Shizuo Akira

Dr. Akira, M.D., Ph.D. Professor, Director of WPI Immunology Frontier Center, Osaka University, has been focused on the innate immune system, which is an evolutionally-conserved host defense mechanism against pathogens. He is famous for his ground-breaking discoveries of Toll-like receptors—key molecules of innate immunity—and their functions. He has received a number of famed prizes including the Robert Koch Prize, the William B. Coley Award, and the Canada Gairdner International Award, and he was also selected as one of the “Highly Cited Researchers” by Thomson Reuters CO, USA.