【Event report】The 3rd UAAT x KOOU Bilateral Symposium

September 24 2026

The 3^rd UAAT ×KOOU Bilateral Symposium - Plasticity in Development and Diseases was held over two days, from September 14 to 15.

As part of a research exchange program between various universities in Taiwan and Kumamoto, this symposium has been held alternately in Taiwan and Kumamoto every year since 2024. This year, IRCMS hosted the event, welcoming over 20 researchers and students from Taiwan.

Day one kicked off with opening remarks from Kazuhito Tomizawa, Ph.D, Director of IRCMS. Alongside the main program, the "IRCMS Special Seminar" featured an engaging keynote speech by Hsing-Jien Kung Ph.D, Professor of Taipei Medical University. Another highlight was the poster session, where young researchers and students from both sides presented their work. Getting direct advice and feedback from Prof. Kung and other attendees made it a truly rewarding experience for these emerging scholars.

During the research presentation sessions, 10 speakers took the stage on the first afternoon, followed by 8 more the next day, sharing their latest findings related to the symposium's theme. The two-day event wrapped up with closing remarks from Hitoshi Takizawa, Ph.D,Professor of IRCMS.

The in-person format sparked lively discussions and natural networking throughout the venue, making it a great opportunity to further strengthen the collaborative ties between the Taiwanese universities and IRCMS.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event a success!

9月14日から15日の2日間にわたり、「第3回UAAT×KOOU Bilateral Symposium」が開催されました。

本シンポジウムは、台湾の各大学と熊本の研究交流プログラムの一環として、2024年より台湾と熊本にて毎年交互に開催されています。今年度はIRCMSが主宰を務め、台湾から20名を超える研究者や学生の皆様をお招きしての開催となりました。

初日は、富澤　一仁 機構長による開会の挨拶で始まりました。同時開催としてTaipei Medical UniversityのHsing-Jien Kung教授をお招きした基調講演「IRCMS Special Seminar」が行われ、参加者は熱心に耳を傾けていました。また、双方の若手研究者および学生によるポスターセッションでは、Hsing-Jien Kung教授をはじめとする参加者から直接アドバイスをいただく場面も見られ、若手研究者にとって大変有意義な学びの場となりました。

シンポジウムの研究発表では、初日の午後に10名、翌15日に8名が登壇し、本テーマに関連する各々の研究成果が報告されました。プログラムは、滝澤 仁 教授による閉会のご挨拶をもって2日間の全日程を終了しました。

対面開催ならではの活発な意見交換や交流が行われ、台湾の各大学とIRCMSとの連携をより一層深める貴重な機会となりました。

ご参加、ご協力いただいた皆様に心より御礼申し上げます。 

September 14(Mon)
Opening Remarks			Kazuhito Tomizawa Director of IRCMS
IRCMS Special Seminar
Keynote Lecture			Hsing-Jien Kung Taipei Medical University
			Chair: Ruby Huang
Poster Viewing
The 3rd UAAT × KOOU Bilateral Symposium - Plasticity in Development and Diseases
Session1 - Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Progression -
Chair: Yuta Takahashi
Chun-Hsien Wu Taipei Medical University	Kento Ohno Kumamoto University
Session 2 - Tissue Plasticity, Repair and Regeneration -
Chair: Norika Liu / Su-Yi Tsai
Po-Han Lin National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University	Aiko Sada Kyushu University	Joanne Jerenice Añonuevo National Cheng Kung University	Norika Liu Kumamoto University
Session 3 - Metabolism, Immunity and Translational Bioscience-
Chair: Hidenobu Mizuno /Jian-Da Lin
Tzu-Han Weng National Taiwan University	Li-Yun Lin Kumamoto University	Kenichi Miharada Kumamoto University	Jyong-Huei Lee National Taiwan University
September 15 (Tue)
Session 4 - Development, Tissue Microenvironments and Immune Regulation-
Chair: Rieko Asai / Kyle Hsu
Guojun Sheng Kumamoto University	Pei-Shiue Jason Tsai National Taiwan University	Hitoshi Takizawa Kumamoto University	Yuzhen Yeh National Taiwan University
Session 5 - Emerging Technologies and Model Systems in Biomedicine-
Chair: Terumasa Umemoto / Ruby Huang
Xiao Thoong Lim National Taiwan University	Chia-Yi Su National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University	Toru Takeo Kumamoto University	Kenichi Morooka Kumamoto University
Closing Remarks:			Hitoshi Takizawa Kumamoto University
Facility Tour
Group Photo