Dr. Tomoko Ishino is a Professor in Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University. She earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Science (developmental biology) at the University of Tokyo in 2001. She started working on malaria parasites as a postdoctoral fellow in Mie University to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of sporozoite infection of mammalian hosts. She identified totally 7 novel secretory proteins required for sporozoite infection of the mammalian livers by the reverse-genetics. After spending almost three years in Pasteur Institute in Paris, she joined Ehime University, as an associate Professor, from 2009 to 2021. Her major research interests are: (1) elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of parasite transmission from mosquitoes to mammal; (2) elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of sexual-stage parasite development; (3) screening for novel candidates as transmission-blocking or infection blocking vaccine targets. Aside from the research, she was also serving as a senior scientific research specialist, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, from 2011 to 2013.