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On Monday, November 28, 2022, the 27th Keio Medical Science Award Ceremony was held at the Kitasato Hall on Shinanomachi Campus, returning to an in-person format for the first time in three years. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, only a limited number of invitees were allowed to enter the physical venue. However, the ceremony was live-streamed at the same time and held as a hybrid event using the Zoom webinar platform. Also, starting from this year, the medical science award ceremony was conducted in English.
Beginning in 1996 from a donation by Dr. Mitsunada Sakaguchi, a 1940 alumnus of the School of Medicine, the Keio Medical Science Prize is an annual award under the Keio University Medical Science Fund. The Prize recognizes researchers from Japan and overseas who have made outstanding and creative advancements in the fields of medicine and the life sciences and whose future research holds promise of further achievements. It is the only prize of its kind awarded by a Japanese university, with nine recipients having gone on to become Nobel Laureates.
This year, the prize was awarded to Professor Carl June, M.D., Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (USA), for his research on "Development of CAR-T Cell Therapy as a Novel Immunotherapeutic Strategy," and Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka, D.V.M., Ph.D., Director of the Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, for his research on "Understanding Viral Pathogenicity for the Control of Pandemic Infectious Diseases." Dr. June was recognized for realizing the clinical application of CAR-T cell therapy, and for opening up new areas of immunotherapy for cancer, infectious diseases, and more. CAR-T cell therapy has shown ground-breaking efficacy in treating refractory acute leukemia, a disease that does not respond to conventional therapies. This therapy has now been approved in many countries worldwide, becoming widely established in clinical practice. Dr. Kawaoka was the first in the world to develop a breakthrough technology for artificially synthesizing influenza viruses. By inventing a way to freely create influenza viruses, he shed light on the mechanisms of viral infection, growth, and the acquisition of resistance at the molecular level, and contributed extensively to the development of new vaccines against novel influenza strains and the effort to control pandemics.
At the start of the event, Professor Haruhiko Siomi, Chairperson of the Keio Medical Science Prize Selection Committee and Professor in the School of Medicine, reported on the stringent review of 82 candidates by the selection committee, which is comprised of members from both within and outside Keio University, to decide on the two recipients of this year's prize, of which one would be from overseas and one would be from Japan. President Kohei Itoh then gave a congratulatory address after conferring the medals and certificates on Dr. June and Dr. Kawaoka. Congratulations were also offered by Mr. Kazuo Yana, Vice Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and His Excellency, the Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the United States of America, Mr. Raymond Green. The recipients then took turns at the podium to convey their happiness at receiving the award. They spoke of their research thus far, thanked all those involved including their families and patients, and expressed their enthusiasm and commitment to continue their work into the future.
Lectures by both recipients followed an address by Professor Takanori Kanai, Dean of the School of Medicine, at the subsequent commemorative lecture session. An audience of over 200 attendees, including distinguished guests, faculty and staff members, and students, listened intently to the lectures and engaged the recipients in a lively Q&A.
In addition, preceding the ceremony, four students from the Keio University School of Medicine Ambassador held interviews with the laureates. After the ceremony, a reception was held by the selection committee members and laureates.
An archive of the Zoom webinar will be available from the following link in the near future:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBe_TIITFkIrOsgBCZQEbqRa5kzMia1Cq
◆ Learn more about the 27th Keio Medical Science Prize winners and their research
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