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, Chemical Biology, and full range of relevant chemical issues.

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–Present), designing rat Toxicogenomics Joint Project of NIHS & the alliance of Japanese pharmaceuticals (2002–Present). He developed the NIHS Chemical Safety Toxicogenomics (Percellome) Project (2003) using mice and has been expanding this Percellome Project to inhalation toxicogenomics at low exposure levels comparable to that of so-called human “sick building syndrome,” fetus (developmental) toxicogenomics for embryo and embryonic stem cell/embryoid body at various developmental stages and risk assessment of exposure to combined environmental chemicals. He conducted basic researches in conjunction with risk assessment activity and application of toxicogenomics on safety of food additives/contaminants as well as food ingredients, in so-called “functional foods” and “supplements.” His research area extends to Nanomaterials safety and initiated it’s Safety Research Activity for MHLW (2004–Present).

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 until 2009. He hosted the 35th 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.”

In addition, Dr. Kanno has been an expert member of WHO/IPCS Toxicogenomics , WHO/IPCS Harmonization Project on Cancer (2003–Present), OECD/EDTA VMG-mammalian (1998–Present), VMG-Non Animal (2002–Present), and engaged as a member of OECD/EDTA Advisory Group (2009–Present). He joined IUTOX Executive Committee as Vice President (2009) and re-elected (2010).