Gabriel Núñez, MD, Accepts Joint Appointment in Osaka, Japan
By Lynn McCain | July 7
The University of Michigan Medical School is committed to serving those in Michigan and the world, and the faculty in the Department of Pathology live that out daily. One of these faculty is Dr. Gabriel Núñez. Through the years, Núñez has trained researchers from many countries, including nine who are now full professors in Japan. One of these was Dr. Nobuhiko Kamada, who is at the University of Michigan Medical School with a joint appointment at Osaka University in Japan.
In 2021, Osaka University with the help of the Nippon Foundation created a Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research (CiDER), with a beautiful nine-story facility designed by the renowned architect Tadao Ando in the shape of a boat. This state-of-the-art facility opened in February 2025. Núñez was invited to serve on the faculty at CiDER. “I spoke with Dr. Parkos (Chair of Pathology and Dr. Cho (Associate Chair for Faculty Affairs, Pathology) and they agreed that I could reduce my effort and hold a 10% joint appointment at CiDER,” he explained. “I will travel to Osaka twice a year for three weeks to mentor two associate professors in microbiology. They have their own laboratories, an assistant professor, postdoc, a student and a technician. We will be advertising in Science and Nature to recruit another person in immunology, virology or bacteriology.” He plans to hold a conference at Osaka where all the candidates will come together to present their research and hopefully find one who will be the right fit.
A major focus of Núñez’s research has been in Crohn’s disease, so it may seem like a different path mentoring in infectious diseases. However, he explained, “We think that Crohn’s disease (CD) is triggered by some bacteria that live in the gut of people who have genetic mutations that make them susceptible to disease. In a way, CD is an infectious disease.” After nearly forty years in research, this is a welcome change of pace for Núñez, one that will have a global impact. He is just one more example of how UMMS strives to make the world a healthier place for all.
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