Hideyuki Okano

Hideyuki Okano received his M.D. in Physiology from Keio University in 1983. After he obtained a Ph.D. degree in Molecular Biology of Myelin-related genes and myelin deficient mutant mice from Keio University in 1988, he held a post-doctoral position at Dr. Craig Montell’s Lab in Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He was appointed full professor at Tsukuba University School of Medicine in 1994, Osaka University School of Medicine in 1997, and returned to Keio University Medical School in 2001 as a full professor of Physiology. Since 2007 to date, he has served as Dean of Keio University Graduate School of Medicine and Dean of Keio University School of Medicine. He has been conducting basic research in the field of regenerative medicine including, neural stem cells and iPS cells, spinal cord injury, developmental genetics and RNA binding proteins. He has earned many awards and honors including the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2009 and the first prize of the 51st Erwin von Bälz Prize in 2014. He aims to establish and provide patients-specific iPS cells and genetically modified non-human primate models for neuroscience research and to explore the pathogenic mechanisms of neurological/psychiatric disorders. Currently, he is the leader of Brain Project in Japan (Brain/MINDS) and a Vice President of Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine.