Prof. Takehiko Sasazuki named to the Japan Academy

On December 12, 2019, the Japan Academy named Prof. Takehiko Sasazuki, University Professor of the Institute for Advanced Study of Kyushu University, as one of seven scholars newly elected to the prestigious organization.

Run with the support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), the Japan Academy accords special recognition to researchers with the most eminent records of academic and scientific achievement.

Prof. Sasazuki was chosen for his contributions elucidating the presence of genes controlling the human immune response and analyzing their critical role in causing immune-related diseases including autoimmune disease, allergies, and graft-versus-host disease.

“I am very honored to be elected as a member of The Japan Academy on December 12, 2019,” said Prof. Sasazuki.

“I heartily thank all the people who educated, activated and encouraged me to continue the academic life. I will certainly continue my life in academia to contribute to science and humanity.”

Among the other scholars elected this round for membership, which comes with a lifetime term and the status of special national civil servant, was Prof. Takaaki Kajita, 2015 Nobel Laureate in Physics and the Director of Institute for Cosmic Ray Research at the University of Tokyo.

Prof. Sasazuki became a professor of the Medical Institute of Bioregulation of Kyushu University in 1983 and served multiple terms as its director from 1990 until becoming Director of the Research Institute of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in 2001.

President of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine from 2004 until 2008, when he assumed the position of President Emeritus, Prof. Sasazuki was appointed as a University Professor of the Institute for Advanced Study in 2009 and is using his experience and expertise to contribute to the fostering of young researchers with an independent and broad point of view.

He is currently part of the research project “Production, function and structure of neo-self” sponsored by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas administered by MEXT.