Nobel Prize Dialogue
Toshi H. Arimura
Toshi H. Arimura is a professor of economics at Waseda University. Before joining Waseda, Arimura was a professor at Sophia University, a visiting scholar with George Mason University, and Resources for the Future as an Abe Fellow.
Chieko Asakawa
Chieko Asakawa joined IBM Japan in 1985. She was appointed an IBM Fellow in 2009. Since 2014, she serves as a visiting professor at CMU. In 2018, she moved to IBM US. She concurrently serves as chief executive director of Miraikan.
Joseph Ecker
Joseph Ecker is a globally recognised pioneer in genomics and epigenomics, acclaimed for his transformative work in plant and animal genetics.
Arisa Ema
Arisa Ema has earned a PhD from the University of Tokyo, researching the relationship between AI, robotics, and society. She also participates in the UN's advisory body on AI and the OECD's expert group.
Nobel Prize laureate
Bernard Feringa
Ben Feringa was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on molecular machines.
Nobel Prize laureate
Andrew Fire
Andrew Fire received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2006 for the discovery of RNA interference.
Akira Furusawa
Akira Furusawa is professor of Applied Physics, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo and deputy director of RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing. He succeeded in unconditional quantum teleportation at Caltech with Jeff Kimble in 1998.
Mutsuko Hatano
Mutsuko Hatano’s main research fields are quantum sensing and power electronics based on wide-gap semiconductors, and semiconductor physics and devices. She is a fellow of the Japan Society of Applied Physics and a senior member of IEEE, and was general chair of Quantum Innovation 2023.
Nobel Prize laureate
Geoffrey Hinton
Geoffrey Hinton was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on machine learning with artificial neural networks.
Hiroshi Ishiguro
Hiroshi Ishiguro is professor of Department of Systems Innovation at Osaka University, visiting director of Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories at Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute, project manager of MOONSHOT R&D Project, thematic project producer of EXPO 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, and CEO of AVITA, Inc.
Maki Kawai
Maki Kawai obtained a PhD degree in chemistry from the University of Tokyo, she is currently president of National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan (2022-), director general of Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS) of JST (2024-), and a member of Japan Academy.
Shunsuke Managi
Shunsuke Managi is a director for UN Inclusive Wealth Report, proposing its index as a measure beyond GDP, and co-editor of 'Encyclopedia of Energy, Natural Resource, and Environmental Economics'.
Yutaka Matsuo
Graduated from the University of Tokyo and earned PhD in engineering in 2002. Served as a visiting researcher at Stanford University. Since 2019, a professor at University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Engineering. Specialises in AI, deep learning, and web mining.
Eva Olsson
Eva Olsson received her PhD from Chalmers. She was a postdoc at IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights (New York, USA), a faculty at Chalmers, a full professor at Uppsala University, Sweden, and is currently a full professor at Chalmers.
Nobel Prize laureate
William D. Phillips
William D. Phillips was awarded the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.
Nobel Prize laureate
Svante Pääbo
Svante Pääbo was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work studying our ancient ancestors and how we as modern humans are related to them.
Nobel Prize laureate
Richard Roberts
Richard J Roberts was awarded the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discoveries of split genes.
Adam Smith
Adam Smith is chief scientific officer for Nobel Prize Outreach. His background is in scientific research and science publishing.
Hanna Stjärne
Hanna Stjärne, Executive Director of the Nobel Foundation since 2025, is a prominent Swedish journalist and media executive. She has led Sveriges Radio, Upsala Nya Tidning, and SVT, focusing on digitalisation, Swedish content, and modernising public service.
Tsuyoshi Sugino
Tsuyoshi Sugino is the president of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). Sugino previously held key senior positions at the ministry of education, culture, sports, science and technology (MEXT), including director-general of the Research Promotion Bureau (2020-2021).
Haruko Takeyama
Haruko Takeyama received her PhD in engineering in 1992, and is a professor at Waseda University since 2007. She has served as PM for Moonshot goal 5, PO for JST-ASPIRE Bio, and as a member of the Science Council of Japan.
Juichi Yamagiwa
Juichi Yamagiwa, director-general of RIHN, is a researcher and expert in the study of primatology and human evolution. He served as president of Kyoto University, president of International Primatological Society and president of Science Council of Japan.
Nobel Prize laureate
Ada Yonath
Ada Yonath is focusing on protein biosynthesis, antibiotics hampering it, human diseases associated with ribosomal mutations, and origin of life.
Nobel Prize laureate
Akira Yoshino
After receiving his MS from Kyoto University in 1972, Akira Yoshino joined Asahi Kasei Corporation, where he invented the lithium-ion battery in the 1980s and completed a practical prototype. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019.
Juleen Zierath
Juleen Zierath is professor of clinical integrative physiology at Karolinska lnstitutet. Her research has revealed key steps in insulin signaling pathways that are impaired in diabetic patients.
