Mr. Ito earned a B.A. (2002) and a M.A. in Economics (2004) from Keio University. He served as a research associate at the Global Security Research Institute in Keio University (2005-2007). He is currently a PhD candidate at the Keio University, serving as a visiting scholar at Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI) and a visiting fellow at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) Cabinet Office. Recent Publications: Who Develops Innovations in Medicine for the Poor? Trends in Patent Applications Related to Medicines for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Diseases, (with Tatsufumi Yamagata), (the Developing Economies, 2007). What Factors Determine the Mode of Overseas R&D by Multinationals? Empirical Evidence (with Ryuhei Wakasugi) (Research Policy, 2007), The Effects of Stronger Intellectual Property Rights on Technology Transfer: Evidence from Japanese Firm-level Data (with Ryuhei Wakasugi) (Journal of Technology Transfer, 2008).