CDB hosts International Prize for Biology Symposium

Dec 10, 2012 –The RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology was delighted to host the commemorative symposium marking the 28th International Prize for Biology on November 28 and 29. This year’s prize, awarded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) was awarded to Joseph Altman of Purdue University for his life’s achievement in adult neurogenesis in mammals. Altman has pioneered the study of neurogenesis in adult mammals since the 1960s.

The symposium featured talks by a total of 14 leaders in the study of neurodevelopmental mechanisms, in such areas as neural stem cell function, hippocampal neurogenesis, and disease modeling using cells derived from iPSCs (induced pluripotent stem cells). On the second day, Altman gave a keynote lecture on “The discovery of mammalian neurogenesis,” followed by lively discussion by all participants.

The symposium was organized by Hitoshi Okamoto of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Mineku Kengaku of Kyoto University, and Hideyuki Okano of Keio University, with support from CDB Director Masatoshi Takeichi and Group Director Fumio Matsuzaki.