A Year in Review: 2022
2022 was a year in which Takahashi greatly achieved the goal set at the beginning of the year: “to take a step to starting business activities to provide organ / disease models, which utilize organ-on-a-chip technology.”
Takahashi made a big decision to enter Okayama Innovation School, where he learned the basics of business for eight months. At the Okayama University Pitch Contest 2022, which he went into with his refined business plan, he won the Chugoku Bank Award and the NEDO Award. Also, at the Okayama Innovation Contest, where about 100 people entered, he won the grand prize in the Business Plan General Category. Furthermore, his business plan passed the second-stage examination of the Technology Commercialization Program of the National Institute of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). Takahashi will go into the final examination in 2023.
In academic research, Takahashi has started international joint research with Dr. Nasir Uddin of Texas A&M University for research and development of heart failure models using heart-on-a-chip (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Invitational Fellowships for Research in Japan, S21099), in addition to advancing research and development of heart-on-a-chip and kidney-on-a-chip. Moreover, research and development of cancer-on-a-chip was promoted through joint research with Dr. Takanori Eguchi of Okayama University.
Related: Ken Takahashi’s works
Looking ahead to 2023
Over the years, Takahashi has developed a vision to revitalize academic research at university and achieve social contributions, by implementing the cycle of returning the knowledge and technology obtained in university research to society and conducting research at university on the knowledge and technology that society needs. To achieve this, Takahashi will establish a university-launched startup company based on human organ-on-a-chip technology.
In academic research, Takahashi wil actively promote international joint research centered on microfluidic chip technology, mechanobiology, and pathological modeling, and actively acquire patents, publish high-impact papers, and obtain large-scale research grants.
In terms of education, Takahashi will develop internationally competent human resources with doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s degrees, who will lead the next generation.
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Takahashi Lab at Okayama University uses principles of physiology, cellular and molecular biology, and biophysics. The purpose of the lab is to develop science and medicine by unveiling the mechanisms of diseases through collaborations with scientists, epidemiologists, and corporate alliances. The alliance includes Harvard University, Boston University, Texas A&M University, and PD Aerospace, Ltd.
