The lab and members

This department was established in 2000 with Masahiro Kihara as its first professor. The Department of Socio-epidemiology, which integrates epidemiology and social science, has advocated a comprehensive methodology for public health, and has promoted education and research that inherits the tradition of Kyoto University’s emphasis on this field. In addition to pioneering and leading epidemiological research on HIV infection in Japan, the University has actively promoted global health research with the participation of many students from developing countries, and in 2006 was designated as a Joint Research Center of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

In September 2020, Naoki Kondo was appointed as the second professor. Inheriting the tradition of field-oriented research, Professor Kondo emphasizes the importance of using large-scale quantitative data and of implementing the findings from research in a wide range of social systems, while collaborating with diverse organizations. The current lab name is the Department of Social Epidemiology.

Member

Professor

Naoki Kondo

Research: Social epidemiology, Health equity, Social determinants of health

People’s health is affected by social circumstances such as education, income, occupation, and their connections. It is also affected by national and regional policies, culture, economic trends, income disparity, and other social factors. Therefore, it is not possible to protect people’s health only with approaches that encourage individuals to take rational actions such as “exercise moderately” or “stop smoking”. Social epidemiology uses epidemiological methods to elucidate these “social determinants of health” and to control the health disparities that arise from them. Our goal is to create a society in which everyone can be naturally healthy.

Lecturer

Maho Haseda

Research: Health Inequalities, Intersectoral collaboration, Gerontology, Primary Care

Dr.Haseda is a Japan Primary Care Association (JPCA)/ Japanese Association for Home Care Medicine (JAHCM) certified primary care physician. Her main research interest is health inequalities among older people. She works to contribute to a society where people in any situation can live their lives even in their later lives.

Associate Professor(Hakubi Center)

Kosuke Inoue

Research: Clinical Epidemiology, Causal Inference, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Health Services Research

Dr. Inoue is a clinician and epidemiologist. He specializes in the development of methodologies in causal inference (the study of cause and effect) and their application to the field of non-communicable diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, obesity, etc). By identifying the causal mechanisms involved in these diseases and associated social risks, he aims to contribute to the development of scientific evidence to improve population health.

Assistant Professor

Keiko Ueno

Research: Cooperation in the community, welfare system, emergency medical care system

After completing a surgical residency and working as an emergency physician, Dr.Ueno entered a graduate school and started her career as a researcher. Her goal is to contribute to the creation of a community where various people and organizations can work together to connect support.

Assistant Professor

Akira Kyan

Research: Social epidemiology of children and adolescent, exercise epidemiology, health disparities, health promotion

Although he initially planned to become a health and physical education teacher, he ultimately pursued a career in research to take a broader approach to promoting children’s health and well-being. His current research focuses on understanding the social determinants of health in children and adolescents and devising health promotion measures aimed at correcting health disparities.

Assistant Professor

Yukiko Honda

Research: Social epidemiology and Socio-epidemiology, Maternal and child health, Mental health, Global health

Dr. Honda is intrigued by the question of what can serve as a lasting support throughout our journey in life. The answer to this question may not be singular. Using epidemiological research methods, she is dedicated to exploring these diverse answers both quantitatively and qualitatively. Her ultimate objective is to contribute to the prevention of undesired isolation among children and parents. Additionally, she aims to contribute to the establishment of support systems that consider the entire life course.

Research Fellow


Hiroshi Habu

Research: Cultural Prescription, Community, Art, Well-being, Dialogue, Physical Culture

He is conducting research on how to create a enriched community and live a fulfilling life, and implementing various art projects. He’d like to integrate the inherent non-exchangeability of art, which has the power to transform what is perceived as negative into a positive, with the evidence-based and quantitative nature of epidemiology. This integration aims to contribute to the creation of communities  that foster individual well-being. Furthermore, he’d like to deepen his understanding of facilitation techniques that can effectively bridge these two aspects within the community.

Research Fellow

Koryu Sato

Research: Health Economics, Social Security, Educational Inequalities, Health and Productivity Management, Gerontology

After working for 12 years at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), where he was involved in planning medical and long-term care insurance policies, Dr. Sato jumped into the world of research. He is interested in various fields including health, education, economics, and policy.

