Academic seminar:A clinical intervention for food and a novel therapy for inflammatory bowel disease Event as iCalendar

Liggins Institute academic seminar
presented by Professor Jun Nishihira, Hokkaido Information University, Japan

All University staff and students are welcome
Refreshments will be served

Prof Nishihira undertakes clinical studies examining the actions of functional foods on GI tract diseases, especially inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) management. He has established a platform for clinical trial analysis of foods based on more than 1200 volunteers. For GI tract diseases, he has successfully developed a novel therapeutic method for IBD targeting a proinflammatory cytokine, MIF (macrophage migration inhibitory factor). In this talk, he will introduce the clinical trial system for foods, and then a novel therapeutic approach for IBD by the use of MIF anti-sense complex with 1,3-beta glucan.

Based on this clinical and basic medical investigation, he is planning to expand global collaboration in terms of food science and business. In December 2011, Sapporo/Ebetsu was chosen as “Food Complex International Strategic Comprehensive Special Zone” by the Japanese cabinet office. Using this opportunity, he wants to promote exchange programs between the two areas and New Zealand. He will touch upon subjects on his research work and also future collaboration programs through potential funding of food-related research.

Biosketch
Prof Nishihira graduated from Hokkaido University School of Medicine (1979); Post-doctoral fellow: Bowman Gray School of Medicine, Wake-Forest University, Winston Salem, NC (1983-1985); Lecturer and Associate professor, Central Research Institute, Hokkaido University School of Medicine 1992-2000; Associate Professor: Department of Biomedical Science, Hokkaido University School of Medicine (2000-2005); and Professor: Department of Medical Management and Informatics, Hokkaido Information University (2006-current). Specialty: Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Immunology.