Our parasitology group was initially established under the Department of Biology by Professor Hideo Tanaka at the Medical College in 1947, and was immediately organized to study sanitary zoology as the third department of Public Health (Department of Public Health Medical Zoology) at the Osaka City Preparatory Medical School.

It was later reorganized into the Department of Medical Zoology at Osaka City University School of Medicine. At that time, Professor Tanaka was the director and the group focused on sanitary zoology, and then Professor Suehisa Takada succeeded as director for protozoology (1972 – 1992).

After a vacancy period, Professor Akira Kaneko was appointed as Professor of Parasitology in 2010. Since then, Professor Kaneko has conducted global health research with a particular focus on malaria elimination on islands in Vanuatu, Oceania and Lake Victoria, Kenya.

We also collaboratively provide medical/parasitological advice in response to various inquiries on diagnosis and treatment for clinical cases in the field of medical parasitology.