Professor Miwako Ozaki is an expert of translational research and market entry, and leads a medical device development in medical/healthcare field. She is an Executive Director in Asia Medical Center Pte Ltd and a member of the Engineering Academy of Japan which is the most prestigious engineering society. Simultaneously she is a neuroscientist.
In her undergraduate and master's programs, she was involved in research on the molecular mechanism of leukemia and viral-derived blood diseases and obtained the PhD in molecular genetics by focusing RNA polymerase and its transcriptional machinery. After that, she moved to the field of neuroscience. She conducted experiments to create artificial synaptic states by introducing foreign genes into brain slices (acute and cultured slices) using a virus vector, and to perform electrophysiological recording/stimulation. She discovered some activity-dependent phenomena controlled by gene expression in the process.
In order to examine the details and the molecular mechanisms of the phenomena happened in an activity dependent manner, a device for “reverse-electrophysiology” was created at the end of 1990’s (the patent was taken by her in 2004, the application, 2001) and the experiments became her lifework. Under the situation, Neuregulin (NRG) as a molecule that modulates neural activity was cloned from cerebellar granule cells by her for the first time in the world. NRG is called Heregulin (HRG) in the field of cancer and is the responsible gene for breast cancer expressed by alternative splicing from the same genetic locus. Its receptors are ErbBs (EGF family). For the in vivo analyses, mutant mice (transgenic and knockout mice) experiments were performed on the cranial nerve system centered on the cerebellum in the era of National Institutes of Health (USA) and RIKEN (Japan) to know the relationship with behaviors. She continues to pursue activity-dependent phenomena through basic science and clinical researches. NRG that was one of candidate molecules that modulate neuronal signals, is one of the risk genes for schizophrenia (especially from the perspective of information processing).
For the past 10-15 years, she moved to Waseca University as a full-professor in 2005 and joined to a project of Olympus, endomicroscope/optical microscope company in Singapore. She keeps developing medical devices for application to neurological diseases and others. As parts/components development of devices, temperature measurement or control technology was invented by her under JST (Japan Science and Technology Agency) program in Singapore, and the patent (its application in 2013) was taken by her and her partner company. The cutting-edge technologies that are of the fundamental technologies like chips, sensors and parts, are utilized to devices for other diseases as well.
The research focus is the following;
- Based on detection of neuronal activity and analysis of patterns of neural impulses, device development for monitoring or treatment of information processing disorders.
- Mechanisms of schizophrenia and movement disorders, and their state monitoring and treatment by neuromodulation.
- Medical devices or their part developments requested by companies or public organization.
Patents:
- M. Ozaki et al, Biological sample processing tools, their microfluidics structure and processing methods to improve performance, Patent C202111824U (2021)
- M. Ozaki et al, Biological sample processing system, device and mechanical mechanism, Patent 2020-202337(2020)
- Brainvision Inc, M. Ozaki et al, Manufacturing machine and methods for fusion procession of film, Patent 2019-130734 (2019)
- M. Ozaki et al, Portable film device for nucleic acids and protein, Device for identification of biological components. PCT/JP2019/14356 application (2019)
- M. Ozaki et al, Portable film device for nucleic acids and proteins, Device for identification of biological components. 2018-70501 (2018)
Her aim in the next two to three years is to contribute to medical/healthcare particularly
in the fields of infectious diseases, mental disorders and cell therapy for people of the world by using the above technologies.
The organization number helped by M. Ozaki is over 1000 during 10 years since 2011.
- M. Ozaki et al, Optical fibers and their systems for temperature control by using nanoparticles, 2013-105462 (2013) Patent No. 6336713 (2018)
- S. Takeoka, et al, Bio-maker by target-selective biopolymer PCT/JP2010/063754 (2010)
- M. Ozaki et al, Form of electrode for electrical stimulation, US9A289 (2007)
- M. Ozaki, Diagnosis for mental disorders, PCT JP2004/005818 (2006)
- M. Ozaki, Antibody to Neuregulin, Patent No. 3738304 (2005)
- M. Ozaki, Electrical stimulation system and method for cultured cells, Patent No. 3600874, US application (2005)
- M. Ozaki et al, Form of Electrode for electrical stimulation, PCT application (2005)
- M. Ozaki, Neuregulin transgenic mice and model mice of mental disorders, 2004- 354044 (2004)
- M. Ozaki et al, Form of Electrode for electrical stimulation, 2003-335945 (2003)
- M. Ozaki, Electrical stimulation system and method for cultured cells, 2001-347316 (2001) Patent No. 3600874 (2004)