分子腫瘍学講座 ｜ 信州大学(Molecular Oncology | Shinshu Univ.) > History

The Research Center on Aging and Adaptation was established in the Shinshu University School of Medicine on June 24,1994, consisting of two divisions: the Angio-aging Research Division and the Neuro-aging Research Division. Our laboratory, named Environmental Adaptation, was a part of the Angio-aging Research Division.
Dr. Shun’ichiro Taniguchi, from the Medical Institute of Bioregulation at Kyushu University, became the first professor of Environmental Adaptation on September 1, 1995. Our laboratory was initially only a small temporary room at the west end of the medical college. Soon afterwards, Dr. Michiko Takeoka came to our lab as an assistant from the Department of Sports Medicine on October 1, 1995. Later, Dr. Junji Sagara joined our lab from Kyoto University to become the Associate Professor on April 1, 1996. Following the renovation of a small building for our laboratory in the summer of 1996, our formal research activities began in winter that year.
The Research Center on Aging and Adaptation was originally scheduled to operate for a 10-year period, but its activities became highly acclaimed and it consequently evolved into the Institute on Aging and Adaptation, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, in April 2003 as a Doctoral course. The previous name of our laboratory, Environmental Adaptation, was changed to Molecular Oncology.
In April 2005, Dr. Sagara was promoted to Professor of the Shinshu University School of Health Sciences. One month later, Dr. Naoki Itano came to our lab from Aichi Medical University as the new Associate Professor. At the same time, Dr. Michiko Takeoka was promoted to Lecturer. On April 20, 2010, Dr. Itano left for Kyoto Sangyo University to become a Professor and was replaced in June 2001 by Dr. Shigeaki Hida. Dr. Hida’s background is immunological control, and he is now deeply involved in our ASC project.
The previous Institute on Aging and Adaptation(April 2003~ March 2012) has been further evolved into the Institute of Pathogenesis and Disease Prevention, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, from April 2012 as a Doctoral course. The mission of the new institute is to cover comprehensive education and research on preventive medicine, which is one of the main research projects of Shinshu University.