Research Fellow


Shiho Kino

Research: Health Inequality, Social Epidemiology, Dental Public Health, Social Welfare

Dr. Kino is researching the role that society can play in reducing health disparities. She has been based in the UK and the US. In recent years, her research has focused on the mental health of earthquake victims and low-income people in Japan.

Research Fellow

Andrew Stickley

Research: Mental Health, Public Health, Environmental Epidemiology

Dr. Stickley’s main research interests include loneliness, suicidal behavior, neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, ASD), common mental disorders, psychotic experiences, disability, alcohol epidemiology, health risk behaviors, health inequalities, violence.

Research Fellow

Daisuke Nishioka

Research: Public assistance, Social determinants of health, Social epidemiology, Social Welfare, Social Work

Lecturer, Department of Medical Statistics, Research & Development Center, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University/ Family Doctor/ Social Worker/ Care Manager/ His research focuses on the health of people living in poverty.

 

Adjunct Lecturer


Yuri Ito

Research:Health statistics and epidemiology, Cancer registries and cancer screening, Health inequalities, Database studies

Associate Professor, Department of Medical Statistics, Research & Development Center Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University

Adjunct Lecturer


Masamitsu Kamada

Research:Physical activity

Lecturer, Department of Health Education and Health Sociology, School of Public Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo

Adjunct Lecturer


Daisuke Takagi

Research:Social psychology, Sociology, Social epidemiology, Criminology, Geographical analysis

Lecturer, Departments of Health and Social Behavior, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo

Adjunct Lecturer


Daisuke Nishioka

Research:Welfare, Public assistance, Remote medical care, Social epidemiology, Social welfare studies

Lecturer, Department of Medical Statistics, Research & Development Center, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University

Adjunct Lecturer


Yoshihisa Fujino

Research: Epidemiology, Public health, Occupational health, Presenteeism, Compatibility support, Health disparities, Health Impact Assessment; HIA

Professor, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health

Adjunct Lecturer


Kaori Honjo

Research:Epidemiology, Social Epidemiology, Health inequalities, Gender

Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University

Doctoral student


Marisa Nishio

Research: Social determinants of health, Health policy, Intrinsic capacity, Global health

Her research focuses on the development of new measures for older people’s health and of social environments that support individuals’ health.

Doctoral student


Nana Ishimura

Research: Social determinants of health, Health Disparities, Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis

Nephrologist and dialysis specialist. She enrolled in this program to study how to measure and correct health disparities. She would like to study the relationship between disease and social factors, with a focus on renal disease and dialysis care.

Doctoral student


Du Zhen

Research:Social determinants of health, Health Inequality, Older adults

She is interested in social determinants of health and health care for the older adults, especially physical activity and psychosocial aspects and cognitive function. She would like to improve the health of the older adults by finding the factors that affect their health.

Doctoral student


Hanae Nagata

Research:Health Promotion, Health and Productivity Management, Social determinants of health

She is an occupational physician and occupational health consultant. She is interested in health and productivity management through health promotion programs.

Doctoral student


Hiroko Sakurai

Research:Health Inequality, Chronic disease, Regional medical care, Primary Health Care, Social capital

She is a family physician. She is  studying in this lab while engaging in primary care at Iwate Prefecture. She would like to explore what residents and primary care providers can do in an aging and decreasing population region.

Doctoral student


Yoshikazu Komura

Research:Social determinants of Mental disorder, Causal inference, Child psychiatry

He aims to build evidence to realize a world where all people can lead healthy lives.

Doctoral student


Paul Pereyra

Research: Social Epidemiology, Social Determinants of Health, Health Inequality, Causal Inference

He is a Physician and Physical Therapist (PT), focusing on understanding social determinants of health and reducing health disparities. His research interest is causal inference, reverse causation, and social capital. His purpose is to achieve health equality in society through research on social epidemiology.

Doctoral student


Rom Lunar

Research:Physical activity and sedentary behavior, healthy aging, social determinants of health

He is interested in identifying social inequalities in physical activity and sedentary behavior among older adults and will study the differences that exist between cohorts of different socioeconomic statuses in various settings. He is also interested in clarifying the factors that lead to the success or failure of interventions aimed at improving physical activity and sedentary behavior in older adults and the impact on health inequalities.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Doctoral student


Mieko Ohsuga

Research:Effective use of ICT to improve well-being for various people

Her specialty is ergonomics and psycho-physiological engineering, and she is doing research on ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in her current position (Faculty of Robotics and Design, Osaka Institute of Technology). I would like to contribute to creating a society where people (even if they are not healthy or elderly) can live a happy life.

