RIKEN Center of Research Network for Infectious Diseases (CRNID)

Director:

Yoshiyuki Nagai

(M.D., Ph.D)

In recent years, new infectious diseases such as SARS and highly pathogenic avian influenza have emerged and joined established diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis as major threats to mankind. To tackle infectious diseases, the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) launched the Founding Research Centers for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases Program in 2005. In 2010, the Program changed name to become the Japan Initiative for Global research Network on Infectious Diseases (J-GRID).

Under the Program, 10 Japanese research institutions have established 13 collaborative Research Centers in 6 Asian countries and 2 African countries, where Japanese researchers are stationed and conduct collaborative research. The Center of Research Network for Infectious Diseases (CRNID) was established to promote the Program in July 2005. CRNID connects the Japanese institutions and their overseas Research Centers. It also provides operational assistance to the Research Centers, carries out surveys of research trends, organizes symposia, and coordinates and encourages collaborations within the network and outside.