Department of Eco-epidemiology
April 2008, the Research Center for Tropical Infectious Diseases was reorganized and transformed into four groups i.e. two departments in the Research Field of Environmental Medicine, Tropical Medicine Museum and the Kenya station of Overseas Research Stations.
“Eco-epidemiology”department is one of the new two departments in the Research Field of Environmental Medicine.
However, the staffs do not work in the department at present and mainly work for the Kenya Research station of Overseas Research Stations and for the Tropical Medicine Museum.
The concept of eco-epidemiology is based on the view of recognizing tropical diseases as a system of infection. The aim of our research is to understand the process of interaction between microorganisms, vectors and human beings in the system.
Human beings and vectors, so-called hosts as a niche of pathogens, exist not statically but dynamically in time and space. In addition, there is an infinite diversity in the characteristics of hosts. We study how microorganism survive, maintain, proliferate, diminish, disappear and emerge through the niches.
The ultimate purpose of the department is to form a theory for a better understanding of the interrelationship between hosts and pathogen and its consequences, diseases.
Members
- Professor Masaaki Shimada (Kenya Station)
- Professor Masahiro Horio (Museum)
- Professor Satoshi Kaneko (Kenya Station)
- Professor Yoshio Ichinose (Kenya Station)
