Masamine Jimba　
Professor

Research for the sake of research makes little sense. Policies that exist just on paper do not help the lives of people. Repetition of practices based only on personal experience yield little impact. In the field of global health, the importance lies in the way in which research, policy and practice can be linked. While being mindful of such issues, Professor Jimba is particularly interested in health promotion and human security.

Professor Jimba became interested in global health after being influenced by the Japanese global health pioneers during his medical student days in Hamamatsu city. His internship in South India in those days also motivated his later work in this field. After graduation, he worked in the Takayama Red Cross Hospital as a physician for two years, and then worked in the National Institute of Public Health in Tokyo and the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston as an air pollution researcher for seven years. Then, for two years between 1994 and 1996, he worked as the WHO Health Coordinator for Gaza Strip and the West Bank, during which time he encountered various human rights issues. Following this in 1996, he worked on-site as team leader of the 'Nepal School and Community Health Project' set up by JICA and the Japan Medical Association for five years in Nepal. Following his return to Japan in 2002, he started to conduct global health research and teach graduate students at the University of Tokyo.