Hidehiro MIZUSAWA, MD, PhD (Director, Center for Brain Integration Research)
In modern societies like Japan, there are huge demands for high quality of life as well as various problems in development of mind from children to adults. Advanced countries have been overcoming infections, gastroenterological diseases, irculatory diseases, and even cancers. However, there has been a little achievement to treat diseases of the brain and nervous system, which is the key system for affluent life and could never be replaced although the other organs could.
In Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU),there has been a long tradition of brain and nervous system science as proved by receiving a 5 years grant the 21st century COE (center of excellence) program "brain integration and its disorders" (2003-2007). TMDU established Center for Brain Integration Research (CBIR) in 2007 to follow the great success of the COE program. The mission of CBIR is to overcome diseases of the brain and nervous system by integration of basic and clinical neurosciences.
In 2008, according to the request of TMDU the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture permitted to establisha new Department of Vascular Intervention and form the Brain and Vascular Regulation Center as the clinical section of CBIR, to which Department of Neurology, Department of Neurosurgery, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Anesthesiology (pain clinic) as well as Department of Vascular Intervention belong.
In the near future, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Department of Neuro-rehabilitation, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Stroke Care Unit will be prepared and join the Brain and Vascular Regulation Center. Finally, the CBIR would be a unique center not only in Japan but also in the world for researches, education and clinicals of brain and nervous system disorders.
