Professor and Chair
University of the Ryukyus, Japan
Currently a Professor and Chair of the First Department of Internal Medicine at the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan, and Director of Infection Control at the University Hospital. After completing residency in internal medicine and fellowship training in infectious diseases and respiratory medicine, I obtained my PhD at Nagasaki University, where I developed rapid diagnostic methods for antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. As a postdoctoral fellow at Boston University, I studied host immune responses in pneumonia. My research focuses on respiratory tract infections, especially pneumococcus and respiratory viruses, antimicrobial resistance, and vaccine-based prevention. I have contributed to national and international guidelines on pneumonia, COVID-19, and non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis, and serve on editorial boards of leading journals. Recently, I have emphasized vaccine promotion and policy, serving as a member of the Vaccine Committee of the Japanese Respiratory Society.