Introducing new member of Bio2Q

We are excited to welcome Dr. Shohei Kojima as a Jr. PI at Bio-1 Core of Bio2Q.

“Hello, I am thrilled to join Bio2Q. The goal of my research is to understand the human genetic and environmental factors that shape human phenotypic diversity, including disease.

My expertise is human genetics and virology. During my PhD at Kyoto University, I studied virology. I then moved to RIKEN as a postdoc to research human genetics. Complex human traits, such as height, blood cell counts, disease, are shaped by two factors: genetic and environmental factors. Genetic information provides a stable set point for disease predisposition throughout life. In contrast, environmental factors, such as microbiome and lifestyle, are more dynamic during lifetime. Advances in biobanks and statistics have greatly improved our understanding of genetic risks of disease. On the other hand, the interplay between environmental and genetic risks has been less intensively explored. By bioinformatic method development, human population-scale data acquisition, integrative data analysis, and wet validation, I will uncover the associations between microbiome and human genetic information that shape human healthiness and disease. This would lead us to deeper understanding of disease risk, precision medicine, and longevity.

In addition to the medical importance, the human genome is an interesting subject of biological research. Our genome carries about 20,000 genes, but these alone may not be sufficient for a healthy life. At certain points of our lives, we may need additional genes that are not encoded in the human genome. Under such circumstances, humans can utilize genes encoded in the microbiome, and occasionally, we may also acquire new genes encoded in microbiome and incorporate them into the human genome through horizontal gene transfer. I like this concept, which sees “human” as a complex entity comprising both the host and the microbiome, and along this viewpoint, I would like to uncover who we truly are.

I am excited to work with Bio2Q members with diverse expertise! ”

>>Bio2Q Members List