Doctoral student


Hiroshi Hirota

Research:Health disparities, social epidemiology, remote medicine, diabetes and metabolism.

He will work towards improving the health disparities he experienced in his remote medical practice, both as a diabetologist and from a social epidemiology perspective.

Doctoral student


Keiichiro Kato

Research:Social determinants of health, health disparities, maternal and women’s health

He is an obstetrician/gynecologist. He is interested in the social determinants of women’s health, including maternal health, and wants to reduce the health disparities resulting from these factors.

Doctoral student


Ryohei Oda

Research:Health Disparities, Community Health and Wellness, Social Prescribing, Primary Care

He is a general practitioner. He hopes to assess and eliminate the various health disparities he has experienced through his medical work in urban, rural, and remote islands, and to contribute to building evidence to enable people to live their lives in society as they wish to be.

Doctoral student


Anna Kosaka

Research:Social epidemiology, social determinants of health, maternal and child health, life course, social implementation

While working as a doctor, she learned that there are lives that cannot be saved solely through clinical practice. Her objective is to create a social environment in which all people can live a natural and affluent life.

Doctoral student


Liu Qiuyi

Research:Social determinants of health, Social isolation, Health Inequality
She is interested in the impact of the social environment on health, especially health problems caused by loneliness and isolation.

Doctoral student


Kaori Suga

Research:Cancer survivorship, The association between medical care and health and economic inequality, Universal Health Coverage
Based on her clinical nursing experience, She is interested in correcting various inequities in healthcare and other areas. Her goal is to contribute to realize the spread of Universal Health Coverage.

Doctoral student


Tayzar Tun

Research: Health Inequities, Social Determinants of Health, Subjective well-being
He is a medical doctor who is passionate about fairness and ensuring everyone gets the help they need for their well-being. His work involves understanding why some people are healthier than others and addressing the inequalities that leave some behind. He wants to make things better for everyone so that everyone has an equal opportunity to experience well-being.

Doctoral student


Aayaka Sato

Research: Social Determinants, Psychiatric Disorders, Perinatal Mental Health

Based on my experience as a public health nurse, I am mainly interested in psychiatric disorders and perinatal mental health. Through my research, I aim to contribute to the creation of communities where all people can live in good health.

Master’s student


Ippei Takahara

Research:Social epidemiology, social determinants of health, health disparities

He is interested in the impact of political involvement on health. He aims to contribute to making a society where everyone is healthy and comfortable to live in.

Master’s student


Misato Terasoma

Research:Social determinants of health, chronic diseases, social prescribing

She is interested in what kind of society enables people to live a satisfying life despite their illness. Her aim is to contribute to the development a society in which everyone can live with peace of mind.

Master’s student


Mayu Kadowaki

Research:Health disparities, social determinants of health, well-being of the elderly

She hopes to reduce health disparities and contribute to the realization of a society where everyone can live a vibrant life. She is interested in improving well-being through community development.

Master’s student


Hiroaki Onizuka

Research:Life course epidemiology, policy evaluation, database

He is interested in the social and economic factors that affect health, and through his research he would like to think about human health and the society that makes it possible.

Master’s student


Yuina Saiga

Research: Social prescribing, Cultural prescribing, Well-being, Community building

I’m interested in the impact of local community and art/cultural activities on health. I would like to contribute to the creation of a society in which everyone can live a fulfilling life.

Master’s student


Mizuki Tawa

Research: Health disparities , Well-being, Social implementation

My background is in dentistry. I am interested in the relationship between psychosocial well-being and health. My goal is to create a sustainable society where everyone can achieve good health.

Master’s student


Yuka Nishioka

Research: Social prescribing, Social determinants of health, Health disparities

While working as a nurse in emergency medical care, I became interested in how social determinants of health affect patient’s diagnosis. My goal is contribute to create social system where everyone can live a healthy and peaceful life.

Master’s student


Nana Sakamoto

Research: Social epidemiology, Health Inequality, Health indifference group, Nudge

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I know it’s better for my health to do this, but I just can’t do it”? I have. My goal is to develop an approach that allows people to engage in healthy behavior without even trying to become healthy.

