Dr. Kazuki Heishima, Young Leaders Cultivation program ('G-YLC'*)-Designated Assistant Professor, Institute for Advanced Study, was selected for the Eighth Cohort of Mansfield-PhRMA Research Scholars in 2022 sponsored by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation. Dr. Heishima is one of the eight doctors and scholars selected for the program and is the first to join from Gifu University.

The program was launched at the beginning of 2013 and has been supported by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and is implemented through the joint sponsorship of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). Under the program, young researchers in the fields of medicine and pharmaceutical sciences are given an opportunity to study in the United States. They attend inspection tours to hold discussions with experts on drug discovery, development, policymaking, and regulations in the United States. These young researchers are expected to develop their understanding of basic research on drug discovery as well as collaboration among organizations in the process, from clinical tests to the commercialization of new medicine. In addition, their human network, expertise, and experiences are expected to become a driver for the promotion of joint research within their own institutions and science communities at home and abroad, and it could pave the way for the improvement of R&D policies in Japan, and development of human resources and new technologies.

Dr. Heishima and seven doctors and researchers who passed the program's screening process of English essays and interviews are scheduled to visit the United States for two weeks in September 2022. Their destinations include the U.S. federal government's healthcare policy department, its related organizations, think tanks, pharmaceutical companies, and universities in Washington D.C., Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), and Boston (Massachusetts). They will study the medical ecosystem for the promotion of translational research initiatives in the United States for the purposes of building a long-term, professional human network among doctors and researchers whose common objectives are "Promotion of Translational Research in Japan" and "Support for drug discovery and development of new medicine."

Dr. Heishima is currently engaging in the development of an anti-cancer drug from petasin contained in a Japanese native plant, Fuki (Petasites japonicus).

G-YLC*: Program to support and foster academic staff by hiring young researchers as specially-appointed assistant professors. Participants must demonstrate their dynamic research capabilities and skills to play a leading role in science communities in the world. They are expected to dedicate themselves to robust growth in R&D and education at Gifu University, particularly in the fields where the University has a great advantage both at home and abroad.