On December 4, 2025, the Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR) held the GIAR International Symposium under the theme “A Life Course Approach to Women’s Health.”

GIAR’s International Open Laboratories (IOL), The University of Queensland Laboratory, was established by Gunma University in October 2023. This laboratory was created to strengthen international collaborative research on women’s health by utilizing the Japan Nurses’ Health Study (JNHS) and the international cohort research project InterLACE. At the symposium, researchers presented their latest findings with the aim of advancing a systematic life-course approach to women’s health research.

The symposium opened with a welcome address by President Yasuki Ishizaki, followed by a presentation by Professor Kunihiko Hayashi, who introduced GIAR and outlined the epidemiological study, the Japan-Study group on Nationwide Occupational cohorts of Women health professionals (J-SNOW).

In the keynote lecture, Professor Gita Mishra of The University of Queensland presented initiatives aimed at translating research on women’s health across the life course into policy and practice. In the invited lectures, Professor Jenny Doust (The University of Queensland) discussed improvement strategies derived from women’s experiences and current healthcare support for heavy menstrual bleeding in Australia, while Professor Rebecca Hardy (Loughborough University, UK) reported on life-course factors influencing age at menopause.

During the GIAR–The University of Queensland Laboratory session and Gunma University research presentations, a wide range of studies was shared, including analyses of menopausal symptoms from the Japan Nurses’ Health Study (JNHS), associations between midlife weight change and knee pain risk in women, characteristics of endometriosis and menopausal transition identified through the InterLACE consortium, and recent findings on women at high risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition, Professor Akira Iwase of the Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma University, reported on challenges related to endometriosis and fertility.

The symposium was held in a hybrid format and brought together 78 participants from universities and institutions in Japan and abroad, providing a valuable forum for active discussion and exchange.

[From left to right: (Gunma University(GU)) President ISHIZAKI, Prof. HAYASHI, and Prof. MISHRA (GU, The University of Queensland(UQ)).]

[From left to right:(UQ) Prof. DOUST ,(Loughborough University) Prof. HARDY , and (GU)Prof.IWASE. ]

[From left to right: (UQ) Dr. CHUNG , (GU) Dr. IDENO, Dr.NAGAI, and Dr. ITO.]

[(GU) GIAR Director HANAYA.  ]

■Related Links
The University of Queensland School of Public Health
GIAR, International Open Laboratory, The University of Queensland