Dr. Erica Ota is a professor at St. Luke’s International University in Tokyo and a distinguished leader in global health, midwifery, and evidence-based practice. After earning her nursing degree from St. Luke’s College of Nursing in 2001 and completing midwifery training at the Japanese Red Cross Midwife School in 2002, she went on to earn both a Master’s and Doctorate in Health Science from the University of Tokyo.
Her career has included academic and research roles at Tokyo Medical and Dental University, the AIDS Prevention Foundation, and the University of Tokyo. Since 2016, she has served as Director of the Policy Development Research Office at the National Center for Child Health and Development. She also leads the WHO Collaborating Centre for Primary Health Care Nursing Development and serves as Vice President of the Cochrane Japan Centre, contributing to international research, guideline development, and training in systematic reviews.
Dr. Ota will be at UNC from June 23-25, 2025
Yuko Degawa, Practicing Nurse
St. Luke’s International Hospital Affiliated Clinic, Center for Preventive Medicine
Why I decided to become a nurse:
I decided to become a nurse because I cared for my grandmother at home when she was suffering from cancer. That experience inspired me to help others through nursing.
What I want to learn at UNC:
Through the training in the U.S., which has a more diverse cultural background than Japan, I hope to learn about patient-centered care, cultural competence, and how nurses work together with other healthcare professionals.
Mai Murano, St. Luke’s International University, College of Nursing, Senior year
Why I decided to become a nurse:
I wanted to do the job that help others. When I was in senior high school, I went to Australia for study and experienced covid19, which made me realise the importance of healthcare professionals. That’s why I chose nursing. I’m interested in global health.
What I want to learn at UNC:
I’m excited to learn various things including how nursing/ healthcare service is different in the United States compared to Japan, global health, or cultural differences.
Kanon Yamaguchi, St. Luke’s International University, College of Nursing, Senior year
Why I decided to become a nurse:
When I was in elementary school, I read a book about Florence Nightingale, which inspired me to pursue a career as a nurse. I was deeply moved by how her compassion and practical actions saved many lives, and I began to feel a strong desire to help others.
What I want to learn at UNC:
First, taking part in this program would help me to learn about patients from different countries. It will help me to emphasize with patients with different backgrounds and relieve their anxiety. Each patient is diverse from the other. It might be religion, race and so on. These aren’t much concerned in Japan. Therefore, it is important to know what kind of difficulty they are facing, for better care.
Next, I would be able to help non-Japanese-speaking patients when I actually work as a nurse, by improving my English skills. I want to become a nurse who is global-minded. There are many patients from overseas, who receive medical care in Japan. The U.S. is a country of diversity. By learning how nurses in the U.S. cope with patients from all over the world, I will be able to help patients from overseas more precisely with better care.
Finally, from learning about the social position and relationships with other medical workers nurses in the U.S. have, I would be able to understand that nursing has a lot of potential possibility. By learning about the potential nurses have, I would be able to gain confidence in myself as a nurse.