Tomoko Hongo PhD Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd.

Tomoko Hongo-Hirasaki have been working on Planova virus removal filters for over 30 years. She is the lead expert of virus filtration in the Bioprocess Division of Asahi Kasei Medical Co., Ltd. She received her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Kyushu University for her research on separation mechanisms of biological macromolecules on porous cellulose membranes. Her areas of expertise include virus evaluation, colloid science, membrane science, and protein biophysics. At Asahi Kasei, she led a group in the R&D department that evaluated and analyzed the performance of virus removal filters, conducting study on filtration removal mechanisms, developing evaluation and analysis technology, and studying the characteristics of virus removal membranes. She is currently responsible for global scientific activities and leads global scientific publications. She is a member of the Bio-Virus Committee of PDA Japan and leader of the Virus Safety Subcommittee. Also she is serving on the board member of the Japanese Society for Virus Safety Research of Biologics.