Mission

Train doctors capable of performing high quality clinical research, to return the outcomes of their research to society, and to bring the healthy life expectancy of Fukushima population to the highest level in Japan through their research.

Goals

1. Animate health care providers: Secure protected time and salary as backup for healthcare providers to ensure their systematic education and field training in clinical research literacy/competency. The trainees will also participate in real world clinical research in Healthy Longevity Program.
2. Animate healthcare: Improve the quality of healthcare through the impact of innovative clinical research studies by young doctors recruited from outside Fukushima.
3. Animate society: Improve the healthy life expectancy of the people of Fukushima to the top level in Japan through implementation of Healthy Longevity Program.

Strategies to Achieve the Goals

To achieve the above stated goals, we will carry out following innovative programs:

1. Development of human resource: Establish “Clinical Research Fellowship Program”, a completely new program unprecedented in Japan, to train clinical researchers.
2. Development of health-related database: Develop a multilayered mass database of community senior citizens to enable scientific analysis that will help researchers and policymakers of local government to realize healthy longevity.

Organization of CiRC²LE

1. Director: Dr. Shunichi Fukuhara (Vice President of Fukushima Medical School, Professor of Kyoto University)
2. Vice Director: Dr. Sugihiro Hamaguchi (Professor of Department of General Internal Medicine, Fukushima Medical University Hospital)
3. Faculty, Specially Appointed Faculty (Professors, Associate Professors, Lecturer)
4. Fellows: Young doctors (full time Associate Professors or Assistants)

CiRC²LE Fellowship

CiRC²LE Fellowship is an educational program for young medical doctors who seek to become independent clinical researchers. A highly pragmatic program, this Fellowship was established as a pioneer of this field in Japan.

Three Ps which characterize CiRC²LE Fellowship

CiRC²LE Fellowship is the first innovative training program for clinical researchers in Japan, securing the three important elements as stated above.

History of CiRC²LE

• • March 22, 2013
  • The Board of Directors of Fukushima Medical School approves the foundation of the Center as an organization directly supervised by the Director General.
    (Director of the Center is Dr. Shunichi Fukuhara, Vice President of Fukushima Medical School) (Change in the rules of organization is approved at the board meeting)
• • April 1, 2013
  • “Research Design Studies”, a basic common course of graduate school (all semesters) is offered. Speaker：Dr. Fukuhara, Director of the Center）
• • July 3, 2013
  • Budget for “Clinical Research Fellowship” is approved by Fukushima at the prefectural assembly in June (The date of approval is July 3rd)
• • July 26 – 28, 2013
  • Organizes and hosts Aizu School, Nisshin-kan “Clinical Research Design Juku” (at Tsuchiyu hotspring, Fukushima city). About 60 doctors from outside Fukushima participate.
• • September, 2013
  • Six doctors are unofficially selected as the fellows of “CiRC²LE Fellowship”
• • November 1, 2013
  • The first Clinical Research Fellow, Dr. Kobayashi arrives to take up new post.
• • February 16, 2014
  • The first meeting of Fukushima local project (at the University of Tokyo) is held, attended by Director of the Center, faculty members, and Clinical Research Fellows.
• • April 1, 2014
  • Two full time faculties arrive to take up new post (Dr. Tsuyoshi Hasegawa, Associate professor, Dr. Noriaki Kurita, Lecturer).
• • June 25, 2014
  • The Board of Directors approves the foundation of “Shirakawa STAR (Satellite for Teaching And Research)” as a donated course directly supervised by CIRC²LE.
• • July 11 to 13, 2014
  • Organizes and hosts the second Aizu School, Nisshin-kan “Clinical Research Design Juku” (at Tsuchiyu hotspring, Fukushima city). 55 doctors from outside Fukushima participate.
• • July 22, 2014
  • Graduate School Developed Field Course “Research Question Round” (all semesters) is offered (Lecturers are Associate Professor Hasegawa and Lecturer Kurita).
• • August 27, 2014
  • Holds a joint press conference with Sukagawa city and Iwase General Hospital to announce the launch of Healthy Life longevity Project and the overall activities of Clinical Research Fellows.
• • September, 2014
  • Dr. Kobayashi, Dr. Iida, Dr. Sasaki, Dr. Niihata and Dr. Nishiwaki start their full activities as Clinical Research Fellow at Fukushima.
• • October, 2014
  • Dr. Yajima starts his full activities as Clinical Research Fellow at Fukushima.
• • April 1, 2015
  • Fukushima Medical University offers “Shirakawa STAR”, a donated course.
• • May 8, 2015
  • World Health Summit Fukushima Satellite Symposium is held.
• • July 31 to August 2, 2015
  • Organizes and hosts the third Aizu School, Nisshin-kan “Clinical Research Design Juku” (at Tsuchiyu hotspring, Fukushima city). 49 doctors from outside Fukushima participate.
• • September, 2015
  • Dr. Omae and Dr. Naganuma start their full activities as Clinical Research Fellow at Fukushima. Total number of Clinical Research Fellows increase to 8.
• • April, 2016
  • Dr. Noriaki Kurita is promoted to Associate Professor, Dr. Noriyuki Yajima to Lecturer (Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Department of Innovative Research & Education for Clinicians & Trainees).
    Joint symposium on dementia is held at Sukagawa city.
    Dr. Takahashi starts his full activities as Clinical Research Fellow at Fukushima.
• • August 26 to 28, 2016
  • Organizes and hosts the fourth Aizu School, Nisshin-kan “Clinical Research Design Juku” (at Tsuchiyu hotspring, Fukushima city). 58 doctors from outside Fukushima participate.
• • September, 2016
  • Dr. Onishi starts his full activities as Clinical Research Fellow at Fukushima.
• • October, 2016
  • Dr. Omae, Fellow, is promoted to Lecturer of Fukushima Medical University Hospital, Department of Innovative Research & Education for Clinicians & Trainees.
    Dr. Takeshima, Lecturer of Department of Community Medicine, Center for Community Medicine, Jichi Medical University is appointed to Specially Appointed Associate Professor.
• • April, 2017
  • Professor Hamaguchi of Department of General Internal Medicine, Fukushima Medical University is appointed to the Vice Director of CiRC²LE.
    Dr. Yoshioka starts his activities in Fukushima as Clinical Research Fellow.
• • May, 2017
  • Dr. Ito starts his full activities as Clinical Research Fellow at Fukushima. (He is also a graduate student at Department of Innovative Research & Education for Clinicians & Trainees, and Assistant of Department of Sports Medicine.)
• • August 25 to 27, 2017
  • Organizes and hosts the fifth Aizu School, Nisshin-kan “Clinical Research Design Juku” (at Yokomuki hotspring, Inawashiro town). 52 doctors from outside Fukushima participate.
• • May 14, 2018
  • A Symposium celebrating the fifth anniversary of CiRC²LE is held.
• • April, 2018
  • Dr. Takeshima, Specially Appointed Professor, is promoted to Associate Professor (a joint appointment with Shirakawa STAR).
• • August 24 to 26, 2018
  • Organizes and hosts the sixth Aizu School, Nisshin-kan “Clinical Research Design Juku” (at Yokomuki hotspring, Inawashiro town). 52 doctors from outside Fukushima participate.
• • November 17, 2018
  • Organizes and hosts a lecture meeting to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Aizu School, Nisshin-kan “Clinical Research Design Juku”.