Overview

Medical devices are an increasingly prevalent element in advanced medicine worldwide, and in Japan as well, there is an increasing demand for new medical devices. Within that context, there is a tremendous variety of needs for photonics for medical applications such as ultra-early diagnosis, preventive medicine, and minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment. In order to produce advanced technologies and create new values based on those needs, as well as to encourage the development and practical use of innovative medical devices that can contribute to medical care worldwide, we must develop highly skilled professionals in the field of medical photonics, which fuses the study of opto-electronics and photomedicine.

Hamamatsu has for many years played a leading role in the development of photonics science and industries, serving as a home for a range of organizations that have made substantial achievements in photonics research and development and for industries that are pushing the boundaries of photonics technology as they discover unlimited potential in the industrial application of light. These include Shizuoka University’s education and research on advanced imaging technology and other topics and Hamamatsu University School of Medicine’s unparalleled promotion of photonic medical applications, both of which are producing world-class, cutting-edge results. A Cooperative Major in Medical Photonics has been established by combining Shizuoka University’s opto-electronics technology-based engineering with Hamamatsu University School of Medicine’s track record and environment for photomedicine education and research in order to train experts in medical photonics.

This program is a doctoral course and the curriculum development and implementation are conducted jointly by the two universities. Enrollment is limited to 8 students (Shizuoka University: 5; Hamamatsu University School of Medicine: 3), and there are 15 full-time faculty members. The degree offered is a Doctor of Medical Photonics.

For an introduction to our faculty.

The Ideal Outcome

The ideal program participant at the end of his or her coursework will have acquired the specialized knowledge and professional skills in medical photonics necessary to take on the challenge of finding solutions to 21st century problems in healthcare, medical treatment, aging, and other spheres, familiar with both opto-electronics and photomedicine, with heightened human awareness, a broad international perspective, and high ethical standards.