Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences

In fiscal year 1996, the government budget for private universities and graduate schools included the High-Tech Research Center Development Project (currently the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Private University Strategic Research Infrastructure Formation Support Project), which was established as part of the budget for the development of educational and research equipment and facilities, and the concept document submitted by Hyogo Medical University university, "Understanding the role of IGIF (IL-18) in host defense and its involvement in disease," was selected for the project. To accommodate this, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences was launched on April 1, 1997 with a single department, the Biodefense System Research Department (renamed the Biodefense Department in September 1998).

In 1998, the institute established a new department, the "Family Tumor Department," which was selected for the Academic Frontier Promotion Project (currently the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Academic Research Advancement Promotion Project, Academic Frontier Promotion Project). Furthermore, in 1999 and 2000, the "Department of Development and Reproduction" and the "Department of Cell Transplantation" were selected for the High-Tech Research Center Development Project, expanding the institute to four departments.

In 2005, with the goal of fundamentally reforming Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences, the "Cell and Gene Therapy Department" and the "Laboratory of Neural Repair and Regeneration" were newly established at the institute as research fields essential for the future development of clinical research at our university. Professors (with fixed-term contracts) at the institute were selected through a public recruitment process, and the institute was selected as a recipient of the 2006 Social Collaboration Research Promotion Program.

The "Familial Tumor Division" and "Development and Reproduction Division" completed their roles with the end of the project's subsidy period, and closed in fiscal 2007 and 2008, respectively. On the other hand, the "Cell Transplantation Division" was selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's Private University Strategic Research Infrastructure Formation Support Program in fiscal 2008, and it was decided that it would continue.

In October 2009, a new Allergy Disease Research Department was established, with institute professors (with fixed-term appointments) selected through public recruitment, and the institute was selected for the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's 2010 Strategic Research Infrastructure Formation Support Program for Private Universities.

In 2010, the Cell and Gene Therapy Division and Laboratory of Neural Repair and Regeneration reached their fifth year of office, and as a result of a reexamination by the University, the continuation of both divisions was approved. On the other hand, the Biodefense Division, which had been in place since the institute's establishment, ended in 2010.

In 2018, the "Division of Drug Development Research" was newly established with the goal of developing new pharmaceutical preparations and treatments. Meanwhile, the "Division of Cell Transplantation" and the "Division of Allergy Disease Research" were abolished as the main research activities were transferred to the courses and the term of the division director expired at the end of March 2018.

In 2021, Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences underwent reforms aimed at achieving further growth as a whole, and the new Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy" and "Laboratory of Medical Frontiers" were established. In addition, the departments of "Cell and Gene Therapy" and "Pharmaceutical Development Research" were abolished.

In 2022, Laboratory of Molecular and Genetic Therapeutics was added, bringing the total number of departments to four.

Institute for Advanced Medical Sciences has a unique presence among medical schools, and it is expected that the strengthening of the organization and the activities of each department will raise the level of research throughout the university.

Director: Takayuki Nakagome