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Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo
Visiting Professor & Principal Investigator, International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba

My goal is to understand why many living organisms, including humans, sleep and why we dream, and furthermore, to lead to innovative medical treatments

In April 2008, joined the RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI) Behavioral Genetics Technology Development Team as a Special Postdoctoral Researcher. From April 2011 to March 2013, served as a Researcher on the same team. From April 2013 to December 2015, worked as an Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator at the International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), University of Tsukuba. Concurrently, from October 2013 to March 2017, served as a JST PRESTO Researcher. From January 2016 to March 2020, held the position of Associate Professor and Principal Investigator at WPI-IIIS. Subsequently, from April 2020 to March 2022, served as a Professor at the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, in the Department of Human Health Sciences, followed by a position as Designated Professor in the same department until March 2023. Since May 2020, has been a Visiting Professor and Principal Investigator at WPI-IIIS, University of Tsukuba (current position). In April 2022, appointed Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo (current position).His research focuses on understanding the physiological significance of sleep and dreaming, as well as developing new treatments for sleep disorders. He studies the neural circuits and molecular pathways that regulate sleep.

• Mitsuaki Kashiwagi, Goichi Beck, Mika Kanuka, Yoshifumi Arai1,Kaeko Tanaka, Chika Tatsuzawa, Yumiko Koga, Yuki C. Saito, Marina Takagi, Yo Oishi, Masanori Sakaguchi, Kousuke Baba, Masashi Ikuno, Hodaka Yamakado, Ryosuke Takahashi, Masashi Yanagisawa, Shigeo Murayama, Takeshi Sakurai, Kazuya Sakai, Yoshimi Nakagawa, Masahiko Watanabe, Hideki Mochizuki, Yu Hayashi, Cell, 2024, A pontine-medullary loop crucial for REM sleep and its deficit in Parkinson’s disease
• 2024 Project Manager, Moonshot Research and Development Program
• 2019 9th Frontier Salon Nagase Special Award"

Do your best and leave the rest to fate.

Roffwarg et al., Science 152(3722):604 (1966). doi: 10.1126/science.152.3722.604.
Ontogenetic development of the human sleep-dream cycle

This paper demonstrates that the quality of human sleep changes dynamically with growth and aging. Reading this study sparked a variety of questions that led to my current research themes, such as "Could sleep be crucial for brain development?" and "Might changes in sleep quality be related to aging?"

I aim to uncover the physiological significance of sleep and dreams and, through these findings, contribute to advances in medicine and the extension of healthy life expectancy."

Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

Elucidating the role of exosome-mediated inter-organ communication in the onset and progression of various diseases, such as cancer, preeclampsia, and autism spectrum disorder.

Completed a Ph.D. program at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, in 2011. After spending eight and a half years at Weill Cornell University (USA) as a postdoc, Research Associate, and Instructor, she became an Assistant Professor. In April 2019, she returned to Japan as a lecturer at the University of Tokyo’s IRCN. In March 2020, she established a lab as an Associate Professor at the School of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology. Since March 2023, she has been a Professor at the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo. She leads a project investigating the characteristics of exosomes that drive organ-specific metastasis of cancer, unraveling the mystery of ""why cancer metastasizes to specific organs,"" which has remained unsolved for over 100 years. She is also engaged in research on exosome biology in neurological diseases and pregnancy.

• Hoshino et al., Tumour exosome integrins determine organotropic metastasis, Nature 2015
• Hoshino et al., Extracellular Vesicle and Particle Biomarkers Define Multiple Human Cancers, Cell 2020
• 2023: 6th Japan Medical Research and Development Grand Prize, AMED President's Award

There is nothing good or bad, only thinking makes it so

"Kaplan et al., VEGFR1-positive haematopoietic bone marrow progenitors initiate the pre-metastatic niche, Nature 2005."

I encountered this seminal work from Lyden's lab in 2010, which led me to choose my postdoctoral position where I spent the next nine years. The study highlights the potential for therapies that can inhibit cancer metastasis, positioning it as a cutting-edge piece of cancer research. Furthermore, this paper laid the foundation for my own work, leading to my first-author publication in Nature in 2015.

I am working to achieve at least one research project that can lead to societal implementation, constantly asking myself, "What is the purpose of this science?" With this mindset, I aim to open new possibilities for diagnosing and treating diseases that are difficult to address with modern medicine. Additionally, I seek to expand activities that provide high school students with real research experiences, offering them opportunities to interact with researchers and fostering the next generation as a bridge to future scientific advancements.

