Affiliation: Safety Science Research, Kao Corporation

Dr. Junichi Tasaki is a senior research scientist and team leader in Safety Science Research, Kao Corporation, Japan. He received his PhD from Kyoto University, Japan in developmental biology. During his PhD course under Professor Kiyokazu Agata, he researched the cellular and molecular signaling mechanisms of pluripotent stem cells governing planarian regeneration as a JSPS Research Fellow. He continued planarian research focusing on post-transcriptional regulation and involvement of environmental factors during planarian sexual reproduction in Department of Biological Sciences, Wright State University, USA as a JSPS Overseas Research Fellow (postdoctoral advisor: Dr. Labib Rouhana). His research career in Kao Corporation started in ecological toxicity of chemicals in Japanese medaka and common carp. Now he focuses on prediction, prevention, and therapy for birth defects and rare diseases caused by genetic and environmental factors as well as the development of alternative methods for developmental toxicity using zebrafish embryos. In addition, he continues to study planarian development, focusing on sexual reproduction and whole-body regeneration. He is a member of the Editorial Board at Current Research in Toxicology.