M.D., Ph.D. Professor Yoko Nishitani
The Department of Forensic Medicine at Kyoto University has a proud legacy which can be traced back to 1899 when the Department was first founded. Since its establishment, the Department has been an active force in promoting the significance and importance of forensic medicine through innovative programs, educational initiatives, research and analysis and advocacy for better forensic practices, policies and laws.
Research and Education
Research projects
1) Application of DNA polymorphisms to forensic practice We are going on several research projects in forensic genetics fields: mathematical evaluation of DNA evidence in mixed and /or small amount of DNA samples, investigation of allele frequencies of new polymorphic markers in the population, and development of a new algorism for kinship test including mutation events. 2) Pathophysiological analysis of disease using animal models Diseases are often related to the cause of death even in forensic autopsies. We focus on both acute and chronic diseases (e.g., acute kidney injury, sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, cholangiopathies, metabolic syndrome) and investigate their pathophysiological mechanisms using animal models to prevent fatal outcomes.
Training of future forensic pathologists
We have contributed to the social community through forensic autopsies and produced amounts of forensic pathologists. Post-graduate students including ones from abroad receive intensive training for macroscopic, histopathological, and CT imaging methods to become a specialist who can make a forensic diagnosis.
Fig.1 Cited from reference 1
Fig.2 Our group photo
Recent Publications
- Kawai C, Kondo H, Miyao M, Sunada M, Ozawa S, Kotani H, Minami H, Nagai H, Abiru H,
Yamamoto A, Tamaki K, Nishitani Y.
Fatal cardiac dysfunction in a child with Williams syndrome.
Leg Med (Tokyo). 2024;67:102387. - Kawai C, Miyao M, Kotani H, Minami H, Abiru H, Hamayasu H, Yamamoto A, Tamaki K.
Systemic amyloidosis with amyloid goiter: an autopsy report.
Leg Med (Tokyo). 2023;60:102167. - Chu M, Morimoto C, Kawai C, Miyao M, Tamaki K.
Effects of DNA degradation and genotype imputation on high-density SNP microarray in pairwise kinship analysis.
Leg Med (Tokyo). 2023;60:102158. - Miyao M, Kawai C, Kotani H, Minami H, Abiru H, Hamayasu H, Eguchi S, Tamaki K.
Mitochondrial fission in hepatocytes as a potential therapeutic target for nonalcoholic
steatohepatitis.
Hepatol Res. 2022;52(12):1020-1033. - Miyao M, Kawai C, Kotani H, Minami H, Abiru H, Hamayasu H, Yamamoto A, Tamaki K.
Fatal Dieulafoy lesion with IgG4-related disease: an autopsy case report.
Leg Med (Tokyo). 2022;57:102059.
Laboratory
Professor ：Yoko Nishitani
Associate Professor ：Masashi Miyao
Assistant Professor ：Chihiro Kawai
Assistant Professor ：Shota Furukawa
Professor Emeritus ：Keiji Tamaki
TEL ：+81-75-753-4474
FAX ：+81-75-761-9591
e-mail ：info@fp.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp
URL ：http://www.fp.med.kyoto-u.ac.jp/