Masaaki KITAJIMA / Associate Professor
MasaakiKitajima

Areas of expertise and research interests

- Environmental health engineering, health-related water microbiology

Educational Qualifications

D.Eng., The University of Tokyo, Urban Engineering, 2011.
M.Eng., The University of Tokyo, Urban Engineering, 2008.
B.Eng., The University of Tokyo, Urban Engineering, 2006.

Professional Experiences

Apr. 2021 - present

Associate Professor, Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University

Mar. 2016 - Mar. 2021

Assistant Professor, Division of Environmental Engineering, Hokkaido University

Mar. 2016 - Feb. 2017 Visiting Researcher, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART: Research center of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Singapore)
Jan. 2014 ‐ Feb. 2016 Postdoctoral Associate, Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology
Apr. 2013 ‐ Dec. 2013 Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona
Apr. 2011 ‐ Mar. 2013 Visiting Scholar / Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellow for Research Abroad (Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, The University of Arizona)
Dec. 2009 ‐ Mar. 2011 Visiting Research Engineer / JSPS Excellent Young Researchers Overseas Visit Program (Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Drexel University, USA)
Apr. 2008 ‐ Mar. 2011 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellow (DC1), Department of Urban Engineering, The University of Tokyo
Honors and Awards
Jun. 2015 CENSAM Annual Workshop Poster Award
Jun. 2013 Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) Best Paper Award for Young Professionals
Nov. 2011

Environmental Engineering Forum Best Paper Award for Young Professionals

Sep. 2011 International Water Association (IWA) Health-Related Water Microbiology (HRWM) Willie Grabow Young Investigator Award
Mar. 2011 The University of Tokyo President's Award (Research)
Mar. 2011 The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Engineering Dean's Award (Research)
Mar. 2011

The University of Tokyo Department of Urban Engineering Distinguished Doctoral Research Award

Mar. 2011 Japan Society on Water Environment (JSWE) President's Award
Feb. 2011 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Ikushi Prize (National Outstanding Doctoral Student Award)
Sep. 2010 Japan Society on Water Environment (JSWE) Best Doctoral Research Award (“Organo” Award)
Nov. 2009 JSCE Environmental Engineering Forum Best Paper Award
Mar. 2008 Annual Meeting of Japan Society on Water Environment Best Presentation Award (“Kurita” Award)
Nov. 2006

Environmental Engineering Forum Best Poster Award

Selected publications

Aichi virus 1: environmental occurrence and behavior
Kitajima, M. and Gerba, C. P.
Pathogens, 2015, 4 (2), 256-268.

Occurrence of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Cyclospora in influent and effluent water at wastewater treatment plants in Arizona
Kitajima, M., Haramoto, E., Iker, B.C. and Gerba, C. P.
Science of the Total Environment, 2014, 484, 129-136.

Development of a reverse transcription-quantitative PCR system for detection and genotyping of Aichi viruses in clinical and environmental samples
Kitajima, M., Hata, A., Yamashita, T., Haramoto, E., Minagawa, H. and Katayama, H.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2013, 79 (13), 3952-3958.

Dose-response time modelling for highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infection
Kitajima, M., Huang, Y., Watanabe, T., Katayama, H. and Haas, C. N.
Letters in Applied Microbiology, 2011, 53 (4), 438-444.

Seasonal distribution and genetic diversity of genogroups I, II, and IV noroviruses in the Tamagawa River, Japan
Kitajima, M., Oka, T., Haramoto, E., Takeda, N., Katayama, K., Katayama, H.
Environmental Science & Technology, 2010, 44 (18), 7116-7122.

Detection and genetic analysis of human sapoviruses in river water in Japan
Kitajima, M., Oka, T., Haramoto, E., Katayama, H., Takeda, N., Katayama, K., Ohgaki, S.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2010, 76(8), 2461-2467.