As an institution recognised for its international outlook, RCSI continually seeks to broaden its engagement with institutions that share our philosophy. Under a Science Foundation Ireland-funded International Strategic Collaboration Award (ISCA)-Japan, RCSI and MCT and the School of Postgraduate Studies in collaboration with Hoshi University, Tokyo, hosted a workshop entitled Future Healthcare - Biomedical Sciences, Technologies and Applications.

The workshop was organised by the School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS, Prof. Niamh Moran), Molecular & Cellular Therapeutics (MCT, Prof. John Waddington) and Hoshi University (Prof. Hiroko Ikeda), with Ms. Justina Senkus (SPGS) providing much appreciated administrative support, and was held from 29-31 October 2015 in Tokyo. Ten members of RCSI received ISCA funding to attend. 

The event provided an excellent platform for researchers from both institutions to showcase their work and to network with a view to establishing collaborations. The workshop was opened by an address by Her Excellency Ms. Anne Barrington, Ambassador of Ireland to Japan. A wide range of presentations were made by RCSI PhD students, postdocs and PIs: Dr Sudipto Das, MCT; Dr Sinead Heavin, MCT; Dr Stephen Keely, Molecular Medicine; Dr Catherine Mooney, Physiology and Medical Physics; Prof Niamh Moran, SPGS; Justina Senkus, SPGS; Ziga Ude, Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry; Prof. John Waddington, MCT; David Walsh, Anatomy; Dr Atieh Zarabzadeh, General Practice. 

Researchers at Hoshi University presented their work in the areas of cancer biology, medicinal chemistry, clinical and translational medicine, drug metabolism, neuroscience, pathophysiology and therapeutics and population health sciences. 

In addition to the scientific track, keynote presentations on funding mechanisms to support collaborations between Japan and Ireland were made by: Ayako Maesawa, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology, Japan; Derek Fitzgerald, Director of IDA-Tokyo; Tom Kuczynski, EU Delegation to Japan. 

Furthermore, round-table discussions were held, during which researchers shared their scientific experiences and discussed potential collaborations under these Japanese, Irish and EU grant initiatives. The goal is to facilitate joint applications for future grant funding towards innovative, applied research and technologies and to advance the educational mission and international standing of both institutions.