Dr Minoru Narita - 2023

Dr. Minoru Narita is currently a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Hoshi University, Japan.Dr. Narita obtained his Ph.D. in the field of pharmacology, and specifically on opioid research, in Tsutomu Suzuki's laboratory at Hoshi University. After obtaining his Ph.D., he started a postdoctoral fellowship in 1993 in the laboratory of Prof. IK Ho, in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In 1994, Dr. Narita transferred to the Department of Anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Prof. Leon F Tseng’s laboratory, as a Research Associate.He actively worked with Prof. Tseng in the field pain research. Beginning in1996, he served as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In 1999, he returned to Japan as an Assistant Professor at Hoshi University. In 2011, he became a professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Hoshi University. Dr. Narita also serves as the Chief of the Division of Cancer Pathophysiology at National Cancer Center Research Institute through a joint appointment program.

Dr. Narita initially focused on studying opioid addiction and analgesia using various opioid ligands. Since the early 2000s, he has shifted his research to the pathophysiology of pain. He has found that opioid-induced psychological dependence is suppressed under a chronic pain like state. In addition to his studies on pain and opioids, Dr. Narita has also analyzed the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases through reprogramming research using patient-derived iPS cells as well as the brain-peripheral immune network using cutting-edge technology. He is currently conducting research on cancer pain, cancer pathophysiology and palliative care based on translational research and reverse translational research.

Dr. Narita has also contributed to the creation and evaluation of several opioid ligands, including nalfurafine, in collaboration with Dr. Hiroshi Nagase, who is a world leader as a medicinal chemist in the field of opioid drug discovery. Dr. Narita attended the INRC meeting for the first time in 1992. At INRC Kyoto 2006, he organized the INRC meeting as a member of the Japanese executive committee, and was happy to host the many foreign and Japanese researchers with great hospitality and respect. In addition to participating in INRC meetings, Dr. Narita has written close to 300 papers, including reviews, and has been appointed to the executive committees of numerous academic societies in Japan. Additionally, Dr. Narita was twice elected to the INRC Executive Committee and is still a member. He has a well-deserved reputation as one of the top scientists in this field. Importantly, Dr. Narita values his connections with many overseas researchers, especially INRC members. His respect for these personal connections has led to his current collaborations with a wide range of researchers and the development of many talented young researchers. Finally, it is a little known fact that Dr. Narita does not have a middle name, but everybody in INRC calls him “Toshi” as a nickname.