Academic Profile : Faculty
Asst Prof Keisuke Ejima
Assistant Professor, Infectious Disease Modelling, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
Assistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
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Dr. Keisuke Ejima is an Assistant Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Dr. Ejima received a PhD in Information Science and Technology from the University of Tokyo, Japan, where he studied mathematical modelling for infectious disease transmission dynamics. After graduation, he worked at University of Alabama at Birmingham and Indiana University as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and an Assistant Research Scientist. His research focuses on mathematical and statistical modeling to address public health questions in the fields of infectious disease, obesity, and nutrition. He is a recipient of awards and scholarships including Research Fellowships (DC1, PD, and Overseas) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Research Fellowship from The Uehara Memorial Foundation, and Early Career Award from Japanese Society for Mathematical Biology.
The Ejima lab focuses on quantitatively understanding biological mechanisms of infection and its impact on both individual and population health. Particularly, we have been working to understand the viral dynamics at individual level and how it is associated with population level epidemiological dynamics. Using mathematical modelling and computer simulation as core approaches, we will connect basic biological mechanism of infection and infectious disease epidemiology and clinical studies, which would accelerate vaccine, drugs, and treatment development and provide a more comprehensive picture of the mechanisms behind the dynamics of infectious diseases.
Here is a list of projects and relevant publication which may be helpful to understand our scope:
1. Develop mathematical models to understand the biological response to viral infection
• A quantitative model used to compare within-host SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV dynamics provides insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. PLoS Biology 2021:19:e3001128
• Quantifying the antiviral effect of APOBEC3 on HIV-1 infection in humanized mouse model. Journal of Theoretical Biology 2020:498:110295
2. Estimate epidemiological parameter and assess impact of interventions on epidemiological dynamics of infectious diseases
• Estimation of the incubation period of COVID-19 using viral load data. Epidemics 2021:35:100454
• Time variation in the probability of failing to detect a case of PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 as estimated from a viral dynamics model, Journal of the Royal Society Interface 2021:18:20200947
3. Develop/assess public health guideline for infectious diseases
• Designing isolation guidelines for COVID-19 patients with rapid antigen tests. Nature Communications 2022:13:4910
• Revisiting the guidelines for ending isolation for COVID-19 patients. eLife 2021:10:e69340
4. Support development of novel drugs and treatment for infectious diseases
• Potential anti-COVID-19 agents, Cepharanthine and Nelfinavir, and their usage for combination treatment, iScience 2021:24:102367
• Detection of significant antiviral drug effects on COVID-19 with reasonable sample sizes in randomized controlled trials: a modeling study combined with clinical data. PLoS Medicine 2021:18:e1003660
• Kim KS, Iwanami S, Oda T, Fujita Y, Kuba K, Miyazaki T, Ejima K, and Iwami S (2021) Incomplete viral treatment may induce longer durations of viral shedding during SARS-CoV-2 infection Life Science Alliance 2021:4:e202101049
Here is a list of projects and relevant publication which may be helpful to understand our scope:
1. Develop mathematical models to understand the biological response to viral infection
• A quantitative model used to compare within-host SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV dynamics provides insights into the pathogenesis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2. PLoS Biology 2021:19:e3001128
• Quantifying the antiviral effect of APOBEC3 on HIV-1 infection in humanized mouse model. Journal of Theoretical Biology 2020:498:110295
2. Estimate epidemiological parameter and assess impact of interventions on epidemiological dynamics of infectious diseases
• Estimation of the incubation period of COVID-19 using viral load data. Epidemics 2021:35:100454
• Time variation in the probability of failing to detect a case of PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 as estimated from a viral dynamics model, Journal of the Royal Society Interface 2021:18:20200947
3. Develop/assess public health guideline for infectious diseases
• Designing isolation guidelines for COVID-19 patients with rapid antigen tests. Nature Communications 2022:13:4910
• Revisiting the guidelines for ending isolation for COVID-19 patients. eLife 2021:10:e69340
4. Support development of novel drugs and treatment for infectious diseases
• Potential anti-COVID-19 agents, Cepharanthine and Nelfinavir, and their usage for combination treatment, iScience 2021:24:102367
• Detection of significant antiviral drug effects on COVID-19 with reasonable sample sizes in randomized controlled trials: a modeling study combined with clinical data. PLoS Medicine 2021:18:e1003660
• Kim KS, Iwanami S, Oda T, Fujita Y, Kuba K, Miyazaki T, Ejima K, and Iwami S (2021) Incomplete viral treatment may induce longer durations of viral shedding during SARS-CoV-2 infection Life Science Alliance 2021:4:e202101049
- Connecting within-host viral dynamics with the epidemiology of COVID-19: a multiscale computational infrastructure
- Development of a multifaceted pandemic response through IoT technology and the development of digital twin technology
- NCID Short-Term Fellowship FY2024- Outgoing Visit to Fudan University
- Patient stratification for development of better isolation guideline
Awards
2016 - Japanese Society for Mathematical Biology Early Career Award
2016 - Best Paper Award in General Statistics Research, The Science Unbound Foundation
2022 - United Japanese researchers Around the world (UJA) Paper Award
2016 - Best Paper Award in General Statistics Research, The Science Unbound Foundation
2022 - United Japanese researchers Around the world (UJA) Paper Award
Fellowships & Other Recognition
2011.4-2014.3: Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (DC1), JSPS
2014.9-2015.3: Post-doctoral Fellowship for Study Abroad, The Uehara memorial Foundation
2015.4-2018.3: Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (PD), JSPS
2018.4-2019.8: Overseas Research Fellowship, JSPS
2014.9-2015.3: Post-doctoral Fellowship for Study Abroad, The Uehara memorial Foundation
2015.4-2018.3: Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (PD), JSPS
2018.4-2019.8: Overseas Research Fellowship, JSPS