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Prof. Daisuke Nishi
Daisuke Nishi, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, and served as Head of the School of Integrated Health Sciences from 2023 to 2025. Trained as a clinical psychiatrist, he works to advance mental health and well-being through evidence-based prevention and care, with a focus on mental health epidemiology, perinatal mental health, traumatic stress, and resilience.
He is the Principal Investigator for the Japan Survey of the World Mental Health Survey, generating nationally representative data to inform mental health policy, and served as the researcher responsible for the “Mental Health” domain in Japan’s Health Japan 21 (third term) national health promotion initiative. He also served as the lead developer for the nationwide Mental Health Supporter Training Program, a project commissioned by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
In the perinatal field, he has developed and implemented an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program to prevent depression in pregnant women. In the traumatic stress field, he is a leading advocate for trauma-informed care, creating, evaluating, and disseminating training programs for healthcare and welfare professionals. Leveraging his clinical background, he pursues multi-level interventions to close the prevention, quality, and inclusion gaps—advancing prevention, improving care quality, and fostering inclusive communities.
Dr. Yuki Miyamoto
Yuki Miyamoto, RN, PHN, MHSW, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo. Her research focuses on mental health and psychiatric nursing, with a particular emphasis on well-being, recovery, and peer support among individuals experiencing mental health challenges.
She explores how trauma-informed relational approaches—such as peer support and dialogical practices—can foster recovery and well-being. She also investigates the conditions that facilitate co-production, recognizing that the development and provision of services require not only professional expertise but also the indispensable contributions of lived experience.
Through these efforts, she aims to contribute to a society where all individuals—regardless of disability or mental health status—are valued and respected, fostering relationships grounded in mutual respect and dignity.
Dr. Natsu Sasaki
Natsu Sasaki, MD, PhD, is a Lecturer (Junior Associate Professor) in the Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, and works to improve mental health and well-being through evidence-based prevention. Her research focuses on workplace and women’s health, including the prevention of perinatal depression and menstrual health. After training in implementation science in the U.S., she initiated implementation efforts for an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program to reduce depression among nurses in low- and middle-income Asian countries. In Japan, she researches digital mental health interventions for workers in disadvantaged settings such as in small and medium-sized enterprises. Drawing on her clinical experience as an occupational physician, she bridges research and real-world practice by advancing methods in epidemiology and implementation research.
Dr. Hiroki Asaoka
Hiroki Asaoka, RN, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mental Health, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo. After working as a clinical nurse, he received his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Tokyo and has been an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mental Health since April 2024. His research focuses on the mental health among health care workers and medical rescue workers, on mental health care support for those who have experienced traumatic events, and mental health epidemiology.