Research
Faculty Members
Quantum life science and bioinformatics（Biology）
Asano HirotoSpecially Appointed Assistant Professor
My research bridges pharmaceutical sciences and information science, centering on drug discovery with supercomputing. By integrating computational methods such as quantum chemistry calculations and artificial intelligence, I hope to contribute to drug discovery and medicine.
Research theme
Quantum-Chemical Drug Discovery (FMO Method)
Developing new drugs requires a precise, molecular-level understanding of how drug candidates interact with their disease targets, such as proteins. By applying the Fragment Molecular Orbital (FMO) method, a quantum chemistry approach developed in Japan, I study these interactions in detail, hoping to support more efficient drug discovery.
Data-Oriented Drug Discovery with Adverse Event Reports
Medicines bring not only their intended benefits but sometimes unexpected side effects. By analyzing adverse event reports collected worldwide together with the chemical information of drugs, I aim to uncover the molecular origins of side effects, hoping to support the development of safer medicines and the discovery of new uses for existing drugs.
Pharmaceutical Research with Local LLMs
In pharmaceutical research, the handling of sensitive information—such as drug development data and clinical records—has drawn growing interest in AI that operates locally without transmitting data externally (local LLMs). I study the performance of local LLMs in pharmaceutical settings and develop models and tools designed for the field, hoping to contribute to more efficient drug discovery and healthcare.
Representative achievements
Asano, H., Tian, YS., Hatabu, A. et al. Safety comparisons among monoamine oxidase inhibitors against Parkinson’s disease using FDA adverse event reporting system. Sci Rep 13, 19272 (2023).
Hatabu, A., Tian, YS., Asano, H. et al. A brief report of the status of self-medication with over-the-counter drugs: a pilot cross-sectional survey. BMC Res Notes 18, 37 (2025).
