Speakers

Dr Toshihiro Sashihara

General Manager

Toshihiro Sashihara, Ph.D. is Unit Head of the Health Science Research Unit, R&D Division, Meiji Co., Ltd., Japan. He received his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Agricultural Science from Kyushu University in 1996 and 2001, respectively. From 2000 to 2002, he was a Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and from 2001 to 2002 he conducted research at the Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, USA. Since joining Meiji in 2002, he has been engaged in the development of functional lactic acid bacteria and probiotics, with a focus on immune regulation, allergy prevention, gut health, and host–microbe interactions. He has contributed to the development and scientific validation of several probiotic products, including the R-1 yogurt program. His research interests include probiotics, microbiome science, mucosal immunology, and functional food development. He received the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award and the Japan Bifidus Foundation Research Award in 2013. He currently leads research programs aimed at creating new health value through probiotics, microbiome science, and nutritional interventions.