The Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (RIEM) was established in 1946 as an institute attached to Nagoya University. In 2004-2005, the institute underwent a strategic transformation, shifting its main mission from space medicine to near-future environmental medicine. RIEM’s current objectives focus on elucidating the mechanisms of, and developing preventive measures against, serious health problems projected to occur within the next 30 to 50 years, including decline in brain functions, sudden cardiac death, impaired immunity, developmental abnormalities in fetuses, and disorders affecting the autonomic nervous and sensory systems.
The institute was reorganized in 2006 into two core research divisions: Stress Recognition and Response, and Stress Adaptation and Protection. RIEM researchers conduct cutting-edge investigations into neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Alzheimer’s disease, metabolic disorders, circadian rhythms, and stress response mechanisms. The institute houses a Futuristic Environmental Simulation Center and maintains active collaborations with institutions in Japan and abroad using large-scale research apparatus and innovative technologies including high-resolution optical mapping systems and tissue targeting molecules. Recent breakthroughs include discoveries about TDP-43 pathology in ALS, microglial dysfunction in neurodegeneration, and novel therapeutic approaches for metabolic diseases.