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 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and at the University of Tokyo, Japan.^[1]

Following the Ebola outbreak of 2014 in West Africa, Kawaoka began development of an Ebola vaccine working in close coordination with Dr. Alhaji N'jai -- toxicologist at the University of Wisconsin -- and his non-profit organization Project 1808, Inc.

Controversial experiment

Yoshihiro reinvented a new virus based on H5N1. For now, no known vaccine has been found. Despite the great disturbance he has caused, Yoshihiro argued that "it is part of valuable scientific research".^[2]

Awards

• 2006 - Robert Koch Prize (with Peter Palese)^[3]
• 2011 - Medal with Purple Ribbon
• 2013 - Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
• 2015 - Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology
• 2016 - Japan Academy Prize

Selected publications

• Hatta M, Gao P, Halfmann P, Kawaoka Y. Molecular basis for high virulence of Hong Kong H5N1 influenza A viruses, Science 298:1840–1842, 2001.
• Schultz-Cherry S, Dybdahl-Sissoko N, Neumann G, Kawaoka Y, Hinshaw VS. Influenza Virus NS1 Protein Induces Apoptosis in Cultured Cells. J Virol 75: 7875–7881, 2001.
• Kobasa D, Wells K, KawaokaY. Amino Acids Responsible for the Absolute Sialidase Activity of the Influenza A Virus Neuraminidase: Relationship to Growth in Duck Intestine. J Virol 75: 11773–11780, 2001.
• Goto H, Wells K, Takada A, Kawaoka Y. Plasminogen-binding activity of neuraminidase determines the pathogenicity of influenza A virus, J Virol 75:9297–9301, 2001.
• Watanabe T, Watanabe S, Ito H, Kida H, Kawaoka Y. Influenza A virus can undergo multiple cycles of replication without m2 ion channel activity. J Virol 75:5656–5662, 2001.
• Jasenosky LD, Neumann G, Lukashevich I, Kawaoka Y. Ebola virus vp40-induced particle formation and association with the lipid bilayer. J Virol 75:5205–5214, 2001.

References

1. Influenza 2013: Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka (accessed 7 November 2013)
2. Guy Walters (3 July 2014). "Are we mad to have let a maverick scientist create a virus that could wipe out 400 million people?". Daily Mail Online. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
3. Robert-Koch-Stiftung: Robert Koch Award. Retrieved 4 July 2014.

External links

• Robert Koch Award lecture: New possibilities in the fight against influenza (3 November 2006)