Shizuko Takahashi, M.D., Ph.D.

Shizuko is currently a Research Fellow at the Center for Biomedical Ethics (CbmE), National University of Singapore. She is trained in reproductive medicine and has worked as a certified Obstetrician, Gynecologist, and Clinical Geneticist at multiple hospitals in Tokyo. In 2011, she became the first physician to earn a PhD from the University of Tokyo’s Department of Biomedical Ethics and later became faculty (part-time).

Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, encompassing domestic and international ethical regulations, government policies, public attitudes, and practices, with a strong focus on reproductive technologies. She has been an educator at the University of Tokyo and Yale University, teaching bioethics and medical ethics to students worldwide.

In addition to her academic work, Shizuko is also a children’s book writer and illustrator. She was awarded the Women’s Challenge Award at the G7 ministerial meeting in Japan in 2023 for her book, “The World Caught a Cold”, which addresses the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also written books on sex-education with Sanrio. Currently, another children’s book on genetics starting from the embryo is underway.

Her recent projects continue to reflect her ongoing interest in genetics, reproductive medicine, and pediatrics.