Prof. Yoshinosuke Fukuchi

Prof. Fukuchi

Dr Yoshinosuke Fukuchi graduated from Department of Medicine, Gunma University in 1964, After completing an internship/medical residency at US Air Force Hospital in Tachikawa, Tokyo, he started his early training at Department of Geriatrics, the University of Tokyo Japan in 1966. Under warm but stringent mentorship of Professor Michiyoshi Harasawa, he was awarded a Ph.D. for an experimental study aiming at age effects on bronchial circulation in 1972. He spent a two-year research/clinical fellowship at Meakins-Christie Laboratories (MCL), McGill University, Montreal, Canada in 1974-1976. The MCL was a highly reputed centre for cutting-edge research in pulmonary physiology under the directorship of Professor Peter T Macklem. MCL enabled him to make lasting friendship with many distinguished investigators including Professor Ann J Woolcock. Among nine research papers published during those years, the most notable was a novel finding of cardiogenic oscillation facilitating intrapulmonary diffusive mixing (CGM). CGM may have heralded later development of high frequency ventilation.

He stayed at Tokyo University serving as senior lecture (1979) and associate professor (1986) for 30 years. He was among the first to point out the importance of accelerated aging in the pathogenesis of COPD through physio-chemical studies in Senescent Accelerated Mouse (SAM) around 1990 to 2000. He took the chair of the department of respiratory medicine at Juntendo University in 1996. His research interest in animal model of COPD (SAM and SMP-30 KO) was relentlessly maintained and produced significant papers through his tenure at Juntendo University.

He worked hard always with 4D (Diligence, Dedication, Diversity, Decision) in mind, as principles to fulfill the mission of the chairmanship. We witnessed the department attracting many young doctors who completed successful clinical as well as academic training.

Since the early days of his career the promotion of respiratory science, both in Japan and Asia-Pacific countries, became the priority in addition to his own research interest. This wish grew further when he was appointed Chairman of the International Relations Committee (IRC) of the Japanese Respiratory Society (JRS). In close collaboration with Professors Yoshihiro Hayata, Shiro Kira and J Patrick Barron, IRC could convince the Board of Directors of the JRS to move forward to launch an academic society in the Asia-Pacific region to promote respiratory science and clinical practice toward higher quality. The JRS held an international respiratory conference in Tokyo, 1985. An international panel of distinguished clinician scientists representing the Asia-Pacific region, North/South America and Europe, were called upon to discuss the need and feasibility of such venture in this region. All delegates agreed upon the momentum to step forward to formulate an independent academic society in the Asia-Pacific region. Whenever asked, he recalled an enormous zeal and sagacious advice by which Professor Ann J Woolcock suggested a list of eminent academicians in the Asia-Pacific region to be invited. All the listed delegates in fact made core members of a steering committee of the proposed society. In 1986 the society was officially established under the name of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) during the IUATLD congress in Singapore.

It was decided that a biannual congress was to be organized and the first Congress was held in Tokyo with Professor Michiyoshi Harasawa as presiding president in 1988. The JRS fully supported this congress together with participating member country societies with a great success. This outcome paved a road towards further progress for the APSR. The APSR Secretariat was located in the department of geriatrics in the early days after the launch and he assisted Professor Shiro Kira in business communications with his personal secretary.

In 1996, Respirology was published as the official journal of the Society every 6 months when the Secretariat relocated to a new office in Hongo, Tokyo. Due to the limited membership size and marginal financial income from the congress, it was hard to maintain regular publication of the journal. He, together with Professor J Patrick Barron, managed to overcome this financial difficulty by printing extended abstracts for additional donation to supplement the deficit.

He organized the 41st JRS annual congress in Tokyo and introduced its International Programme in English to meet the mounting need for globalization of the Society's activities. He offered an occasion for delegates from the APSR, ATS, ERS, IUATLAD and ALAT to meet face to face for the first time. This meeting was highly appreciated among global leaders and stimulated later development of Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS).

In 2003, as Chairman of the JRS Board of Directors (BOD) he played a pivotal role in convincing the Board to apply for en bloc membership of the APSR. This was a novel system of securing large number of members on regular basis which gave the APSR greater financial stability thereafter.

His 4D principles has helped him to achieve a productive life and accomplish what he aimed at in his youth.