2020.06.26
Following last year, KGRI once again called for applications for the KGRI Start-up Research Grant (two grants of 2 million yen each) this fiscal year to strongly promote the globalization of Keio University and interdisciplinary research integrating the humanities and sciences.
Despite the constraints on widely publicizing the application guidelines due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we received a large number of applications. All of us at KGRI are very pleased, as this is a testament to the fact that KGRI's initiatives are becoming widely known throughout the university. However, looking at the overall application situation, we also observed a tendency for applications to be somewhat skewed toward the sciences. To promote the "interdisciplinary integration of humanities and sciences" in practice, we hope to see even more challenges that cross campus boundaries next fiscal year. KGRI intends to brainstorm various ideas for public relations activities to achieve this.
As for the screening results, after an open hearing review, the Start-up Research Grants were ultimately awarded to Yoshihito Nishimoto (Assistant Professor, School of Medicine) for his project, "Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Dementia Care Using Online Medical Consultations," and Naoshi Matsuhisa (Lecturer, Faculty of Science and Technology) for his project, "Healthcare System Using Stretchable Electronic Devices that Meld with the Skin." All of the proposed research projects were very interesting, and the Q&A session during the open hearing review was very lively. Among them, Mr. Nishimoto's research strongly demonstrated internationality and foresight. It addresses the global social issue of dementia care by proposing the practical solution of "online medical consultations," while also building an algorithm for early diagnosis from image data and conducting comparative research based on the situations in various countries and regions. Furthermore, it also included an interdisciplinary aspect, with a scope that extends to comparative cultural studies focusing on differences in "societal perceptions" of dementia.
Mr. Matsuhisa's research on stretchable electronic devices, in addition to already receiving high international acclaim, has reportedly established strong, practical partnerships with overseas researchers, raising high expectations for further global expansion. Additionally, data collection from stretchable electronic devices that meld with the skin can involve legal and ethical issues from the perspectives of privacy and human dignity. This research also takes this point into consideration and will reportedly promote product development in a socially acceptable manner while attempting active collaboration with researchers in the humanities. In that respect, it was evaluated as also including an interdisciplinary perspective.
While all the submitted research projects had many excellent points, these two projects were deemed to meet the "KGRI criteria" at a higher level, and thus were selected for the Start-up Research Grant. We hope the recipients will keep in mind the spirit of KGRI and the purpose of the Start-up Research Grant and work to concretely realize the evaluation points mentioned above.
We hope that the grant will be used appropriately and effectively by the recipients and will serve as an aid to support the development of each research project.
[Recipients]
" Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of Dementia Care Using Online Medical Consultations "
Nishimoto, Yoshihito (Assistant Professor, School of Medicine)
" Healthcare System Using Stretchable Electronic Devices that Meld with the Skin "
Matsuhisa, Naoshi (Lecturer, Faculty of Science and Technology)
[Comments from the Recipients]
Nishimoto, Yoshihito
I am greatly honored to have been selected for the KGRI Start-up Research Grant. We in the Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, are working together with the Department of Neuropsychiatry and the National Institute of Radiological Sciences. While providing care at the Memory Clinic, we aim to pave the way for the next generation of dementia care by incorporating IT technology while valuing the spirit of interdisciplinary integration of humanities and sciences. We will gather under KGRI with people who have diverse ideas and passions for online dementia care, and we are determined to overcome many obstacles to deliver something tangible from Keio University to the world, to the future, and to all of humanity. We ask for your continued support.
Matsuhisa, Naoshi
In April 2020, I started my own laboratory, which had been a long-held dream of mine. Having been selected for the KGRI Start-up Research Grant, I am very happy to see my currently empty room transform into a place where I can realize my ideas. The new wearable device to be developed with this grant is extremely soft and stretchable, so it can be worn as if it "melds with the skin," allowing for the acquisition of high-precision biological signals over long periods. I will redouble my efforts to realize a healthcare system that enables advanced preventive and remote medicine, even in a society living with COVID-19 and an aging population.
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