Staff Introduction

Full-time Lecturer Ho Namkoong

Research Areas
Infectious diseases, infection control, mycobacterial infections, respiratory medicine, genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases in host-pathogen interactions
Ho Namkoong

Career

September 2004:
Internship at a hospital in South India as part of JOCS (NGO)
April 2007:
Junior Resident, Asahi General Hospital
April 2009:
Physician, Department of Internal Medicine, Asahi General Hospital
April 2010:
Assistant (Specialized Physician), Department of Internal Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine
April 2013:
JSPS Special Research Fellow (DC2)
April 2015:
Assistant Professor, Center for Preventive Medicine, Keio University Hospital
October 2015:
Physician, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Eiju General Hospital
April 2017:
Deputy Director, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Eiju General Hospital
April 2018:
Study Abroad, National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S.
February 2019:
JSPS Overseas Research Fellow
April 2021:
Current Position

Education

April 2000:
Enrolled in Keio University School of Medicine
August 2004:
Took a leave of absence from Keio University
January 2005:
Enrolled in Yonsei University Language Institute, South Korea
May 2005:
Medical training at Yonsei University School of Medicine (Severance Hospital)
September 2005:
Re-enrolled at Keio University School of Medicine
March 2007:
Graduated from Keio University School of Medicine
April 2010:
Enrolled in Doctoral Program, Department of Clinical Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University
March 2015:
Withdrew after obtaining credits from the Doctoral Program, Keio University Graduate School of Medicine
June 2016:
Enrolled in Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
March 2018:
Obtained Doctor of Medicine (MD, PhD) from Keio University
May 2020:
Obtained Master of Public Health (MPH) from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Academic Societies

  • The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
  • The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases
  • The Japanese Respiratory Society
  • The Japanese Society for Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Diseases
  • The Japanese Society for AIDS Research
  • The Japanese Society of Chemotherapy
  • The Japanese Society for Clinical Microbiology
  • The Japanese Society for Environmental Infections
  • The Japanese Society of Vaccinology
  • The Japanese Society for Immunology
  • The Japanese Society of Human Genetics
  • The Japanese Shock Society
  • The Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy
  • Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)
  • American Thoracic Society (ATS)

Qualifications

  • Specialist in Internal Medicine, The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
  • Specialist in Infectious Diseases, The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases
  • Respiratory Specialist, The Japanese Respiratory Society
  • Tuberculosis and Mycobacterial Disease Specialist, The Japanese Society for Tuberculosis
  • AIDS Specialist, The Japanese Society for AIDS Research
  • Antimicrobial Chemotherapy Specialist, The Japanese Society of Chemotherapy
  • ICD (Infectious Disease Control), endorsed by the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases
  • Cancer Treatment Specialist, Certified by the Japanese Organization for Cancer Treatment

Degree

  • Doctor of Medicine (MD, PhD)
  • Master of Public Health (MPH)

Current Focus and Aspirations

I am interested in understanding why some individuals develop severe symptoms from infectious diseases while others do not. I am collaborating with researchers in Japan and globally to advance research in this field. Additionally, I am dedicated to uncovering the disease mechanisms and developing treatments for patients suffering from pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria infections.

Regarding COVID-19, I am working with healthcare professionals across Japan as part of the COVID-19 Task Force (https://www.covid19-taskforce.jp/), collaborating with many researchers to lead joint research on the frontline of COVID-19 care.