CAMLS CEO and Executive Director shows Acting Consul General for Japan in Miami Fumiyo
Tsuda and visiting business leaders one of the simulated operating suites at CAMLS
that draws medical professionals and students from around the world for training.
CAMLS is one of the world's largest and most advanced medical simulation centers for
both healthcare professionals and students.The connections between USF, the larger Tampa Bay Region and Japan grow stronger with each exchange. That was particularly true recently with Japan’s Consul General in Miami Fumiyo Tsuda and a delegation of business leaders visited the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation and then gathered with life sciences leaders from around the region to learn more about the thriving life sciences sector here.
Joined by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, a number of USF and regional health and innovation leaders, the evening allowed for a comprehensive look at the intersection of life sciences and technology. The Financial Times-Nikkei recently ranked Tampa as the best city in the U.S. for foreign businesses in its annual "Investing in America" rankings and the strong partnerships power the regional life science ecosystem underscored a business culture eager for engagement.
Among the USF leaders who presented a comprehensive look at the universities capabilities was Provost Prasant Mohapatra, who briefed the gathering on the new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing; USF Health Senior Vice President Charles Lockwood, USF Research & Innovation Vice President Sylvia Wilson Thomas and CAMLS CEO and Executive Director Haru Okuda. They were joined by Florida High Tech Corridor CEO Paul Sohl, Embarc Collective CEO Tim Holcumb and Tampa Bay Wave CEO Linda Olson — closer partners who are key to catalysts in the pipeline of life sciences innovation.
“This is a very vibrant city and a lot of activities are happening,” said Provost Mohapatra. “It’s growing fast and the footprint we are building from the university side is also due to the partnerships and collaborations across the country and across the world.”
Tampa General Hospital CEO John Couris and Moffitt Cancer Center Chief Business Officer Xavier Avat briefed the crowd on the fast-rising Tampa Medical & Research District surrounding CAMLS and the Morsani College of Medicine downtown, and Moffitt’s Speros cancer research campus under construction in Pasco County.
USF Vice President for Research & Innovation Sylvia Wilson Thomas said USF is a thread among the regions partners that helps innovative companies from abroad find a “soft landing” in Tampa in programs like the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator at the USF Research Park. “We can do it through several mechanisms,” she said. “We are in the business of supporting creators and innovators,” she said.
“…What’s really important is how we can have impact together. What’s going to be that return on investment in time, energy, money and the collaboration,” she added.
USF has longstanding ties with healthcare entities in Japan, including a decade-long collaboration with Gifu University. USF’s College of Public Health has sent a total of 80 students for study abroad programs and applied practice experiences. Meanwhile, a dozen Gifu medical students have traveled to Tampa for learning experiences. The programs also have extended to the Genshaft Honors College and the Muma College of Business.
In August, USF Health welcomed a delegation from Gifu University and Takayama Red Cross Hospital led by Dean Hiroaki Ushikoshi of the School of Medicine at Gifu University.
“I am so glad to see today that these conversations are already taking shape with concrete steps,” Consul General Tsuda said.