Regenerative and Biomedical Engineering

Students in the Course of Regenerative and Biomedical Engineering learn to apply engineering techniques to regeneration from the standpoints of both form and function. Starting from regeneration at the cell and tissue level, they study the restoration of functions by means of artificial organs, and go on to the more complex challenge of developing and establishing information engineering technologies for controlling life functions. We teach the following fields.

Rehabilitative Auditory Science

Hearing restoration for deafened patients using the approach based on the biomedical engineering

  • Professor Yukio Katori Professor
    Yukio Katori

Sound information, which is converted to the electrical spike signal of the cochlear nerve in the inner ear, is transmitted to the brain via the auditory system. Disturbance of any part of auditory system causes hearing impairment. In considering the improvement of speech perceptibility of impaired listeners, it is important to understand the pathology and pathophysiology of deafness. In our laboratory, researches being conducted on auditory prostheses and related auditory science to help impaired listeners compensate for the deteriorated speech perception.

  1. Development of diagnostic tools based on the pathophysiology of hearing loss
  2. Research on auditory prosthesis (cochlear, brainstem and mid-brain implants, hearing aid)
  3. Research on auditory rehabilitation
  4. Research on binaural hearing and audio-visual bimodal speech perception
  • Electrophysiological mapping system for auditory brainstem implant

    Electrophysiological mapping system for auditory brainstem implant

  • Neuromagnetic investigation on auditory steady state response

    Neuromagnetic investigation on auditory steady state response

Department of Neurosurgical Engineering and Translational Neuroscience

Development of new tools and therapies for neurosurgical diseases, and rapid translation to patientse

  • Professor Kuniyasu Niizuma Professor
    Kuniyasu Niizuma
  • Associate Professor Sherif Rashad Associate Professor
    Sherif Rashad

The central nervous system (CNS) is especially vulnerable and has limited potential for regeneration in the baseline level. Even with the current sophisticated treatments for CNS injury, lots of patients get disabled. We reveal pathophysiology of CNS diseases with both biological and engineering approaches and develop new treatments for CNS injuries.

  1. Development of neuro-regenerative therapy with multi-lineage differentiating stress enduring (Muse) cells.
  2. Development of new thrombolytic and neuroprotective agents.
  3. Development of materials for bone regeneration.
  4. Research for hemodynamics of cerebral aneurysms using computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
  5. Research for molecular pathways of CNS injuries.
  6. Research for tRNA modifications
  • Experimentally induced aneurysm in rat. The process related to the initiation, growth, rupture and cure is analyzed. This model is useful to study new development of endovascular devices and and pharmacological therapy.

    Experimentally induced aneurysm in rat. The process related to the initiation, growth, rupture and cure is analyzed. This model is useful to study new development of endovascular devices and and pharmacological therapy.

  • Patient data specific CFD analysis of brain aneurysm. This type of aneurysm had strong relationship between maximum wall shear stress and growth and rupture.

    Patient data specific CFD analysis of brain aneurysm. This type of aneurysm had strong relationship between maximum wall shear stress and growth and rupture.

Medical Science

Development of remedies for cancer, hypertension, diabetes and renal failure

  • Professor Takaaki Abe Professor
    Takaaki Abe

Variety of membrane transport systems play essential roles for maintaining homeostasis in the body. In addtion, many membrane transporters involve in the regulation pathogenesis of renal failure, hypertension and cancer as well as diabetes and obesity. We sudy for developing diagnositc tools or screeing new drug by modulating such molecules.

  1. Characterization of membrane transport systems
  2. Search of diagnostic tool and new drugs for renal failure and hypertension
  3. Discovery of anti-cancer drugs
  4. Research for diabetes and obesity
  • Renal-specific gene delivery

    Renal-specific gene delivery

Department of Aging Vision Healthcare

  • Assistant professor Noriko HimoriAssociate professor
    Noriko Himori

As the average life expectancy in Japan is long, it is currently an issue to extend healthy life expectancy. It is said that people receive about 80% of information through their vision, and it is important for extending healthy lifespans to maintain good eyesight. To this end, we are collaborating with the Center for Innovations in Next Generation Medicine (INGEM) to analyze lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol moderation, weight, diet, exercise, sleep, etc), omics data (genes, the metabolome), fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans. We are building big data by comparing images, and we are conducting data-science-based research on eye disease prevention, such as making prognoses with AI image diagnoses based on data from daily medical checkups and screening for systemic diseases. In addition, we are striving to create personalized medicine by quantifying individual oxidative stress using new equipment and exploring its relationship with eye diseases. We are also working on the development of medical devices, such as microdevices that non-invasively extract important information and biomarkers of systemic vascular diseases and dementia from the eyes.