Yoshihiro Kawaoka

Yoshihiro Kawaoka (河岡 義裕, Kawaoka Yoshihiro, born November 14, 1955) is a virologist specializing in the study of the influenza and Ebola viruses. He holds a professorship in virology in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and at the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Yoshihiro Kawaoka
Born	(1955-11-14) November 14, 1955 (age 69) Kobe, Japan
Alma mater	Hokkaido University
Occupation(s)	Virologist, professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Tokyo
Known for	Studies of influenza and Ebola viruses
Awards	Robert Koch Prize (2006) Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology (2015) Japan Academy Prize (2016) Keio Medical Science Prize (2022)

Following the West African Ebola virus epidemic of 2014, Kawaoka attempted to develop an Ebola vaccine working in close coordination with Alhaji N'jai a toxicologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his non-profit organization Project 1808, Inc.^[1]

Controversial experiment

Kawaoka created a new virus based on H5N1, which he revealed to the public in 2011.^[2] For now, no known vaccine has been developed. His research was halted by a moratorium issued from the US government in 2014. However, in 2019 he was allowed to resume the research.^[3][4]

Dan Brown mentioned the experiment in his novel Inferno.^[5]

Recognition

• 2006 – Robert Koch Prize (with Peter Palese)^[6]
• 2011 – Medal with Purple Ribbon
• 2013 – Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
• 2014 – Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award
• 2015 – Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology
• 2016 – Japan Academy Prize
• 2018 – Sir Michael Stoker Prize^[7]
• 2022 – Keio Medical Science Prize^[8]
• 2023 – Person of Cultural Merit^[9]

Selected publications

• Jasenosky, Luke D; Neumann, Gabriele; Lukashevich, Igor; Kawaoka, Y (2001-06-01). "Ebola virus vp40-induced particle formation and association with the lipid bilayer". J Virol. 75 (11): 5205–5214. doi:10.1128/JVI.75.11.5205-5214.2001. OCLC 6965132858. PMC 114926. PMID 11333902.
• Watanabe, Tokiko; Watanabe, Shinji; Ito, Hiroshi; Kida, Hiroshi; Kawaoka, Y (2001-06-15). "Influenza A virus can undergo multiple cycles of replication without m2 ion channel activity". J Virol. 75 (12): 5656–5662. doi:10.1128/jvi.75.12.5656-5662.2001. PMC 114278. PMID 11356973. Retrieved 2018-03-26.
• Schultz-Cherry, S; Dybdahl-Sissoko, N; Neumann, G; Kawaoka, Y; Hinshaw VS (2001-09-01). "Influenza Virus NS1 Protein Induces Apoptosis in Cultured Cells". J Virol. 75 (17): 7875–7881. doi:10.1128/jvi.75.17.7875-7881.2001. ISSN 0022-538X. OCLC 120974346. PMC 115031. PMID 11483732.
• Hatta, M; Gao, P; Halfmann, P; Kawaoka, Y (2001-09-07). "Molecular basis for high virulence of Hong Kong H5N1 influenza A viruses". Science. 293 (298): 1840–1842. Bibcode:2001Sci...293.1840H. doi:10.1126/science.1062882. ISSN 0036-8075. OCLC 95118961. PMID 11546875. S2CID 37415902.
• Goto, Hideo; Wells, Krisna; Takada, Ayato; Kawaoka, Y. (2001-10-01). "Plasminogen-binding activity of neuraminidase determines the pathogenicity of influenza A virus". J Virol. 75 (19): 9297–9301. doi:10.1128/jvi.75.19.9297-9301.2001. ISSN 0022-538X. OCLC 6965138857. PMC 114497. PMID 11533192.
• Kobasa, Darwyn; Wells, Krisna; Kawaoka, Yoshihiro (2001-12-01). "Amino Acids Responsible for the Absolute Sialidase Activity of the Influenza A Virus Neuraminidase: Relationship to Growth in Duck Intestine". J Virol. 75 (23): 11773–11780. doi:10.1128/jvi.75.23.11773-11780.2001. OCLC 4639538185. PMC 114763. PMID 11689658.
• Kawaoka, Y; Neumann, Gabriele (2012). Influenza Virus : Methods and Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology, Methods and Protocols, 865. Vol. 865. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-1-61779-621-0. ISBN 978-1-61779-620-3. S2CID 3687150.
• Watanabe, Tokiko; Kawaoka, Yoshihiro (June 2016). "Ebora shukketsu netsu no seiatsu ni mukete : Wakuchin kaihatsu to shierareone de no kenkyu" [Control of Ebola hemorrhagic fever : vaccine development and our Ebola project in Sierra Leone]. Virus (in Japanese). 66 (1): 53–62. doi:10.2222/jsv.66.53. ISBN 9781617796203. ISSN 0042-6857. OCLC 6807788600. PMID 28484179.