Shinya Yamanaka
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese physician and adult stem cell
researcher. He serves as the director of Center for iPS Cell Research and Application and a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyoto University
, as a senior investigator at the UCSF-affiliated J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California, and as a professor of anatomy at University of California, San Francisco
(UCSF). He was recently awarded the Wolf Prize in Medicine
. Yamanaka has been listed as one of the 15 Asian Scientists To Watch by Asian Scientist Magazine
on 15 May 2011..
in 1987 and his Ph.D. at Osaka City University Graduate School in 1993. After this he went through a residency in orthopedic surgery at National Osaka Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease
, San Francisco.
. From 1995-1996, he was a staff research investigator at the UCSF-affililated Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease. From 1996-1999, he was an assistant professor at Osaka City University Medical School. From 1999-2003, he was an associate professor at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology
. From 2003-2005, he was a professor at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology. From 2004–2010, Shinya Yamanaka was a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences. Currently Yamanaka is the director and a professor at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application in Kyoto university, Japan.
In 2006, he and his team generated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell
s - pluripotent stem cells from adult mouse
fibroblast
s. In 2007, he and his team were able to generate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from human adult fibroblasts. However, several studies indicate that the so-called pluripotent stem cells might be cancer-like cells.
Finalist. In June 2010, Yamanaka was awarded the Kyoto Prize for reprogramming adult skin cells to pluripotential precursors. Yamanaka developed the method as an alternative to embryonic stem cells, thus circumventing an approach in which embryos would be destroyed.
In September 2010 he was awarded the Balzan Prize
for his work on biology and stem cells.
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
researcher. He serves as the director of Center for iPS Cell Research and Application and a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences at Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
, as a senior investigator at the UCSF-affiliated J. David Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California, and as a professor of anatomy at University of California, San Francisco
University of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
(UCSF). He was recently awarded the Wolf Prize in Medicine
Wolf Prize in Medicine
The Wolf Prize in Medicine is awarded once a year by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Arts. The Prize is probably the third most prestigious award...
. Yamanaka has been listed as one of the 15 Asian Scientists To Watch by Asian Scientist Magazine
Asian Scientist Magazine
Asian Scientist Magazine is a science & technology magazine that was launched as an MIT alumni start-up in March 2011 by the company, Asian Scientist LLP....
on 15 May 2011..
Biography
He received his M.D. at Kobe UniversityKobe University
Shindai is one of the leading universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:The university is ranked 10th in 2010 in the ranking "Truly Strong Universities" by Toyo Keizai...
in 1987 and his Ph.D. at Osaka City University Graduate School in 1993. After this he went through a residency in orthopedic surgery at National Osaka Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease
Heart disease or cardiovascular disease are the class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels . While the term technically refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system , it is usually used to refer to those related to atherosclerosis...
, San Francisco.
Professional career
From 1987-1989, Yamanaka was a Resident in orthopedic surgery at the National Osaka Hospital. From 1993-1995, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, which is affiliated with the University of California, San FranciscoUniversity of California, San Francisco
The University of California, San Francisco is one of the world's leading centers of health sciences research, patient care, and education. UCSF's medical, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and graduate schools are among the top health science professional schools in the world...
. From 1995-1996, he was a staff research investigator at the UCSF-affililated Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease. From 1996-1999, he was an assistant professor at Osaka City University Medical School. From 1999-2003, he was an associate professor at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Nara Institute of Science and Technology
, abbreviated to NAIST, , or , is a national university consisting solely of graduate schools in Ikoma, Nara, Japan, founded in 1991. In 2010, NAIST ranked first overall among the 86 Japanese national universities in the first-ever six-year assessment of national university standards and...
. From 2003-2005, he was a professor at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology. From 2004–2010, Shinya Yamanaka was a professor at the Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences. Currently Yamanaka is the director and a professor at the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application in Kyoto university, Japan.
