In a ceremony held on April 15, Project Leader Masayo Takahashi (Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration) and her research team and Team Leader Takeshi Imai (Laboratory for Sensory Circuit Formation) were recognized for their scientific achievements by Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT), receiving the Commendation for Science and Technology.

Takahashi, along with members of her laboratory, including deputy project leader Michiko Mandai, research scientist Chikako Morinaga, and technical staff Noriko Sakai and Chikako Yamada were named recipients of the Prize for Science and Technology (Development Category), for their work on the clinical development of pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium for transplantation. This prize is awarded to scientists whose work is being applied or holds potential to advance or improve social economy and quality of life.

Imai was awarded the Young Scientist’s Prize, which recognizes scientists under the age of 40 who have made groundbreaking and creative scientific research and achievements, for his work on neural circuit formation using the olfactory system as a model.