Associate Professor
Faculty of Economics, Aoyama Gakuin University
Health Economics| Labor Economics | Public Policy
Contact：
College of Economics, Aoyama Gakuin University,
4-4-2, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8366, JAPAN
Email: sugano (at) econ.aoyama.ac.jp
I am a health economist studying health-care systems, long-term care, family behavior and public policy in aging societies. I received my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Tokyo in 2012 and and was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Southern California in 2014. I am currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Economics at Aoyama Gakuin University. My current research focuses on the functional differentiation of medical institutions, health-care utilization, patient behavior, preventive care, and family caregiving. I received the Ochanomizu University Award (Michiyo Tsujimura Prize) in February 2026 in recognition of outstanding research achievements.
Participant, Global Young Academy Annual General Meeting and International Conference 2026, Bremen, Germany.
Organizer and Panelist, World Forum for Women in Science 2026, Hiroshima, Japan.
Member, Honda Foundation 50th Anniversary Planning Committee.
Member, Committee for the Evaluation of Emerging Technologies and Their Effects, Cabinet Secretariat of Japan.
June 20, 2026: Presented a paper on family structure, caregiving, and employment with Professor Ayako Kondo at the 1st Annual Conference of the Community Mechanism Research Association at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan.
February 2026: Presented research on preventive health care and health checkups at the Singapore Conference on Aging and Health, National University of Singapore.
January 2026: Presented research on preventive health care and health checkups at the Singapore Conference on Aging and Health, National University of Singapore at the Society of Behavioural Health Singapore Annual Scientific Meeting.
Health Care Systems
Health-care utilization, referral systems, continuity of care, and the functional differentiation of medical institutions.
Long-Term Care and Informal Caregiving
The effects of caregiving on labor supply, employment, and mental health.
Families, Work, and Well-being
Family formation, work-life balance, remote work, and gender differences in household behavior.
Associate Member, Science Council of Japan
Member, Young Academy of Japan
Member, Committee for the Evaluation of Emerging Technologies and Their Effects, Cabinet Secretariat of Japan
Member, Study Group on the Vision for Local Public Finance and Administration, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications
Member, Honda Foundation 50th Anniversary Planning Committee
Recipient of the Ochanomizu University Award (Michiyo Tsujimura Prize)