Laboratory of Cell Dynamics

Professor Mitsuyasu Kato is a biomedical research expert who concurrently serves as a Professor of Experimental Pathology in the Faculty of Medicine at University of Tsukuba, Japan, and a Professor of Cell Dynamics within Transborder Medical Research Center (TMRC).

He is acclaimed for having revealed the critical role of stemness induction in dormant cancer cells in the persistent growth of cancer, by adopting a multidisciplinary research approach via a combination of histopathology, molecular cell biology and mathematical science, to reveal the function of transforming growth factor-β in cancer.

He maintains his laboratory’s vital work in elucidating the molecular mechanism of stemness induction and is developing potential cancer therapies which may lead to successful clinical treatments targeting stemness induction of malignant cancers in future.

Professor Mitsuyasu Kato has been Executive Officer of the University of Tsukuba as Dean of Faculty of Medicine since 2018.

Professor Mitsuyasu Kato graduated from Tohoku University School of Medicine in 1985 at which time he was registered as an authorized physician in Japan and became a physician in the Department of Pathology at Sendai City Hospital.

In 1987, he joined the Tohoku University Department of Pathology, under Professor Masahisa Kyogoku. He received his PhD in Medicine from Tohoku University in 1990 before studying abroad between 1990-1994 at the Ludwig Cancer Research Center under the supervision of Director and Professor Carl-Henrik Heldin, at Uppsala University, Sweden,

He maintained his association with Tohoku University Department of Pathology throughout the period 1985 to 1995 to become an Associate Professor. In 1995, he also became an Academic Councilor of The Japanese Society of Pathology and an Associate of The Cancer Institute of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, at Department of Biochemistry for Director Kohei Miyazono. In 2000, he became an Associate Member at The Cancer Institute of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research.

In 2001, Professor Kato became an Authorized Diagnostic Pathologist of the The Japanese Pathological Society and a Professor of University of Tsukuba, Department of Experimental Pathology, Faculty of Medicine in 2002.

With continued excellence and dedicated contribution towards the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tsukuba; biomedical research, and education, Professor Kato has held numerous prominent academic and national association responsibilities, including:

2006-2008 Chair of Master’s Program in Medical Sciences,

2009-2012 Adviser of President of University of Tsukuba,

2009-2015 Director of Public Relations Strategy Office of University of Tsukuba,

2010-2016 Chair of Doctoral Program in Biomedical Sciences,

2012-2016 Associate Dean of Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences,

1995- Academic Councilor of The Japanese Society of Pathology,

2007- Councilor of Japanese Cancer Association,

2013- present Associate Editor of Cancer Science.

2013-2016 Council for Evaluation Committee for Chartering of Universities of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

2015 Program Officer of Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED).

2018-present Executive Officer of University of Tsukuba (Dean of Faculty of Medicine).

Notable awards received throughout Professor Kato’s career have included the the prestigious Year 2000 Academic Research Award from the Japanese Society of Pathology, the 2020 Japan Pathology Award and the University of Tsukuba’s 2012 Best Faculty Member award.

The wealth of managerial and biomedical research knowledge and experience contributed by Professor Mitsuyasu Kato is an important mainstay of TMRC’s success as we progress towards important biomedical discoveries across highly diverse platforms of complex science.

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