Professor, Department of Chromosome Science, National Institute of Genetics
Professor, Graduate Institute for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI
Professor (Interlocking faculty member), Graduate School of Science, Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo

Elucidation of DNA Replication and Genome Maintenance Mechanisms Using Proprietary Deglon Technology

Prof. Kanemaki graduated from the PhD Program at Chiba University in 2001 and studied in the UK as a postdoctoral researcher at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute from 2001 to 2006. He served as an assistant professor at Graduate School of Science, Osaka University from 2006 to 2010 and as an associate professor at Center for Frontier Research at National Institute of Genetics from 2010 to 2016. He was promoted to a professor in Department of Chromosome Science at National Institute of Genetics in 2016, and later became a professor in Graduate School of Science at The University of Tokyo in 2022.He developed the auxin-inducible degron (AID) technology, which utilizes the protein degradation mechanism in plants to enable rapid degradation of specific proteins. Furthermore, with the development of the improved AID2, he established a platform that allows for rapid protein degradation from yeast to mice. Alongside the development of genetic technologies, he is working on elucidating the mechanism by which genomic DNA is duplicated and maintained in human cells and in mice using the degron technologies.

• Yesbolatova, A., Saito, Y., Kitamoto, N., Makino-Itou, H., Ajima, R., Nakano, R., Nakaoka, H., Fukui, K., Gamo, K., Tominari, Y., Takeuchi, H., Saga, Y., Hayashi, KI., Kanemaki, MT. (2020). The auxin-inducible degron 2 technology provides sharp degradation control in yeast, mammalian cells, and mice. Nature Communications 11, 5701.
• Nishimura, K., Fukagawa, T., Takisawa, H., Kakimoto, T., Kanemaki, M. (2009). An auxin-based degron system for the rapid depletion of proteins in nonplant cells. Nature Methods 6, 917–922.
• 2024 Yamazaki Teiichi Prize, awarded by the Foundation for Materials Science and Technology.

"Earn dirty, spend clean."

It reflects the philosophy of some Osaka merchants, meaning to work hard and shrewdly in business, but use the profits ethically and wisely.

"Weinert, T.A., and Hartwell, L.H. (1988). The RAD9 gene controls the cell cycle response to DNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Science 241, 317–322."

This paper by 2001 Nobel Prize laureate Lee Hartwell introduced the concept of cell cycle checkpoints. It’s amazing how he inferred what happens during the cell cycle simply by observing yeast mutants under a microscope! I was also deeply moved by his earlier work in the 1970s on identifying CDC cell cycle mutants for similar reasons. I believe my research foundation lies in yeast genetics.

Everything has trends, but I prefer to take a step back and combine cutting-edge technology with the wisdom of the past to make new discoveries that many may have overlooked. I would be delighted if those I mentor continue to carry forward these ideas and aspirations.

Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

Hideaki is exploring how living organisms sense and respond to physicochemical stimuli at the atomic level, using these insights to drive innovations in biotechnology. By studying the structure and function of proteins activated by light or magnetic fields, he is developing groundbreaking techniques to control biological processes. His work not only pushes the boundaries of basic science but also aims to create transformative applications in industry and healthcare.

From 2014 to 2019, Hideaki was a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2019, he became an Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo, where he started his own lab, and since February 2024, he has held his current position.His research has primarily focused on microbial rhodopsins, exploring how these proteins convert light energy into molecular functions like ion transport. Rhodopsins, known for their ability to be activated by light and perform a variety of functions, are also key tools in optogenetics, where they are used to control neuronal activity with light. Driven by a passion for advancing this technology, he is working to apply optogenetics in both basic science and clinical research. Recently, he has expanded his studies to include proteins that respond to other physicochemical stimuli, such as magnetic fields, opening new avenues for innovation.

• 2024年 IUPAB Young Investigator Prize
• 2023 - 2028: CREST Program, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
• Tajima S, Kim YS, Fukuda M, Jo Y, Wang PY, Paggi JM, Inoue M, Byrne EFX, Kishi KE, Nakamura S, Ramakrishnan C, Takaramoto S, Nagata T, Konno M, Sugiura M, Katayama K, Matsui TE, Yamashita K, Kim S, Ikeda H, Kim J, Kandori H, Dror RO, Inoue K, Deisseroth K, Kato HE. Structural basis for ion selectivity in potassium-selective channelrhodopsins. Cell, 186, 4325-4344 (2023)

Chance favors the prepared mind

"Neural substrates of awakening probed with optogenetic control of hypocretin neurons, Nature, 2007."

This was the paper that first sparked my interest in optogenetics during my senior year of undergrad.

