Project Members
Satoshi Kodama, Ph.D
(Professor of Ethics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Letters)
The main focus of bioethics in Western countries is now on euthanasia and assisted suicide, whereas in Asian countries the focus is (still) on the withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments. What I want to do through this international collaborative research is to philosophically examine the differences and commonalities of the debates on end-of-life issues among Asian countries, using the discussions in Western countries as a reference point.
Research Field: Modern and Contemporary Ethics esp. Utilitarianism; Bioethics (end-of-life issues and genome editing among other topics)
・Satoru TSUNETO
(Professor, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine)
・Takahiro HATTORI
(Professor, Faculty of Law, Otemon Gakuin University)
Yicheng CHUNG
(Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Waseda University)
When doing my master in Utrecht University, the Netherlands, I become interested in the topic of euthanasia and the concept of "good death." My research focuses on the legal and ethical aspects in end-of-life care in East Asian countries, with a special concern about the relationship between the culture of death and its legal implication. Please see the following link for my profile and the research works: https://researchmap.jp/7000018420/
Research fields: Bioethics, Medical ethics
Kadooka Yasuhirio
（Kumamoto University）
Hyunsoo Hong
（Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo）
Yuka Miyachi, MD, MHPE, MSc (Science and Religion)
(Clinical fellow, Department of Palliative Care, Kyoto University Hospital)
I’m a family physician who graduated from two masters of Health Professions Education and Science and Religion. As a physician-researcher in the field of end-of-life care, my research interest is how people construct and reconstruct their worldviews, especially about life and death.
Research Field: Medical Education, Palliative/End-of-life care, Family Medicine
Noriko Nagao
（School of Nursing, Kitasato University）
Keiko Sato Ph.D
(Associate Professor, Kyoto University Hospital)
In my work with cancer care, I have spent the past 20 years or so considering the ideal form of informed consent, and what medical information needs to be disseminated to patients and others in society. At the hospital, I regularly encounter cases of terminal patients who, having no clear idea of what their own wishes are, receive life-sustaining treatment in such a manner that the medical caregiver is unable to withdraw it. My main goal is to be able to bid these patients farewell, having allowed them to retain their autonomy and humanity until the very end, when they depart for the next stage in their life journey. To this end, I have tried in various ways to engage both patients and others in society in a logical conversation on this topic, creating space for them to think deeply about the question, “How do I want to live?”
Research Field：Bioethics, Research ethics
Sayaka Takenouchi RN, Ph.D., MPH
(Associate Professor, Kyoto University Graduate School of Nursing)
Sayaka is a nurse educator and researcher with expertise in nursing ethics and end-of-life care. She gained experience as a hospice/palliative nurse in the United States and brought back the End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) to her country. It has been her passion for empowering nurses to be patient advocates through a patient-centered approach, framed by assessing and honoring patient’s needs, values, and preferences.
Mika Suzuki, MPH
(Associate Professor (Lecturer), Osaka University, University Research Board)
The main topics of my research are the ethical, legal and social issues for iPS cell research. In particular, I am interested in creating an appropriate governance system for research using new technologies like iPSCs in society. Yet no matter how much iPS cell research progresses, disease and death will never be eliminated. Thinking about the “final chapter of life” is an opportunity to rethink about our own lives. As a member of this international collaborative research, I would like to encourage people to rethink about the value of their lives in society. Also, I am looking forward to cultural and religious comparisons between countries.
Research fields：Research ethics, Bioethics
Miho TANAKA, MPH
(Senior researcher, the Japan Medical Association Research Institute)
Starting my research career with a study of children’s hospices in England, I continue to reflect on what a good death should look like for people and their families, mainly focusing on policies and laws at the end of life. As research results so far, I published a book titled ‘Choices at the End of Life’ in 2017 (co-authored with Dr. Kodama). Please see below for more information about my research profile (https://researchmap.jp/_minepon/?lang=english).
Research fields: Medical ethics, Bioethics, Public health