KITAWAKI Jo

  • Director, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine (KPUM) Hospital, Kyoto, Japan
  • Vice-President, KPUM, Kyoto, Japan
  • Professor/Chairperson, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, KPUM, Kyoto, Japan

Jo Kitawaki, MD, PhD, is a reproductive endocrinologist specialising in the molecular mechanism and management of endometriosis. He completed his medical degree, residency, and PhD at the KPUM, Japan, and research fellowship at the Endocrine Biochemistry Department, Medical Foundation of Buffalo, USA. Professor Kitawaki held the current position of professor and chairperson of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, KPUM in 2008 and Director of the hospital and Vice-President of KPUM in 2017.

Professor Kitawaki is one of the executive board members of the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (JSOG), Japan Society of Endometriosis, Japan Society of Gynaecologic and Obstetric Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Therapy, Japan Society for Menopause and Women’s Health, Japan Society for Reproductive Medicine (vice-president), Japan Society of Reproductive Endocrinology, etc. He is a board certified physician of JSOG, Japan Society for Reproductive Medicine, Japan Society for Endoscopic Surgery, Japan Society for Menopause and Women’s Health, etc. He chaired JSOG committees for women’s health, epidemiological studies on endometriosis, and editing the oral contraceptives/low-dose oestrogen-progestin guideline.

As a congress president, professor Kitawaki hosted the 31st Annual Meeting of Japan Society for Menopause and Women’s Health in 2016, the 39th Japan Endometriosis Congress in 2018, and will host the 59th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society of Gynaecologic and Obstetric Endoscopy and Minimally Invasive Therapy in 2019, all in Kyoto.

Professor Kitawaki has authored over 140 research publications mainly on sex steroid metabolisms of normal and neoplastic gynaecologic tissues, and genetic polymorphisms on endometriosis in peer-reviewed international journals. He is the first to demonstrate that aromatase is expressed in the endometrium of women with endometriosis, adenomyosis, and/or fibroids, but not in the endometrium of disease-free women. He is currently investigating the role of various types of oestrogen receptors other than alpha and beta.

Professor Kitawaki’s clinical interests include reproductive endocrinology, infertility, endometriosis, laparoscopic surgery, and women’s health care. His major clinical and basic research interest is focused on growth mechanisms and treatment of oestrogen-dependent gynaecologic neoplasms including endometriosis, adenomyosis, fibroids, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Professor Kitawaki became a WES Ambassador in 2018.