{{Short description|Japanese immunologist}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Shizuo Akira | image = Shizuo Akira cropped Shizuo Akira 20141212.jpg | image_size = 250px | alt = Shizuo Akira | caption = Shizuo Akira | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|01|27}} | birth_place = Higashiōsaka | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} --> | residence = | citizenship = | fields = Immunology;innate host defense mechanisms | workplaces = Department of Host Defense, Osaka University, Japan. | alma_mater = Osaka University | thesis_title = | thesis_url = | thesis_year = | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = Toll-like receptors | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | influences = | influenced = | awards = William B. Coley Award (2006)<br />Imperial Prize (2007)<br />Japan Academy Prize (2007)<br />Keio Medical Science Prize (2010)<br />Canada Gairdner International Award (2011) <br/> Robert Koch Prize (2014)<br /> Japan Prize (2026) | signature = <!--(filename only)--> | signature_alt = | website = {{URL|http://hostdefense.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/}} | footnotes = | spouse = }}
{{nihongo|'''Shizuo Akira'''|審良 静男|Akira Shizuo}} (born January 27, 1953, in Higashiōsaka)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&id=5379 |title=[ISI Highly Cited Researchers Version 1.1] |accessdate=2008-11-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019013033/http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&id=5379 |archivedate=2006-10-19 }}</ref> is a professor at the Department of Host Defense, Osaka University, Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://clarivate.com/webofsciencegroup/solutions/essential-science-indicators/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517014938/http://www.esi-topics.com/fbp/comments/august02-ShizuoAkira.html|url-status=dead|title=Essential Science Indicators|archivedate=May 17, 2008}}</ref> 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. After which, he did post-doctoral research with Hitoshi Sakano at the University of California, Berkeley until 1987.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://hostdefense.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/ | title=Akira Lab. Osaka University (IFReC/RIMD)}}</ref>
==Research== Besides being one of the world's most-cited scientists,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.webometrics.info/en/hlargerthan100|title=Highly Cited Researchers (h>100) according to their Google Scholar Citations public profiles | Ranking Web of Universities: Webometrics ranks 30000 institutions|website=www.webometrics.info}}</ref> 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.{{cn|date=July 2025}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.milstein-award.org/2007/06/shizuo-akira/|title=Shizuo Akira M.D. 2007 Milstein Award Laureate|date=2007|work=Milstein Awards|accessdate=May 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gairdner.org/content/shizuo-akira|title=Shizuo Akira MD, PhD. Recipient of the Canada Gairdner International Award, 2011|date=2011|work=Gairdner|accessdate=May 16, 2015}}</ref>
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).<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Yoneyama M, Kikuchi M, Natsukawa T, etal |title=The RNA helicase RIG-I has an essential function in double-stranded RNA-induced innate antiviral responses |journal=Nature Immunology |volume=5 |issue=7 |pages=730–7 |date=July 2004 |pmid=15208624 |doi=10.1038/ni1087|s2cid=34876422 }}</ref> All molecules belong to the pattern recognition receptors, which detects intruding pathogens and initiates antimicrobial responses in the host.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Lee MS, Kim YJ |title=Pattern-recognition receptor signaling initiated from extracellular, membrane, and cytoplasmic space |journal=Molecules and Cells |volume=23 |issue=1 |pages=1–10 |date=February 2007 |doi=10.1016/S1016-8478(23)07382-X |pmid=17464205|doi-access=free }}</ref>
==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 (1999–7'0) * Center Director, Osaka University Immunology Frontier Research Center (2007–present)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web | url=http://hostdefense.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/members/akira.html | title=Akira Lab. Osaka University (IFReC/RIMD)}}</ref>
==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<ref>[https://sangakukan.jp/journal/center_contents/author_profile/akira-s_e.html Author profile] sangakukan.jp</ref><ref name="auto"/> *2016 Semantic Scholar AI program ranked Akira as #4 on its list of most influential biomedical researchers.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Singh Chawla|first=Dalmeet Singh|date=2017-10-17|title=Who's the most influential biomedical scientist? Computer program guided by artificial intelligence says it knows|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/who-s-most-influential-biomedical-scientist-computer-program-guided-artificial|access-date=2020-09-22|website=AAAS|language=en}}</ref> *2026 Japan Prize in the field of "Life Sciences".<ref>[https://www.japanprize.jp/en/index.html Japan Prize 2026]</ref>
== 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.<ref>Mizuki Hayashi, [https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210906/p2a/00m/0na/019000c Police dog, trainer honored for helping to find missing Osaka University professor], ''The Mainichi'' (September 7, 2021).</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Scholia}} * {{official website|http://hostdefense.ifrec.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akira, Shizuo}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:Japanese immunologists Category:People from Higashiōsaka Category:University of Osaka alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Osaka Category:Laureates of the Imperial Prize Category:Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Microbiology Category:Scientists from Osaka Prefecture