Director’s greetings
Dermatomycoses are important diseases, affecting
1 out of every 10 patients who attend dermatology clinics. However, medical school education in Japan is generally deficient in providing the basic training that is
required to enable doctors to recognize and treat dermatomycoses. There is often no “hands-on” training in laboratory procedures related to medical mycology, and only a single lecture might be devoted to dermatomycoses.
Even within the Dermatology Department in a typical Japanese university hospital, it is questionable whether sufficient practical training has been carried out.
To assist in the training of the new generation of mycologists, we established the "Ochanomizu Institute for Medical Mycology and Allergology (OIMMA)" at Ochanomizu in Tokyo.
Here we have a laboratory fully equipped for isolation and identification of fungi, as well as offices and a conference room for lectures, discussions and seminars.
The field of microbiology has advanced greatly over the last decades, and comprehensive DNA analysis can now be performed on more than 1,000 species of bacteria.
Unfortunately, research in the field of medical mycology lags behind, and training opportunities in this field are lacking. Young dermatologists rarely have the opportunity to isolate or culture fungi.
Here at OIMMA we hope to promote awareness of medical mycology and to encourage doctors interested in the field by providing hands-on training and education
