Virology & Parasitology Osaka Metropolitan University

Research

Research

Virology and parasitology — two pillars, one laboratory.

Malaria

Malaria mother–child cohort

Across three African countries we built mother–child cohorts to study placental malaria and the wider burden of malaria — vertical transmission, severe disease in children, and drug resistance.

DR Congo Nigeria Kenya

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Emerging infections

Building a research hub in DR Congo

Under an AMED program, in partnership with INRB (DR Congo), we are building a core hub for infectious-disease research in sub-Saharan Africa — advancing diagnostics, surveillance, and training together.

DR Congo

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Mpox Clade I

Mpox integrated study

Combining a human Clade I cohort with our multi-layered omics platform, we elucidate the molecular basis of protective immunity to inform diagnostics and next-generation vaccines and antibodies.

DR Congo

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Chagas (NTD)

Chagas disease: vectors and cardiomyopathy

Nationwide vector surveillance and NGS bloodmeal analysis in El Salvador demonstrate active transmission risk to humans, while cardiomyocyte models dissect the pathology of Chagas cardiomyopathy.

El Salvador

COVID-19

COVID-19 humoral immunity

We comprehensively analyze humoral immunity to SARS-CoV-2 across infection, vaccination, and hybrid immunity — revealing antibody avidity maturation and epitope breadth, and establishing optimal serological assays.

Japan

Surveillance

Surveillance of undiagnosed infections

Using NGS metagenomics and comprehensive antibody profiling (PhIP-Seq), we search for the pathogens behind undiagnosed infections and build systems to monitor unknown pathogens in endemic regions.

DR Congo

Drug discovery

Trypanosome drug discovery

Targeting the alternative oxidase (AOX) — essential to the parasite yet absent in humans — we develop selective ascofuranone-derived inhibitors, bridging molecular science to medicines.