Kira, Jun-ichi

Professor and Chairman
Department of Neurology at Neurological Institute
Graduate School of medical Sciences
Kyushu University
Fukuoka

Dr. Kira is a Professor and Chairman in the Department of Neurology at Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan. His current research areas are immunological and immunogenetical studies of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica, clinical and immunological studies of atopic myelitis and immunological studies of motor neuron diseases and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.

He also acts as chief investigator for several clinical trails of disease modifying drugs against multiple sclerosis in Japan. Dr. Kira has more than 30 years experience in Neurology and has published more than 350 original scientific articles in this field. He worked as a visiting fellow at the Section on Myelin Chemistry, NIH, Bethesda, in the U.S from 1982 to 1985.

After completing his research in the U.S, he became an assistant professor at Kyushu University. He has served as a Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University since 1997. Dr. Kira is a corresponding member of the American Neurological Association, editorial board member of Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders and Journal of the Neurological Sciences. He served as a president of the Japanese society of Neuroimmunology from 2012 to 2016.

Current position:
Professor and Chairman, Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University

Education:
Graduated from Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan in 1979

Qualification: MD (Kyushu University) 1979
PhD (Kyushu University) 1986

Academic career:
Residency of Kyushu University Hospital 1979-1981
Doctor, Omuta Rosai Hospital 1981-1982
Visiting Fellow, Section on Myelin Chemistry, NIH, USA 1982-1985
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Kyushu University 1985-1995
Associate Professor of Neurology, Kyushu University 1995-1997
Professor and Chairman of Neurology, Kyushu University 1997-present
Vice-President, Kyushu University Hospital 2004-2008
Director of Neurological Institute, Kyushu University 1998-2000, 2006-2008, 2013-2015

Membership:
Executive Board Member of the Japanese Society of Neurology
Executive Board Member of the Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Executive Board Member of the Japanese Society of Neuroimmunology
Executive Committee Chairman of the Japanese Society of Intractable Disease Medical Care Networking
Executive Board Member of the Japan Society of Neurovegetative Research
Executive Board Member of the Japanese Peripheral Nerve Society
Corresponding Member American Neurological Association, 2000-present
Member of the New York Academy of Sciences
Editorial Board Member of Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Journal of the Neurological Sciences, BMC Medicine, PLOS ONE, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, Scientific World Journal, Intractable and Rare Diseases Research, Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience