New member joins the fight against global epidemics

GloPID-R welcomes the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) as a member into the initiative. AMED is the 13th research funding organization to join the GloPID-R members in their commitment to collaborate in research for infectious disease preparedness.

Line Matthiessen, Chair of GloPID-R and head of the unit ‘Fighting Infectious Diseases and Advancing Public Health’, DG Research and Innovation, European Commission had this to say: “We’re very pleased that the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development have joined GloPID-R, bringing their expertise in medical research and development to the network. Only through collaboration and coordination between research funding organizations like AMED will we achieve our goal of mounting a fast and effective response to disease outbreaks, which risk becoming pandemic.”

AMED’s President Dr. Makoto Suematsu will be representing AMED in the GloPID-R membership and Dr. Kensuke Nakajima, Director of the Division of Infectious Disease Research, Department of Research Promotion, will be the main point of contact.

Dr. Makoto Suematsu, President of AMED stated, “When devastating diseases like Ebola strike, research funding organizations need to work together to be prepared to have a rapid response. The members of GloPID-R understand the importance of research and innovation at the outset of an epidemic.”

GloPID-R looks forward to AMED’s contribution in providing innovative solutions to tackle the regulatory, legal, financial and administrative bottlenecks ensuring the necessary resources are readily accessible and correctly channeled when an outbreak occurs.

About the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)

Launched in April 2015, The Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED) leads research and development (R&D) in Japan through partnerships with universities and companies. AMED aims to achieve the world’s highest level of medical care and service and to form a society in which people live long, healthy lives by promoting integrated research and development, from basic research to practical application; therefore, AMED establishes and maintains an environment which links to various forms of growth in medical R&D.