Many common chronic diseases are multifactorial in that they are caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors. By applying the technology and information of human genome to epidemiological studies, we aim to clarify the role of genetic polymorphisms, epigenetic changes, as well as their interaction with environmental factors, which may contribute to the development of these diseases.

Our research subjects are as follows.

1. Gene-environment interaction that affects the onset of metabolic syndrome and its related phenotypes.
2. Developmental Origin of Health and Diseases
3. Role of nutrition on epigenetic modification and health
4. Genetic factors that affect the severity of pathological atherosclerosis and the development of cancer
5. Severe cutaneous adverse response (Stevens-Jhonson’s Syndrome) and HLA genotypes.
6. Application of personal genome to preemptive & preventive medicine.

[Doctor course]
Noriko Sato: Biomedical Science

[Master course]
Masaaki Muramatsu: Environmental Social Health
Masaaki Muramatsu: Health Care Informatics

Noriko Sato: Molecular and Cellular Biology
Noriko Sato: Introduction to Human Molecular Genetics

[Undergraduate]
Noriko Sato: Bioinformatics
Noriko Sato: Diet and Health

We focus on common diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and atherosclerosis which are caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors, and aim to decipher these factors as well as their interactions by applying the technology and information of human genome to epidemiology. Our goal is not only to identify disease genes and polymorphisms but also to elucidate gene-environment interactions that contribute to the onset and progression of the diseases. Epigenetic changes in common diseases are also in our scope. A new project has been started to study methods for educating genome-based health literacy by employing information generated from personal genome sequences.