Uncover completely new ways that organisms detect physicochemical stimuli and build, from the ground up, a breakthrough biotechnology that could surpass optogenetics.

Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo

Development of soft and stretchable electronic materials and their application to next-generation wearable devices, robotic artificial skin, and human-computer interfaces.

Naoji Matsuhisa is an Associate Professor at Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST) in the University of Tokyo. His research interest is in stretchable electronic materials and devices for the application in next-generation wearable devices, and human-computer interfaces. He received his PhD degree from the University of Tokyo in 2017. Then he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and Stanford University in the U.S. In 2020, he joined Keio University as an Assistant Professor. In 2022, he became an Associate Professor at Institute of Industrial Science (IIS) in the University of Tokyo. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers (>10,000 citations). He is the recipient of >10 awards including MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 in 2022.

• 2024: Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award for Young Scientists, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan
• 2023: Project Management Institute (PMI) "Future 50"
• 2022: MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 Global

“Effort cannot surpass passion."
I believe that the kind of immersion where you find yourself thinking about research around the clock is what leads to truly fascinating discoveries.

"N. Matsuhisa, et al. Nature Materials 16, 834-840 (2017)."

I discovered that an entirely unexpected phenomenon caused the material to exhibit extremely high properties. This experience taught me the importance of observing phenomena without preconceived notions.

I want what I develop to become an everyday part of people’s lives.

Professor, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University

Elucidating mechanisms of cancer resistance, anti-aging, and longevity using the longest-lived rodent, the naked mole-rat, and its close relative, the Damaraland mole-rat.

Started her research career as a Research Assistant Professor, JSPS fellow SPD, JST Sakigake researcher at the Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine. After serving as a Lecturer and Associate Professor at the Research Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University, she became an Associate Professor at Kumamoto University Graduate School of Medical Sciences in 2017 and was promoted to Professor in 2023.Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of the resistance to aging-related diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease, using the naked mole-rat, the longest-lived rodent in the world. Her goal is to develop preventive drugs for humans in the future.

• 2018 Young Scientists’ Award from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
• 2020 Frontier Salon Nagase Award - Grand Prize
• 2022 Kumamoto University Women Researchers Award

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Without effort, nothing can be achieved. If something doesn’t succeed, it’s because one didn’t try hard enough."

Since we only live once, I want to fully experience both the bitter and the sweet of life. I cherish each day, embracing nature, humanity, and society, while continuously striving to reach the next stage.

"The virophage as a unique parasite of the giant mimivirus. Bernard La Scola et al., Nature 2008"

This is a paper that deeply moved me when I was searching for a research theme after graduation. It describes the discovery of Mamavirus, the largest virus in the world, and the even more fascinating finding of a virus (Virophage Sputnik) that parasitizes and harms it. What impressed me the most was that these discoveries were made in a rather ordinary place—a cooling tower in France.

Through research on the naked mole-rat, a long-lived mammal with characteristics of anti-aging and disease resistance, I aim to deepen the evolutionary medical understanding of aging and diseases, and to develop methods for their prevention. I hope that my research will contribute to the realization of a society where people can live long, healthy lives both physically and mentally.

Director of the Center for Computer Science/Professor, Department of Sciences and Informatics, Muroran Institute of Technology

Fundamental research on beyond 5G and 6G systems and its applications.

After earning a master’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a doctorate from Aizu University, she was a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellow at Tohoku University Graduate School of Information Sciences from April 2012 to April 2013. Since 2022, she has been a professor at the Graduate School of Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, and she has held her current position since 2023.She is engaged in research on foundational technologies for Beyond 5G and 6G systems. She explores methods to enhance communication efficiency and maximize coverage by applying Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) technology to address issues of path loss and signal degradation in high-frequency bands such as millimeter waves. Additionally, she aims to create application technologies utilizing AI for network applications and improving energy efficiency.

• 2024 Hokkaido Science and Technology Encouragement Award, Hokkaido Governor
• 2023 Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Young Scientists Award
• 2023 Fifth Shining Women Researchers Award (Chairman’s Award from the Japan Science and Technology Agency), Japan Science and Technology Agency

Like clouds drifting and water flowing. When drinking water, think of its source.

Professor Ivan Stojmenovic's "Editor's Note: How to Write Research Articles in Computing and Engineering Disciplines"
succinctly and accurately summarizes important points, making it an excellent guide for beginners. It is also a significant paper that reminds us of the late Professor Ivan.

"To Advance Knowledge for Humanity" is the founding principle of Aizu University. Computer science has limitless potential to enhance and enrich people's lives. I aspire to create a society that not only prioritizes convenience but also coexists harmoniously with nature.

Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of British Columbia
Visiting Professor, Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo
Specially Appointed Professor, Premium Research Institute for Human Metaverse Medicine (PRIMe), Osaka University

Development of technologies to measure cellular dynamics by combining cell engineering, genome editing, and computer science.

Nozomu Yachie is a Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a Specially Appointed Professor at Osaka University. He is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo.He received his PhD degree in Systems Biology from Keio University in 2009. He then completed postdoctoral training at Dr. Fritz Roth’s lab at Harvard Medical School and the University of Toronto.Combining genome engineering, cell engineering, and computational biology, he is developing new technologies to measure the dynamics of molecules and cells in complex biological systems, including mammalian development and cell differentiation.

• 2024 JSPS Prize, JSPS
• 2023 CIFAR Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research
• 2022 Allen Distinguished Investigator Award, Allen Institute

Science never sleeps.

I repeatedly read the paper by Edward Marcotte's team during my student years, which used phylogenetic profiling to predict gene interactions from numerous genome sequences. Later, the same concept was applied by Marcotte and his team to profile protein-protein interactions using mass spectrometry. This approach became one of the foundational ideas adopted by AlphaFold, Google's AI for protein structure prediction.

I want to continue doing work that inspires the next generation of children and young people to pursue science.

National Center for Global Health and Medicine Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo UTOPIA center, University of Tokyo

Improvements to existing vaccines and the development of new ones. Exploring new insights through fundamental research on viral pathogenicity, antibody function analysis, and resistant viruses.

From 2012 to 2016, served as Project Assistant Professor at the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, and from 2016 to 2021 as Project Associate Professor at the same institute. Since 2021, holds the current position.Viruses that continue to spread among humans often harbor sophisticated mechanisms that enable their persistence. By uncovering part of these mechanisms, we aim to understand viral replication at the molecular, cellular, individual, and community levels, ultimately making viral infections more controllable.

• 2017 Sugiura Incentive Award, Japanese Society for Virology
• 2017 Young Scientist Award, Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan

One fool dances, another fool watches. If both are fools, the one who doesn't dance is the one who loses out.

"Alexandra Zobel, Gabriele Neumann, Gerd Hobom, RNA polymerase I catalysed transcription of insert viral cDNA, Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 21, Issue 16, 11 August 1993, Pages 3607–3614"

While the artificial synthesis of several RNA viruses had become possible, it was thought that creating the influenza virus artificially was impossible due to its segmented genome, which is divided into eight segments, and the absence of cap and poly(A) structures at both ends. This paper was the starting point for establishing a synthetic system for the influenza virus.

Through my research, I aim not only to expand human knowledge but also to reduce the number of people suffering from infectious diseases.

Former Director and Professor, iPS Cell Research Institute, Kyoto University
President, Kyoto University iPS Cell Research Foundation
Senior Investigator, Gladstone Institutes (USA)

I believe that any research is valuable if it is something that no one has really done before. That is why I want young researchers to be keenly aware of whether they are copying someone else or repeating themselves.Real innovation can only be found in unknown areas, and I hope and support that the activities of SS-F will encourage young people with a solid vision to freely conduct research, test new ideas, and make innovative discoveries one after another.

Co-founder, Phoenixi, Inc.
President and CEO, S&R Foundation (USA)
Founder, Halcyon (USA)
Serial Entrepreneur (Biotech)

The world is shifting to a creator economy. In the coming era, it is extremely important to focus on the "individual" power of people called "creators" to create a series of one-of-a-kind inventions (discoveries and inventions) through the collision of "individuals" with "individuals.If we can support the realization of the free and flighty ideas of scientists, which is the highest form of creators, and build new communities as well as expand the points of contact with society, disruptive innovation to solve social issues on a global scale will easily occur. In this sense, I am deeply sympathetic to the SS-F concept and have great expectations for SS-F to create a new scientific economic sphere (ecosystem) for invention that transcends existing organizations. I believe that it is my responsibility as a member of the previous generation to support this new momentum to the best of my ability.

Representative of NOSIGNER
Advocate of Evolutionary Thinking
President of JIDA

Throughout the entire history of science, the majority of innovative research has come from young researchers of the era. Of course, there are excellent researchers in Japan as well, but with the intensifying global competition in research, there is a possibility that our country's science will soon be left behind. This is why we need a mechanism to convert the wisdom of individuals into capital for scientific research, and SS-F's ability to select the best researchers, and its solution-oriented system, which is based on a thorough understanding of the issues, is genuine. I hope that this experiment will become a new hope for science in Japan as one of the ecosystems that will keep the fire of innovation burning.