Professor Yoshinori Moriyama, Associate Professor Hiroshi Omote and Assistant Professor Atsushi Ishikawa won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Commendation

The winners of “The 2014 Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology,” which honor the researchers who carried out highly creative researches or developments for the advancement of science and technology in Japan, were announced, and the Prize for Science and Technology (Research Category) was awarded to Dean of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof. Yoshinori Moriyama and Assoc. Prof. Hiroshi Omote at the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences and The Young Scientists’ prize to Asst. Prof. Atsushi Ishikawa at the Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology. The commendation ceremony was held at the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Tokyo on April 15.

Prof. Moriyama and Assoc. Prof. Omote have for many years studied transporters which play an indispensable role of maintaining life and contributed to the discovery of transporter proteins important for medicine and pharmacy and to the development of analytical techniques. Asst. Prof. Ishikawa has conducted researches on the interaction of light and metallic nano structures, and the achievements on the artificial optical material, “metamaterial,” which has unique optical properties nonexistent in nature, was highly evaluated.

Prof. Moriyama said, “The Commendation is the achievement of all the laboratory members. Although the research is still in progress, substantial achievements will eventually contribute not only to field of medicine and pharmacy but also to the field of agriculture. I will continue to do my best in the future as well.” Assoc. Prof. Ishikawa said, “I would like to keep working hard to make sure I do not tarnish this award.” In the future, further research development and contribution to the advancement of science and technology are expected.