As of April 2026, I have assumed the position of Executive Director of the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization.
Under distinguished leadership of the former Executive Director, Professor Masayuki Yamamoto, the Organization has, over the past decade, achieved remarkable progress. These accomplishments include the establishment of one of the world’s largest cohort studies, encompassing approximately 150,000 participants, the construction of an integrative biobank, and the public release of whole-genome sequencing data for more than 100,000 individuals.

Building upon this strong foundation, we are committed to further expanding our collaborative partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders and to co-creating new value together.

The biobank we have developed has already supported more than 500 research projects, including numerous collaborative initiatives. Nevertheless, its potential remains far from fully realized. By further broadening and deepening our partnerships, we aim to facilitate clinically meaningful discoveries driven by clinical researchers, and to translate these outcomes into real-world applications that contribute to the treatment, prevention, and promotion of health across a wide spectrum of diseases.

This vision extends equally to our engagement with industry. We will continue to strengthen and deepen the collaborative relationships we have established with pharmaceutical companies, while also expanding these partnerships into new domains. Through these efforts, we seek to ensure that research findings are effectively translated into clinical practice, thereby delivering tangible benefits to patients and society.

Above all, we firmly believe that the outcomes of this ambitious endeavor must be returned to the participants and the local communities whose support and collaboration have made this project possible. Achieving this goal requires the collective efforts of many partners.
Together with individuals and organizations across disciplines, regions, and sectors, we aspire to create new value.

Toward a truly co-creative biobank, we sincerely ask for your continued cooperation and support.

Hideo Harigae
Executive Director