On August 19-20, the Faculty of Medicine at Hokkaido University (HU) hosted the Hokkaido-Melbourne Joint Research Workshop on Cancer Research, bringing together researchers from Hokkaido University and its strategic international partner, the University of Melbourne (UoM).
The workshop featured presentations and discussions spanning a wide range of cancer research topics, including tumor immunology, regenerative medicine, diagnostic imaging and artificial intelligence, spatial omics, photodynamic therapy, and clinical applications. The event brought together 11 researchers from the University of Melbourne and 17 researchers from Hokkaido University. It was organized jointly through the Hokkaido-Melbourne Joint Research Workshops Fund and the HU Faculty of Medicine's PRISM-HU initiative ("Promotion of Next-generation AI-driven, Data-centric, and Information-circulating Medical Research through an Integrated Framework of Human Resources, AI/DX Technologies, and Institutional Infrastructure").
From the University of Melbourne, participants included Head of the Melbourne Medical School Professor Frédéric Hollande, Dr Lou Fourriere-Chea, Dr Hue Mai La, PhD candidate Robin Wagner, and Siwei Tang, a joint PhD student enrolled at UoM's Department of Chemistry and HU's Graduate School for Information Science and Technology.
Together with online speakers from UoM's Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, and Faculty of Science, the visitors engaged in two days of lively discussions with researchers from across HU, including the Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital, the Institute for Genetic Medicine, the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (ICReDD), the Faculty of Advanced Life Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and the Research Institute for Electronic Science. The workshop was led by Professors Hollande and Shinya Tanaka, Dean of the HU Faculty of Medicine.
In addition to participating in the workshop sessions, the Melbourne delegates toured several key research facilities, including the Proton Beam Therapy Center, the University Hospital Biobank, and ICReDD. Discussions also focused on future collaborative initiatives, including joint applications for research funding and reciprocal research visits by early-career researchers from both institutions. This growing partnership began with Dean Tanaka's visit to the University of Melbourne and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in April 2025. Subsequent exchanges, including a PRISM-HU delegation visit to Melbourne in February 2026 and the recent workshop in Sapporo, have steadily strengthened ties between the two universities.
The workshop's welcome reception was attended by HU President Kiyohiro Houkin, whose presence underscored the significance of the collaboration. The event highlighted the strong potential for expanding interdisciplinary research centered on medicine and cancer research, further deepening the partnership between Hokkaido University and the University of Melbourne.
(Text and photos provided by the Faculty of Medicine and Office for International Collaborations)
