Abbreviated Curriculum Vitae of Dr. Jun Kanno

Head, Cellular & Molecular Toxicology Division Biological Safety Research Center National Institute of Health Sciences

Jun Kanno received his M.D. from the School of Medicine Tokyo Medical and Dental (TMD) University, 1981 and a Ph.D. in Pathology from TMD University Graduate School for Medicine, Tokyo, 1985. (Dissertation title: Histogenesis of the intradermal melanocytic tumor in BDF1 mice induced by topical application of 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene (DMBA) and 12-o-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA).)

From 1986–1997, Dr. Kanno served on the faculty at TMD University, and was a Visiting Scientist, Cancer Genetics and Molecular Pathology, NIEHS/NIH, NC, U.S.A. from 1991–1993. In 1997, he was engaged as a section chief at National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS) until he accepted his present position in 2002 as Head of NIHS Cellular & Molecular Toxicology Division to specialize in General Pathology, Endocrine Pathology (thyroid), Toxicology, Experimental Pathology, and Experimental Toxicology.

Dr. Kanno’s research includes molecular toxicology focused on studies of endocrine disrupting chemicals (receptor mediated toxicity, or signal toxicity), carcinogenesis and toxicogenomics. He has also been Involved in drafting “Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) Screening and Testing Scheme of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW),” and the organization of MHLW research groups for EDCs, OECD/EDTA Uterotrophic Assay project (TG440) as the lead laboratory (1998-); design and development of rat toxicogenomics Joint Project of NIHS & the alliance of Japanese pharmaceuticals (2002-). Dr. Kanno participated in WHO/IPCS Toxicogenomics Workshop (2003), WHO/IPCS Harmonization Project on Cancer (2003). He designed the development of the NIHS Chemical Safety Toxicogenomics (Percellome) Project (2003) using mice and assessed the biological hazard of the Nanomaterials and initiated the Nanomaterials Safety Research Activity for MHLW (2005).

Dr. Kanno was also involved with the recent expansion of the Percellome Project that includes inhalation toxicogenomics at low exposure levels in so-called human “sick building syndrome” and fetus (developmental) toxicogenomics for embryo and embryonic stem cell/ embryoid body at various stages. As a member of the newly developed Foods Expert Committee, Food Safety Commission, he conducted basic research in conjunction with risk assessment activity and application of toxicogenomics on safety of food contaminants as well as food ingredients, in so-called “functional foods” and “supplements” (soy isoflavones supplements, etc).

Dr. Kanno has been a council member of the Japanese Society of Toxicology since 2002 and has served on its Board of Directors since 2004. He was named Chair of the 35 th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Toxicology held in Tokyo in 2008, which explored themes of ”Children’s Toxicology” and “New Substance Toxicology such as Nanomaterials.”