In 2006, he and his team generated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell
Induced pluripotent stem cell
Induced pluripotent stem cells, commonly abbreviated as iPS cells or iPSCs are a type of pluripotent stem cell artificially derived from a non-pluripotent cell, typically an adult somatic cell, by inducing a "forced" expression of specific genes....
s - pluripotent stem cells from adult mouse
Mouse
A mouse is a small mammal belonging to the order of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse . It is also a popular pet. In some places, certain kinds of field mice are also common. This rodent is eaten by large birds such as hawks and eagles...
fibroblast
Fibroblast
A fibroblast is a type of cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, the structural framework for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing...
s. In 2007, he and his team were able to generate Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from human adult fibroblasts. However, several studies indicate that the so-called pluripotent stem cells might be cancer-like cells.
Recognitions
In 2007, Shinya Yamanaka was recognized as a "Person Who Mattered" in the Time Person of the Year edition of Time Magazine. Shinya Yamanaka was also nominated as a 2008 Time 100Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
Finalist. In June 2010, Yamanaka was awarded the Kyoto Prize for reprogramming adult skin cells to pluripotential precursors. Yamanaka developed the method as an alternative to embryonic stem cells, thus circumventing an approach in which embryos would be destroyed.
In September 2010 he was awarded the Balzan Prize
Balzan Prize
The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organisations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man.-Rewards and assets:Each year the...
for his work on biology and stem cells.
Awards
- 2007 Osaka Science Prize
- 2007 Inoue Prize for Science
- 2007 Meyenburg Cancer Research Award
- 2008 Yamazaki-Teiichi PrizeYamazaki-Teiichi PrizeYamazaki-Teiichi Prize is an award given annually by the Foundation for Promotion of Material Science and Technology of Japan to people who have achieved outstanding, creative results, with practical effect, by publishing theses, acquiring patents, or developing methods, technologies and the like...
in Biological Science & Technology - 2008 Robert Koch PrizeRobert Koch PrizeThe Robert Koch Medal and Award are two prizes awarded annually for excellence in the biomedical sciences. These awards grew out of early attempts by Robert Koch to generate funding to support his research into the cause and cure for tuberculosis...
- 2008 Shaw PrizeShaw PrizeThe Shaw Prize is an annual award first presented by the Shaw Prize Foundation in 2004. Established in 2002 in Hong Kong, it honours living "individuals, regardless of race, nationality and religious belief, who have achieved significant breakthrough in academic and scientific research or...
in Life Science & Medicine - 2008 Sankyo Takamine Memorial Award
- 2009 Lewis S. Rosenstiel AwardRosenstiel AwardIn 1971, the Lewis S. Rosenstiel Award for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research was established as an expression of the conviction that educational institutions have an important role to play in the encouragement and development of basic science as it applies to medicine.Medals are...
for Distinguished Work in Basic Medical Research - 2009 Gairdner Foundation International AwardGairdner Foundation International AwardThe Gairdner Foundation International Award is given annually at a special dinner to three to six people for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a precursor to winning the Nobel Prize in Medicine; as of 2007, 69 Nobel...
- 2009 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical ResearchAlbert Lasker Award for Basic Medical ResearchThe Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research is one of the prizes awarded by the Lasker Foundation for the understanding, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and cure of disease...
- 2010 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental BiologyMarch of Dimes Prize in Developmental BiologyThe March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology is awarded once a year by the March of Dimes. It carries a $250,000 award "to an investigator whose research brings us closer to the day when all babies will be born healthy." It also includes a medal in the shape of a Roosevelt dime.- Laureates...
- 2010 Kyoto PrizeKyoto PrizeThe has been awarded annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The prize is a Japanese award similar in intent to the Nobel Prize, as it recognizes outstanding works in the fields of philosophy, arts, science and technology...
in Biotechnology and medical technology - 2010 Balzan PrizeBalzan PrizeThe International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organisations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man.-Rewards and assets:Each year the...
in biology - 2010 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine Category
- 2011 Albany Medical Center PrizeAlbany Medical Center PrizeThe is the United States' highest value prize in medicine and biomedical research. Among prizes for medicine, the Albany Medical Center Prize is second only to the $1.4 million Nobel Prize in Medicine and the $1 million Shaw Price in life science and medicine....
in biomedicine - 2011 Wolf Prize in medicine
- 2011 King Faisal International Prize