Master’s student


Akari Kitade

Reserach: Women’s health, Work-life balance, Maternal and child health, Work environment, Health disparities, Social capital

I am focusing on the social determinants of work-life balance and health issues among women of the reproductive age.
I will continue pursuing the society that can empower more women.

Collaborator

Mariko Kanamori

Research: Rural, Agriculture, Suicide, Gender relations, Social Determinants of Health, Social Epidemiology

Her research focuses on mental health issues in rural areas. Before entering graduate school, she worked as a clinical veterinarian for cattle in Hokkaido. She is majoring in social epidemiology because she believes that both cattle and people share a common way of living that depends on the state of society. She would like to contribute to a society where both people and animals can live healthy and happy lives.

Research Student(Research guidance commissioned by the University of Tokyo)


Yuki Arakawa

Research: Social relationships and mental health, Online medical consultation, EBPM

He has been working as a doctor in a hospital since 2011, with a wide range of experience in medicine and surgery, specialising in patient care in the emergency department and intensive care unit. There he was confronted with social issues in the context of patients that could not be changed by medical treatment and went to graduate school to find solutions. He is interested in the study of human connections, especially those related to loneliness. He is now working with local authorities to develop evidence for policies that lead to better health for people.

Research Student(Research guidance commissioned by the University of Tokyo)


Mai Yamaguchi

Research: Women’s health, Low-weight

She is researching socio-environmental factors related to thinness in women.

Research Student(Research guidance commissioned by the University of Tokyo)


Kyoka Sasaki

Research: Natural disasters, Human disasters, Mental health

She is interested in the effects of natural and man-made disasters and the new coronavirus pandemic on human health.

Guest Researcher

Minami Sugimoto

Research: Nutritional epidemiology, dietary assessment methods, diet-related environmental impact, sustainable healthy diets

Dr. Sugimoto is developing methodologies and analyzing data with the aim of identifying and encouraging dietary and eating behavior patterns that promote people’s health and do not impact the global environment.

Guest Researcher


Hisataka Anezaki

Research: Health economics, Valuing health services, health check-ups and health behaviour

Dr. Anezaki focuses on the valuing of medical services from the perspective of patients and users of medical services.

Guest Researcher


Yoko Matsuoka

Research: Post-Disaster Relocation, Changes in the Socio-Physical Environment, Mental Health, Social Participation

She is researching associations between changes in the socio-physical environment due to post-disaster relocation and the mental health of older adults living in areas affected by earthquakes.

Guest Researcher


Tomoki Nakaya

Guest Researcher

Yugo Shobugawa

Guest Researcher


Yoshiki Ishikawa

Guest Researcher


Yusuke Sasahara

Guest Researcher


Ibuki Ozawa

Guest Researcher


Takashi Miyashita

Research:Social Marketing

Guest Researcher


Sho Takeda

Research: Ikigai, Inequality within a community, Social prescribing

Guest Researcher


Masayo Yano

Guest Researcher


Itsuki Osawa

Guest Researcher


Aya Chiba

Guest Researcher


Kumi Sugimoto

Guest Researcher


Takuya Yamada

Collaborator


Toshiaki Komura

Former Members of the lab

Guest Scholar


Yanzhang Li

Dr Li focuses on disability and frailty research of community-dwelling older adults including three aspects: study, research and cooperation.

History of our laboratory

November, 2023
Akira Kyan, appointed as Assistant Professor through a cross-appointment system
October, 2023
Akira Kyan, promoted to Associate Professor at University of the Ryukyus
August, 2023
Yukiko Honda, appointed as Assistant Professor
May, 2023
Akira Kyan, appointed as Assistant Professor
April, 2023
Keiko Ueno, appointed as from Research Fellow to Assistant Professor
April, 2023
Maho Haseda, appointed as from Assistant Professor to Lecturer
April, 2023
Kosuke Inoue, transferred from Assistant Professor to Hakubi Center and promoted to Associate Professor
April, 2021
Kosuke Inoue, appointed as Assistant Professor
April, 2021
Koryu Sato, appointed as from Research Fellow to Assistant Professor
October, 2020
Maho Haseda, appointed as Assistant Professor
September, 2020
Naoki Kondo, appointed as Professor

Activities of alumni in our laboratory

September, 2024
Shiho Kino, appointed as Professor, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Department of Preventive Oral Health Care Sciences