the entire globe in high myopes, she established a new technique '3D MRI of the eye' and proposed a novel classification of staphyloma. She has authored or co-authored 380 manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals. With Richard Spaide and Lawrence Yannuzzi, she has authored 2 textbooks on myopia. She also authored an atlas on pathologic myopia, effectively sharing her expertise with a wider audience. She has been awarded The J. Donald Gass Medal at the Macula Society in 2022 and The Jose Rizal Medal at Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology in 2023.

Dr. Oishi is an associate professor at Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan. He received his MD degree and PhD degree from Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan in 2001 and 2009, respectively. He worked at University of Bonn from 2015 to 2017 as an Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellow. His current interest includes genetics of inherited retinal dystrophy and treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

1979 Harvard University, Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges (AB 1983)
1984 Harvard-M.I.T. Health Sciences and Technology (MD 1988）
1988 Massachusetts General Hospital, Internal Medicine Internship
1989 Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Ophthalmology Residency
1992 Tokyo Medical University, Depts of Ophthalmology and Immunology (PhD 1998)
1998 Osaka University, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
1999 Kyorin University, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology
2002 Kyorin University, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
2009 Kyorin University, Professor of Ophthalmology
2023 Kyorin University, School of Medicine, Associate Dean of Global Affairs

2006 M.D., Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
2013 Ph.D., Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University, Tokyo, Japan
2017-2021 Postdoctoral fellow, Scripps Research Institute, San Diego, USA
2021- Associate Professor, Dep. of Ophthalmology, Juntendo University Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan

Yoko Ozawa M.D., Ph.D. works as a Professor of Department of Clinical Regenerative Medicine, Fujita Medical Innovation Center TOKYO, and Director of Eye Center, Fujita Health University, Haneda Clinic. She is a specialist of vitreal, retinal, and macular diseases, both as a clinician and a basic researcher. Her recent research interests are the aging and neuroprotection of the retina, and its association with oxidative stress and inflammation. One of her missions is to find neuroprotective and regenerative treatments for the retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinitis pigmentosa.

2004 Graduated from Hokkaido University School of Medicine
2004 Hokkaido University Hospital, Initial clinical resident
2006 Hokkaido University Hospital, Second-term resident
2007 Tokeidai Memorial Hospital, Medical Staff, Ophthalmology
2008 Sapporo Teine Keinin-kai Hospital, Medical Staff, Ophthalmology
2009 Hokkaido University Hospital, Medical Fellow, Department of Ophthalmology
2013 Completed Doctoral program in Ophthalmology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine
2014 Hokkaido University Hospital, Medical Staff
2017 Teine Keinin-kai Hospital, Medical Staff
2019 Hokkaido University Hospital, Assistant Professor
2021 Hokkaido University Hospital, Clinical Lecturer

1995 Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Hospital
1999 Research Fellow, Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
2005 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University School of Medicine
2016 Associate Professor, Department of Advanced Device Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine
2021 Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Gifu University School of Medicine
2024 Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Hiroshima University School of Biomedical and Health Scineces

Dr. Sakimoto is currently an Endowed Associate Professor at the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine in Osaka, Japan, where he is part of the Vitreoretinal Service at Osaka University Hospital. After graduating with an M.D. from Nagasaki University School of Medicine, he completed his residency in ophthalmology and a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at Osaka University Hospital. In 2012, he received his Ph.D. from Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, and in 2017, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Scripps Research Institute. His research interests include vitreoretinal surgery and retinal vascular diseases.

1991: MD Tohoku University School of Medicine
1997: PhD Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine
1997: Assistant Professor in Tohoku University Hospital
1998: Research fellow in University of Michigan, Kellogg Eye Center
2003: Associate Professor in Tohoku University Hospital
2003: Clinical Director in NTT East Japan Tohoku Hospital
2012: Professor in Tokyo Medical University, Hachioji Medical Center

1991 M.D., Kyushu University School of Medicine, Japan
1997 Ph.D., Kyushu University School of Medicine, Japan
1997 Postdoctoral fellow, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, USA
2000 Assistant professor, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University
2010 Professor and Chairman, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine
2015 Professor and Chairman, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyushu University

1. Chairman of Japanese Ocular Inflammation Society (incumbent)
2. Executive Director of Japan Ophthalmological Society (incumbent)
3. Director of the Japanese Society of Clinical Immunology (incumbent)
4. Council of APAO (incumbent)

1996 Resident, Mie University Hospital
2003 Resident, Department of Biochemistry, Aichi Cancer Center
2005 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Mie University
2008 Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Ophthalmic Research, Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic
2011 Lecturer, Department of Ophthalmology, Mie University　
2022 Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Mie University Hospital
2023 Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Yamagata University

2006; Graduated from Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba
2008; Resident in Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba
2017; Assistant Professor in Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba
2019; Research fellow in Vitreous Retina Macula Consultants of New York
2020; Assistant Professor in Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba

1993 M.D. Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University
1998 Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School
2001 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto University
2008 Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Nagasaki University
2014 Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto University
2018 Professor & Chairman, Department of Ophthalmology, Kagawa University

Ayana Suzumura, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Nagoya University Hospital. She graduated from Nagoya University School of Medicine in 2014 and began her ophthalmology residency at her alma mater in 2016.
Concurrently, she initiated basic research on the mechanisms of diabetic retinal neuropathy and potential therapeutic approaches. In 2020, she completed her Ph.D. at Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine. Her research earned her the 15th Young Investigator Award from the Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Diabetology.
She continues her research on diabetic retinal neuronal damage. Her clinical focus is diabetic retinopathy and uveitis.

