IMSUT NY Seminar 2026 (New York / UTokyoNY) | The University of Tokyo New York Office

“IMSUT NY Seminar 2026,” organized by the Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo (IMSUT), was held on Friday, March 6, 2026, at UTokyoNY in New York under the theme “The Next Medical Revolution ~Building the Future of Medicine~.” Despite being held on a weekday, the seminar attracted participants from universities, research institutions, companies, and organizations across a wide range of fields in the United States, with a total of 46 attendees. This event marked the fourth installment of the “IMSUT NY Seminar” series, which began in 2023, and was conducted fully onsite.

The seminar opened with welcoming remarks from Dean Atsushi Iwama, who included an introduction to IMSUT. The first presentation was delivered by Professor Tomoji Mashimo (Vice Dean), who discussed advances in genome editing technologies centered on CRISPR-Cas3 and their potential to bridge genes and therapy through medical applications. This was followed by a presentation by Professor Satoshi Yamazaki, who introduced advances in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) research and focused on next-generation therapeutic applications based on culture expansion techniques and functional evaluation and prediction by using imaging and machine learning, with implications for next-generation therapies. In the second half of the seminar, after a coffee break, Professor Saghi Ghaffari (Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai) presented research on HSC aging and focused on lysosomal function and its regulation, its potential to restore stem cell function, and its therapeutic applications. Next, Professor Mayumi Ito (New York University) gave a presentation on digit tip regeneration and focused on the role of the nail epithelium and regenerative mechanisms mediated by stem cells and signaling pathways as well as tissue interactions. This was followed by a presentation by Professor Emi Nishimura, who discussed stem cell–based strategies to extend hair lifespan and focused on mechanisms of stem-cell maintenance, regulation of aging, and their potential applications. Then, Professor Angela Christiano (Columbia University) discussed the progress of alopecia areata research and outlined the journey from elucidating disease mechanisms to the establishment of JAK inhibitor–based therapies. Finally, Dr. Tomomi Aida (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), an IMSUT alumnus, presented research based on genetically modified non-human primate models that demonstrated the recapitulation of neurological diseases and their application in therapeutic development and identification of pre-symptomatic biomarkers for clinical use.

All presentations were highly engaging, leading to lively discussions that exceeded the allocated Q&A time. The seminar concluded successfully with closing remarks from Professor Mashimo. At the post-seminar discussion session, further active exchanges occurred among speakers and participants, fostering opportunities for future research collaborations and making the seminar a valuable platform for continued engagement. Participants also provided highly positive feedback, noted that the seminar was extremely meaningful, and expressed strong interest in its continuation.