The Uehara Memorial Foundation
The Uehara Memorial Foundation
Supporting the Future of the Life Sciences through Grants, International Symposiums and Other Means
In February 1985, the Uehara Memorial Foundation was established as a 70th anniversary project of Taisho Pharmaceutical to commemorate the footsteps of our honorary chairman, the late Shokichi Uehara. The objective of the Uehara Memorial Foundation is to promote research in pharmaceutical development and other life science fields to enhance people’s lives and welfare.
The foundation’s activities have included research grants for professional life science researchers, grants for overseas study, the Uehara Prize, an award recognizing research accomplishments, and holding international symposiums. The foundation has provided more than 10,800 grants and other forms of assistance totaling approximately ¥34.4 billion.
International Symposiums
The Foundation promotes the life sciences by holding international symposiums. The Foundation's 13th international symposium, "Brain-periphery interactions in health and diseases," which was scheduled to be held in 2020, was postponed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and was held online in June 2021.
The Uehara Prize and Grant Presentation Ceremony
In March 2022, the Uehara Prize presentation ceremony and award speeches were held at the Chinzanso Hotel in Tokyo.
This year's Uehara Prize was awarded to two doctors, Dr. Yasuteru Urano, a professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences/Graduate School of Medicine at The University of Tokyo for the research theme "Development of small-molecule fluorogenic probes for realizing rapid intraoperative imaging of tiny tumors," and Dr. Hideyuki Okano, a professor at the Keio University School of Medicine for the research theme of "Regenerative medicine and disease research for the central nervous system using stem cell systems."
After the presentation ceremony, they gave their award speeches online with about 500 people in attendance.
Grants and other forms of assistance awarded during fiscal 2021
| (1) Uehara Prize | ¥60.0 million |
|---|---|
| (2) Designated research grants | ¥66.0 million |
| (3) Research grants | ¥475.0 million |
| (4) Research incentive grants | ¥220.0 million |
| (5) Special incentive grants to promote research | ¥40.0 million |
| (6) Overseas research fellowships | ¥270.9 million |
| (7) Overseas postdoctoral fellowships | ¥194.3 million |
| (8) Other | ¥42.8 million |
Support for Research
| Uehara Prize (research achievement prize) | Recognition of researchers in the field of life sciences actively engaged in original research that has produced notable accomplishments (gold medal and supplementary prize value: ¥20 million) |
|---|---|
| Designated research grants | Assistance for research in designated areas that need promoting (three-year grant, with research results announced at the Uehara Memorial Foundation international symposiums) (value: A ¥15 million, B ¥9 million) |
| Research grants | Assistance for researchers based in Japan (value: ¥5 million) |
| Research incentive grants | Assistance for young researchers based in Japan (value: ¥2 million) |
| Special incentive grants to promote research | Assistance for professors who established labs independently at medical and pharmaceutical schools (value: ¥4 million) |
| Overseas research fellowships | Assistance for young researchers who want to study overseas (during grant period; must be earning under ¥6 million annually) |
| Overseas postdoctoral fellowships | Assistance for young researchers who have a doctorate or will obtain one by April of the following year (during grant period; must be earning under ¥3 million annually) |
Uehara Prize (research achievement prize) recipients (titles omitted)
| Fiscal year | Recipient | Affiliation (at time of award) |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Yasuteru Urano | Professor at the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences/Graduate School of Medicine at The University of Tokyo |
| Hideyuki Okano | Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine | |
| 2020 | Ryoichiro Kageyama | Professor, Kyoto University Institute for Frontier Life and Medical Sciences |
| Akihiko Yoshimura | Professor, Keio University School of Medicine | |
| 2019 | Kazuhiro Iwai | Professor at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine |
| Mitinori Saitou | Professor at Kyoto University Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology | |
| 2018 | Hiroyuki Sasaki | Distinguished Professor of the Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University |
| Hiroshi Takayanagi | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo | |
| 2017 | Kunihiro Matsumoto | Professor Emeritus of the Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University |
| Atsushi Miyawaki | Deputy Director of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute | |
| 2016 | Hidenori Ichijo | Professor of the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo |
| Seiji Ogawa | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University (Joint award) | |
| Satoru Miyano | Professor of the Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo (Joint award) | |
| 2015 | Chikashi Toyoshima | Professor of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo |
| Noboru Mizushima | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo (Joint award) | |
| Tamotsu Yoshimori | Distinguished Processor, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University | |
| 2014 | Masanobu Kano | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| 2013 | Yoshiki Sasai | Deputy Director of RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology |
| Osamu Nureki | Professor of the Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo | |
| 2012 | Tadaomi Takenawa | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe University and Director of the Integrated Center for Mass Spectrometry |
| Yoshinori Watanabe | Professor of the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, The University of Tokyo | |
| 2011 | Kazutoshi Mori | Professor of the Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University |
| Masayuki Yamamoto | Dean, Professor of the Tohoku University School of Medicine | |
| 2010 | Haruo Kasai | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Hiroyuki Mano | Professor, Jichi Medical University; Project Professor, The University of Tokyo | |
| 2009 | Yuichi Sugiyama | Dean, Professor of the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo |
| Eisuke Nishida | Professor of the Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University | |
| 2008 | Masamitsu Iino | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Shinya Yamanaka | Director of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences | |
| 2007 | Takashi Kadowaki | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Shimon Sakaguchi | Director of Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University | |
| 2006 | Shizuo Akira | Professor, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases |
| Kenji Kangawa | Deputy Director, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center | |
| 2005 | Yo-ichi Nabeshima | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University |
| Yoshikuni Mizuno | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University | |
| 2004 | Takao Shimizu | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Keiji Tanaka | Vice Director General, Tokyo Metropolitan Organization for Medical Research (part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science) | |
| 2003 | Masaru Taniguchi | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University |
| Tetsuo Nagano | Professor of the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo | |
| 2002 | Shoichiro Tsukita | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University |
| 2001 | Shuh Narumiya | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University |
| Mitsuhiro Yanagida | Dean, Professor of the Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University | |
| 2000 | Makoto Asashima | Professor of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo |
| Koichi Tanaka | Professor of the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University | |
| 1999 | Yasushi Miyashita | Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| 1997 | Shigekazu Nagata | Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University |
| Katsuhiko Mikoshiba | Professor of the Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo | |
| 1996 | Yoshio Yazaki | Dean, Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| 1995 | Masatoshi Takeichi | Professor of the Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University |
| 1994 | Nobutaka Hirokawa | Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| 1993 | Tadatsugu Taniguchi | Professor of the Institute for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Osaka University |
| Tasuku Honjo | Professor of the Faculty of Medicine and Director of the Center for Molecular Biology and Genetics | |
| 1992 | Akira Ichihara | Director and Professor of Institute of Enzyme Research, Tokushima University |
| Keiya Tada | Professor of the School of Medicine, Tohoku University | |
| Toshiharu Nagatsu | Professor, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University | |
| 1991 | Fumimaro Takaku | President of International Medical Center of Japan |
| Shigetada Nakanishi | Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University | |
| 1990 | Seiichiro Tarui | Professor of the Faculty of Medicine, Osaka University |
| 1989 | Masaji Ohno | Professor of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo |
| 1988 | Satoshi Ōmura | Director and Deputy Director, The Kitasato Institute |
| 1987 | Michio Ui | Professor of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo |
| 1986 | Hiroshi Irisawa | Professor of the Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki National Research Institute |
| 1985 | Hideo Sugita | Director of Department of Neuromuscular Research, Neurological Research Center of National Musashi Sanatorium |
| Yukio Yamori | Professor, Shimane Medical University |