Fumiko Kasuga

Global Hub Director, Japan Hub

Full profile

Fumiko Kasuga is Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Environmental Studies and a Visiting Professor at The University of Tokyo. She is also former Vice-President of the Science Council of Japan and a member of ICSU’s Committee on Scientific Planning and Review.Fumiko has worked as a government researcher in the field of public health, in particular on microbiological food safety in the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Internationally she has worked with the World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods. She has been engaged in Future Earth since she was in charge of international activities of Science Council of Japan.

Ria Lambino

Deputy Director, Japan Hub

Full profile

Ria Lambino is based at the Research Institute for Humanity & Nature (RIHN) in Kyoto as Specially Appointed Associate Professor.  She received her PhD and Masters from Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies.  She has a degree in Applied Physics (although never applied it) but has spent most of her professional career as a practitioner and researcher focusing on environmental conservation and sustainability, with significant experience in the Philippines and in Japan. Prior to joining Future Earth, she worked for WWF Philippines as Vice President for Sustainable Production and Market Engagement and had been involved in transdisciplinary research on watershed governance at RIHN.  Her research interests include environmental policy and governance, protected areas & management, renewable energy, water issues, sustainable agriculture & fisheries and sustainable consumption and production.

Giles Bruno Sioen

Co-Lead, Research & Innovation

Full profile

Dr. Giles B. Sioen is co-Lead for Research and Innovation based in the Future Earth Global Hub Japan, Research Associate at the National Institute for Environmental Studies of Japan, and chair of the KU Leuven Alumni Chapter Japan. Among other activities, he works on the research and innovation portfolio with colleagues from across the Future Earth community, coordinates the Future Earth Urban and Health Knowledge-Action Networks, conducts individual research, and supports a range of domestic projects and activities. His research focuses on the development of a transdisciplinary system-based guideline to reduce the impact of climate change and other disasters on cities and health. Before joining Future Earth, he worked as a project researcher at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences of the University of Tokyo in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology - System Design and Management Program where he applied sustainability science concepts in the fields of urban planning and public health using a systems approach. Dr. Sioen holds a Ph.D. in Sustainability Science from the University of Tokyo, a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Design from KU Leuven (Luca-Arts, campus Ghent), and a Bachelor’s degree in Garden and Landscape Architecture from University College Ghent.

Marcin Jarzebski

Science Officer

Full profile

Sikopo Nyambe

Science Officer

Full profile

Sikopo is a Science Officer for Future Earth and an Assistant Professor of the Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, and the Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversity at Hokkaido University. She has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Education (Major in Psychology, Minor in French language from the University of Zambia), Masters in Child and Adolescent Psychology (University of Zambia) and a PhD in Health Sciences (Hokkaido University). Her research interests focus on participatory action research and participatory research methodologies as a means of improving transdisciplinary research and engaging with diverse peoples and societies. Her current projects work with children and youth on issues of water, sanitation, hygiene and health in peri-urban Lusaka, Zambia, and she is interested in expanding to Indigenous communities by providing a platform for learning, sharing, co-design and action.

Akira Sai

Science Officer

Full profile

Akira Sai is an Assistant Professor at the Center for Ainu and Indigenous Studies, and the Global Station for Indigenous Studies and Cultural Diversity, Hokkaido University, Japan. He holds a Ph.D. in Area Studies (Southeast Asia) from Kyoto University. His research interests center around sociocultural influences on the conceptualization of body image, particularly in relation to ethnicity and modern media. His recent activities also include work on work values, self-esteem and the mental health of urban slum sanitation workers (e.g., garbage workers) in the face of social stigmatization. He has carried out research in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Solomon Islands.

Sunhee Suk

Science Officer, Japan

Full profile

Sunhee Suk is an associate professor in Environmental Sciences at Nagasaki University. She obtained her PhD in Economics from Kyoto University. Her research interests focus on market-based policies to address environmental and climate change challenges. She analyzes the impact of these policies on the economy and the environment from a macro perspective, and studies through an empirical approach on corporate carbon management to respond to these policies. Mainly East Asia (China, Japan, Korea, etc.) is the main research area of her research.

Rieko Yamamoto

Science Officer, Japan Hub

Full profile

Rieko is a Science Officer for Future Earth and an Assistant Professor at the Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, WHO collaboration center, Hokkaido University in Japan. She is a qualified Physiotherapist with a Master’s in Engineering, and has significant experience practicing in both Japan and the UK. Her research focuses on Rehabilitation Engineering, specifically in the development of intelligent fall-prevention systems. Her work is dedicated to enhancing accessibility for individuals with disabilities, emphasizing inclusivity and quality of life improvements through advanced technology. Furthermore, she has been actively engaged in the field of global health, fostering ongoing international partnerships with physiotherapy associations across Asia. Her focus lies in addressing the challenges posed by the rapidly aging society in the region, demonstrating her commitment to advancing global healthcare.

Masami Oka

Communications Officer

Full profile

Yuri Kojina

Communication Officer

Full profile

Yuri Kojina is a communicator at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) in Japan. She has mainly engaged in domestic project focusing on “community dialogue” to develop processes for setting national SDGs targets as a project coordinator.

Takako Okamoto

Administrative Officer

Full profile

Hein Mallee

Senior Advisor

Full profile

Hein Mallee is a social scientist working on ecohealth and natural resource governance. He has worked as a practitioner in China and Southeast Asia and is now based in Japan.

Junya Tani

Senior Adviser

Full profile

Junya is a senior advisor to Future Earth, Tokyo Hub on a pro-bono basis applying his knowledge and experiences from his business career. After graduation from University of Tokyo (Bachelor of Laws), he worked for a several global financial institutions (Bank of Tokyo (currently MUFG), Citigroup, UBS, Credit Suisse, and DBS) for years. After retirement from the business, he has been engaged in various social activities including employment support for persons with mental and intellectual disabilities, education, and revitalization of local communities. In 2018, he together with Naoko Ishii and Institution for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) translated and introduced “Big World Small Planet” (by Johan Rockstrom and Mattias Klum) in Japan, which has opened his eyes to the clear and present crisis of the earth.