Shizuo Akira

Shizuo Akira (審良 静男) (born January 27, 1953, in Higashiōsaka) is a professor at the Department of Host Defense, Osaka University, Japan. He has made ground-breaking discoveries in the field of immunology, most significantly in the area of innate host defense mechanisms.

Education
Shizuo Akira gained a M.D. in School of Medicine from Osaka University in 1977. In 1984 he earned a PhD from Osaka University. Till 1987, he did post-doctoral research at University of California, Berkeley.

Research
Besides being one of the world's most-cited scientists, he has also been recognised, in the years 2006 and 2007, for having published the greatest number of ‘Hot Papers’ (11 papers) over the preceding two years. He is the recipient of several international awards, including the Gairdner Foundation International Award (2011), Robert Koch Prize, the Milstein Award (2007), and the William B. Coley Award.

Among his greatest discoveries is the demonstration, through the ablation of toll-like receptor (TLR)s genes, that TLRs recognize a discrete collection of molecules of microbial origin, and later the RNA helicases, RIG-I (retinoic-acid-inducible protein I) and MDA5 (melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5). All molecules belong to the pattern recognition receptors, which detects intruding pathogens and initiates antimicrobial responses in the host.

Career history

 * Clinical Training and Physician (1977–1980)
 * Research Fellow, University of California, Berkeley (1985–1987)
 * Research Associate (1987–1995), Associate Professor (1995), Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University
 * Professor, Hyogo College of Medicine (1996–1999)
 * Professor, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University (1999–present)
 * Center Director, Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center (2007–present)

Recognition

 * 2000    Inoue Prize for Science (Inoue Foundation of Science)
 * 2001    Hideyo Noguchi Prize (Osaka Science & Technology)
 * 2002    Osaka Science Prize (Osaka Science & Technology)
 * 2003    Takeda Medical Prize (Takeda Science Foundation)
 * 2004    Prize of Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund
 * 2004    Robert Koch Prize (Robert Koch Foundation, Germany)
 * 2005    The Emperor's Purple Ribbon Medal (Japanese Cabinet Office)
 * 2006    Asahi Prize (Asahi Shinbun)
 * 2006    William B. Coley Award (Cancer Research Institute, United States)
 * 2007    "Hottest Researcher" Thompson Scientific Research Award
 * 2007    Uehara Prize (Uehara Memorial Foundation)
 * 2007    Imperial Prize and Japan Academy Prize (academics) (Japan Academy)
 * 2007    Milstein Award (International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research)
 * 2007    Dunham lecture at Harvard University
 * 2007    Doctor of Medical Science at Technical University of Munich
 * 2008    Dyer Lecture (National Institute of Health)
 * 2009    Marsh Lecture (Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research)
 * 2009    Lacey Lecture (Washington University in St. Louis)
 * 2009    Foreign associate, National Academy of Sciences
 * 2009    Person of Cultural Merit (Japanese Government)
 * 2009    Hans Bloemendal Medal (University of Nijmegen, Netherland)
 * 2010    Avery-Landsteiner Prize (German Society for Immunology)
 * 2010    Keio Medical Science Prize
 * 2010    Lifetime honorary member (International Endotoxin and Innate Immunity Society)
 * 2011    The Canada Gairdner International Award
 * 2016    Semantic Scholar AI program ranked Akira as #4 on its list of most influential biomedical researchers.

Missing and rescued
In July 2021, Akira went missing while climbing Kannon peak in Tenkawa, Nara Prefecture, on his own. He was found and rescued by police with the help of a police dog.