Yasuhiro Asahina, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor Yasuhiro Asahina received his medical degree from the Shiga University of Medical Science in 1988 and began his career with a clinical fellowship at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital. He subsequently pursued advanced research training at the University of Connecticut Health Center (USA) and the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, where he earned his Ph.D. in Medical Science in 1996.A distinguished physician–scientist, Professor Asahina currently serves as Professor in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Institute of Science Tokyo (formerly Tokyo Medical and Dental University). Established in 2024 through the merger of Tokyo Medical and Dental University and Tokyo Institute of Technology, the Institute stands at the forefront of academic innovation; notably, as of 2026, it is one of only two institutions in Japan designated by the government as a University for International Research Excellence.Professor Asahina has made substantial contributions to the field, authoring over 400 peer-reviewed publications and over 50 books, and delivering over 400 invited lectures worldwide as a keynote speaker, symposiast, and panelist.He holds leadership roles as a Council Board Member of the Japan Society of Hepatology (JSH), the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology, and the Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society. He is also a Fellow of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine and an International Member of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD).His research focuses on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying viral hepatitis and hepatocarcinogenesis, with a particular emphasis on translating these insights into innovative diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies for viral hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).