GifTs R&D Team Presents at 16th Asian Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology in Tokyo

 GifTs R&D Team Presents at 16th Asian Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology in Tokyo

The GifTs (Glocal Innovator & Future Talent Society) Research & Data Science (R&D) Team participated in the 16th Asian Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology (ACPE), held from October 12-14, 2024. The team, supported by the Healthcare Innovation Association as an official sponsor, presented their research findings at the conference.

About the GifTs R&D Team

GifTs is an organization dedicated to addressing regional issues and fostering global talents to engage with local communities. While its primary activity has been the Karuizawa Regional Revitalization Project, GifTs has also initiated R&D (Research & Data Science) functions. The R&D Team focuses on research activities that tackle a wide range of societal issues, including but not limited to healthcare, and regularly conducts data science study sessions.

About the ACPE

The ACPE focuses on epidemiological studies in the field of pharmaceutical science. These studies analyze the frequency, distribution, and influencing factors of health-related events in population to support the development of effective health measures and improve drug safety.

The 16th ACPE was held in Japan this year at the University of Tokyo, bringing together researchers from across Asia, including participants from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

Presentations at the conference were organized in two formats: Poster Sessions and Oral Presentations. Accepted abstracts could initially be featured in the Poster Session, with outstanding submissions selected for Oral Presentations, giving researchers a platform to present their findings on stage. 

The abstract submitted by Dr. Takahiro Ishida, Founder/CEO of GifTs, and Visiting Researcher with Doctor of Public Health at Teikyo University Graduate School of Public Health, was accepted for an Oral Presentation. He was one of the rare Japanese presenters, representing approximately 10% of all presenters at the conference.

The team preparing for this conference included Dr. Ishida (left), Yuexiang Ji (senior student at the University of Tokyo and a student leader of the R&D Team, center), and Satoshi Yamaguchi (first-year master's student at Tokyo University of Science and a student leader of the R&D Team, right). The photo of the team is below.

<Lunch of the R&D Team at the University of Tokyo Cafeteria during the conference>

Preparation for the Conference

Starting from July 2024, the team began preparing for the presentation at the conference. Leading up to the event, Dr. Ishida was on an extended business trip for 3 months in New Jersey, USA, dealing with a 13-hour time zone difference. Over this period, the R&D Team had weekly online meetings ten times, allowing student leaders to rapidly deepen their understanding of the research while reviewing relevant studies from around the world. This preparation was also intended to support the team’s upcoming goal of submitting their paper to an international journal following the conference.

At their respective universities, the student leaders conduct research in different fields - Yuexiang Ji majors in computer science and Satoshi Yamaguchi specializes in life sciences engineering.

As the R&D Team prepared for the conference, the student leaders, under the guidance of Dr. Ishida, deepened their knowledge in epidemiology as new field. They also led the preparation of presentation slides and organized English presentation practice sessions for Dr. Ishida, the team’s presenter at the conference.

Reflecting on the preparation process, Satoshi Yamaguchi, a student leader of the R&D Team, shared his experience:

"Despite our busy schedule and my lack of experience in epidemiology, I felt a strong satisfactionsense of accomplishment as we progressed efficiently with our understanding of the research and prepared for the presentation. While balancing university research and job hunting without prior experience in conference or paper presentations, I initially felt some anxiety about joining research activities in the GifTs R&D Team. However, by dividing tasks within the team, we were able to work efficiently, especially with slides preparation. In our online meetings, Dr. Ishida patiently answered our questions about the research content, shared valuable tips for reviewing relevant research, and explained concepts in epidemiology and polypharmacy clearly. I appreciated how each meeting broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of the research. The clarity of both the research content and the paper submission path to international journals improved remarkably."

<One scene from an R&D Team online meeting>

At the Conference

During the conference, we engaged in two main activities: international networking in the Poster Session and final preparations for the Oral Presentation.

In the Poster Session, we networked with participants from various Asian countries, exchanging ideas and knowledge in epidemiology and connecting with attendees. Yuexiang Ji, a student leader of the R&D Team, maximizedused his strong English skills (TOEFL 104/120) to actively engage with others. Reflecting on his experience, he shared the following:

“I had two major takeaways from the conference. The first was the amazing academic achievements of students from overseas. I was particularly impressed by a sixth-year female pharmacy student from India. She plans to become a clinical pharmacist in Australia after graduation, and she is also deeply committed to research. She has already published two first-author papers in international journals and is currently undergoing peer review for a third paper. Such research accomplishments by undergraduates are extremely rare in Japan, and it made me realize that I must strive to meet global standards as I pursue graduate school.

The second takeaway was the importance of communication skills. Observing Dr. Ishida, I noticed not only his high English proficiency but also his ability to quickly build relationship with others by incorporating small talks and body languages, while remaining mindful of cultural differences.

With these lessons in mind, I am motivated to continue my active research involvement with the GifTs R&D Team. Next year’s ACPE will be held in Sichuan, China, and I hope to participate as a presenter myself.”

<Networking with an Indian Student during the Poster Session>

Oral Presentation: Nationwide Cross Sectional Study for Local Polypharmacy by NDB during COVID-19

On the final day of the conference, Monday, October 14, Dr. Ishida delivered a 10-minute oral presentation, followed by a 5-minute Q&A session. His presentation analyzed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the polypharmacy situation in Japan. Polypharmacy refers to the practice of prescribing or administering more medications to a patient than is necessary. It is considered a problem due to its potential negative health effects and the inefficient use of medications, making the reduction of polypharmacy a priority.

This study used data from the NDB Open Data, a collection of prescription records aggregated and published by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, to measure polypharmacy proportion across regions. By comparing polypharmacy proportion before and after the state of emergency declarations during COVID-19 pandemic, the study analyzedexamined the pandemic’s impact on policies aimed at reducing polypharmacy.

The video of the conference presentation by Dr. Ishida can be viewed here.

<Dr. Ishida presenting at the conference>

Future Perspective of GifTs R&D

Moving forward, the R&D Team will focus on writing a paper for publication in international journals based on the research presented at the conference.

Additionally, the team plans to participate in the 17th ACPE, which will be held next year in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, China. Each student leader will undertake individual research themes in preparation for the conference and is expected to present their findings.

Regarding the future outlook for the R&D Team, Dr. Ishida stated:

"The R&D activities at GifTs began with the passionmission of lowering barriers to research and promoting 'citizenship to academic research activities' through collaborative teamwork. This time, we experimented with working alongside science students from various disciplines not specializing in epidemiology or pharmaceutical science. I was impressed not only by their rapid growth but also by how enjoyable it was to prepare for the presentation together. In the future, I hope to involve PhD-holding professionals and students from the arts in our research activities, building a unique research framework at GifTs that can address a wide range of societal issues."

In Conclusion

GifTs, including its R&D Team, plans to engage in a variety of activities in the future. Those interested in joining, as well as companies and university personnel wishing to support the project, are encouraged to visit the official GifTs website for more information.

For more information about GifTs' activities, please visit here.

Editor: Yuexiang Ji (Lead Editor),  Amy Crawley (Support Editor), Satoshi Yamaguchi (Japanese Editor)

Contact Information

Healthcare Innovation Association

info@hc-innovation-association.org