東北大学大学院医工学研究科健康維持増進医工学分野/医学系研究科運動学分野

東北大学大学院医工学研究科健康維持増進医工学分野/医学系研究科運動学分野

Overview of our research

The primary interest of the department is in understanding the mechanism of physiological adaptation in various systems of the body to physical exercise and in practical application of exercise science in primary prevention and health promotion. We employ various research disciplines such as molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, exercise physiology, biomechanics, informatics, and epidemiology in order to solve our research questions. Since Professor Nagatomi, the chair of the department is the current president of International Society of Exercise & Immunology, special emphasis is on the studies investigating impact of exercise and stressors on the immune system as well as on skeletal muscle regeneration after muscle damage and inflammation.

We have accepted students from variety of countries such as China, Indonesia, and Russia. Ability to read, write and speak in English is required to accomplish our program. Experimental techniques such as cell cultures both primary and cell lines, PCR and RT-PCR, Western blotting, siRNA (in vitro and in vivo), immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, ELISA, animal handling, are routinely performed.

Our current research topics are as below:

1. How skeletal muscle tissue is repaired after damage of various causes: investigation of responsible and essential genes and factors for appropriate regeneration and conditions that leads to unsuccessful recovery such as fibrosis.

2. Studies to understand the mechanism and consequence of physiological impact from physical exercise and various stressors to the immune system.

3. Multidisciplinary studies to understand the factors determining susceptibility to viral upper respiratory infection involving epidemiology, thermophysiology and molecular biology.

4. Development of portable devices to classify and quantify daily physical activity in collaboration with Tohoku University New Industry Creation Hatchery Center.

5. Optimization of fall prevention program for frail elderly people in the community in collaboration with Division of Epidemiology, Miyagino-Ward Health & Social Welfare Center, Sendai City, Tohoku Bunka Gakuen University and Tohoku Fukushi University.

Contraction of skeletal muscle is an essential activity for animals and human beings. In order to accomplish even the simplest movement, we make full use of various systems such as the nervous, endocrine and metabolic systems to coordinate appropriate muscles to work in harmony both spatially and sequentially. The whole event could also influence other systems like the immune system, which might adapt to the change in both the internal and external environment when the amount of physical exercise changes. Large numbers of contributions have been made to understand the physiological aspects of physical activity in the last couple of decades, yet there are still so many things we still do not know. Those who are interested in the same issues are most welcome to join in. Please feel free to contact us.

Announcement

-> Publication
-> Contact us

Our lab. now accepts post graduate students. Please refer to this site for admission information.