Moment of the meeting / MF archive
Delegation of well known scientists from the Central Institute for Experimental Medicine and Life Science in Japan – Prof. Makoto Suematsu, Dr Erika Sasaki and Dr Terumi Yurimoto – visited the Vilnius University Medical Science Centre (VU MMC). The guests were welcomed by Prof. Tomas Poškus, director of the Translational Health Research Institute, and Dr Andrius Kaselis along with other representatives of the Faculty of Medicine.
During the visit, the guests were introduced to the MMC space – newly equipped laboratories, unique equipment and the highest-standard animal research unit – the Vivarium, where the first residents have already settled. The Japanese guests, world-class experts on animal research, provided insights and cooperation in strengthening the Vivarium activities and developing complex animal models.
Prof. Makoto’s team also met with scientists in the fields of oncology and abdominal surgery and discussed joint projects aimed at better understanding the mechanism of cancer development, in order to provide research with both animals and humans.
Dr Erika Sasaki gave a special lecture during the visit entitled “Development of Alzheimer's Disease Non-Human Primate Models by Genome Editing”, which outlined the progress of her team in developing animal models of Alzheimer’s disease using advanced genome editing methods. Prof. Sasaki is a widely recognized scientist who leads the Department of Advanced Physiology at the Central Institute for Experimental Medicine and Life Sciences in Japan. She is also a Senior Visiting Scientist at the RIKEN – prestigious brain science institute, and a Professor at Keio University.
Dr Erika Sasaki gives a special lecture in the Medical Science Centre
Makoto Suematsu is a long-time partner of the Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine and a friend of the Lithuanian biomedical science community. He is a world-renowned biomedical scientist, former President of the Japanese Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), an active member of international scientific organizations, and a member of the International Advisory Board of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University.
The delegation, together with Assoc. Prof. Karolis Ažukaitis, Vice-Dean for Science and Innovation of the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University, prof. Tomas Poškus, director of the Translational Health Research Institute, and Jūratė Jūrevičienė visited the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Lithuania. During the meeting with the advisors to the President of the Republic of Lithuania, issues of cooperation in the fields of education and science were discussed, emphasizing the strengthening of ties between Japanese and Lithuanian institutions and strategic partnership in the context of innovation, scientific research and the development of higher education.
The delegation payed a visit to the Presidential Palace of the Republic of Lithuania / Photo from personal archive