PhD in Medical Science (Network Medicine)

Tohoku University, located in Sendai, Japan, is a historic institution that has been a pioneer in many ways. Founded in 1907, it was the first university in Japan to admit female students in 1913, reflecting its commitment to equality and inclusivity. You can benefit from its strong research focus, diverse student body, and rich history, making it an attractive choice for international students.

The university offers 27 programs, providing opportunities for you to explore different fields and interests. Specifically, Tohoku University has a strong focus on engineering, business, and medicine, with many research areas and departments dedicated to these subjects. English is a key language used in many programs, allowing international students to integrate easily into academic life.

As a student at Tohoku University, you will be part of a community of around 17,591 students, including 1,732 international students from 90 countries and regions. Sendai, the city where the university is located, provides a unique blend of traditional Japanese culture and modern amenities. You can enjoy the city's festivals, try local cuisine, and take part in many student activities and clubs, making your time at Tohoku University a rich and memorable experience.

Medical Science (Network Medicine) is a four-year doctoral program at Tohoku University, taught in English, with entry available in both April and October. Network medicine applies systems-level and computational approaches to biomedical research, studying how genes, proteins, and cellular networks interact in health and disease; doctoral students in the program typically pursue original research combining molecular biology, bioinformatics, and clinical data analysis, working toward a dissertation under faculty supervision. Tohoku University runs the UREX-Tohoku Project, an initiative that supports early- and mid-career researchers and works to attract international talent as part of the government's Universities for International Research Excellence initiative; as the first Japanese university selected for this program, Tohoku is set to receive 15.4 billion JPY (approximately 100 million USD) in the current fiscal year, followed by about 10 billion JPY annually for the next 25 years. The four-year doctoral structure allows time for extended laboratory research, methodological training, and publication of original findings, and doctoral graduates from the program typically pursue careers in academic research, biomedical data science, pharmaceutical research, or clinical research support roles. Based in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture, the program draws on Tohoku University's medical school and its broader research infrastructure in the natural and life sciences, and English-medium instruction is designed to support international doctoral candidates without requiring Japanese-language proficiency at entry.