March 2001: Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo.
April 2012: Appointed as Assistant Professor at Jichi Medical University.
May 2016: Founded DeepEyeVision Inc.
April 2017: Appointed as Associate Professor at Jichi Medical University (current position).
June 2024: Appointed as Professor at the Center for Cyber Medicine Research, University of Tsukuba.

2023- TMDU ophthalmology assistant professor
2022 Wills Eye Hospital international observership
2019-2022 TMDU ophthalmology department resident
2018 Internship at National Institute of Public Health (WHO, WPRO)
2017-2018 Tokyo Medical and Dental University(TMDU) clinical trainee

2007: Graduated from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
2009: Medical Staff, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
2019: PhD awarded from Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
2020: Assistant Professor, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine

2016-2017 Senior Resident, Department of Ophthalmology and Micro-Technology, Yokohama City University
2017-2019 Senior Resident, Department of Ophthalmology and Laboratory for Visual Science, National Center for Child Health and Development
2019-2022 Senior Resident, Department of Ophthalmology and Micro-Technology, Yokohama City University
2022-present Associate professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Micro-Technology, Yokohama City University

2004　M.D., Faculty of Medicine, Kindai University
2006　Medical Intern, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
2014　Graduate Student, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
2018　Assistant Professor, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
2019　Assistant Professor, University of the Ryukyus, Department of Ophthalmology
2021　Assistant Professor, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology
2024　Assistant Professor, University of the Ryukyus, Department of Ophthalmology

2005 Graduate from Kagoshima University
2005 Resident, Kagoshima University Hospital
2007 Senior resident, Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University Hospital
2008 Senior resident, Department of Ophthalmology, JCHO Kyushu Hospital
2014 Ph.D., Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences
2015 Research fellow, Doheny Eye Institute, University of California, Los Angeles
2017 Retinal fellow, Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University Hospital
2019 Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University Hospital
2022 Lecturer, Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University Hospital
2024 Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University Hospital

March,1996 Graduated from Toyama University School of Medicine (M.D.)
May, 1996 Resident in Ophthalmology, Niigata University Hospital
April, 2009 Medical director, Nagaoka Central General Hospital
April, 2012 Instructor, Ophthalmology, Niigata University School of Medicine
April, 2013 Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology, Niigata University School of Medicine
April, 2021 Lecturer, Ophthalmology, Niigata University School of Medicine

1992-1998 Nagoya University School of Medicine (M.D.)
2001-2004 Clinical and Research Fellowship Program (Retina) at Nagoya University (Ph.D., Medical Science)
2005-2007 Research Fellow, Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University
2007-2022 Assistant Professor, Ophthalmology, Nagoya University
2022- Professor, Ophthalmology, Hirosaki University

Taku Wakabayashi, MD, PhD, is currently a vitreoretinal and cataract surgeon at Wakabayashi Eye Clinic in Ishikawa, Japan. He is also a Visiting Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Aichi Medical University and a Visiting researcher at Kanazawa University. He received his MD from Kanazawa University, completed his Ophthalmology Residency, Vitreoretinal Fellowship, and PhD in vascular biology at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, where he later served as an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology. Dr. Wakabayashi also completed his post-doctoral fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, USA.
Dr. Wakabayashi has contributed over 150 original papers, editorials, and textbook chapters. He has received awards and recognitions including the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Achievement Award, American Society of Retina Specialist (ASRS) Honor Award, and Senior Honor Award. He is an active member of the AAO, ASRS, ARVO, Retina Society, and Vit-Buckle Society.

Dr. Akira Watanabe graduated from The Jikei Medical University in 1990. He began his career in the Department of Ophthalmology at the university as a resident in 1992. In 1994, he pursued advanced studies at the University of Chicago. After returning to The Jikei Medical University, he served as an assistant professor in 2002 and was promoted to associate professor in 2013. In 2019, he became a full professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, where he continues to make valuable contributions to the field.

Kenji Yamashiro received an M.D. from Kyoto University Medical School in 1995 and a Ph.D. from Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine in 2002 after joining Angiogenesis lab in Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Yamashiro is an author on over 200 scientific publications (impact factor: over 1300) and currently a Professor and Chairman of Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Kochi University Medical School in Japan. His recent interest is in improving medical and surgical treatment for retinal diseases.

1999~2000 Resident, Asahikawa Medical University
2001~2004 Graduate Student, Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa Medical University
2005~2008 Clinical Fellow, Department of Ophthalmology
2009~2011 Senior Postdoctoral Fellow, Vascular Biology Center, Medical College of Georgia
2012~2016 Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical University
2017 Nikko Memorial Hospital
2018~2019 Assistant Professor, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Science, Nihon University School of Medicine
2019~2023 Associate Professor, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Visual Science, Nihon University School of Medicine
2024~current Associate Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa Medical University