Saruhashi Prize

The Saruhashi Prize (猿橋賞) is an annual prize awarded to a Japanese woman researcher in the natural sciences. The prize recognises accomplishments in research as well as the mentoring of other women scientists.

Japanese geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi retired from her position as the director of the Geochemical Research Laboratory in 1980. Her co-workers gifted her ¥5 million[1] and she used the money to establish the Association for the Bright Future of Women Scientists in 1980.[2] The association distributes an annual ¥300,000 prize. It is only available to scientists who are under the age of 50.

The book My Life: Twenty Japanese Women Scientists, edited by Yoshihide Kozai, includes essays by twenty of the Saruhashi Prize winners.

Recipients

Name Institution Year Research area
1 Tomoko Ohta National Institute of Genetics 1981 Theoretical study of population genetics at the molecular level[3]
2 Haruka Yamada (ja) Kwansei Gakuin University 1982 Laser Raman spectroscopy to study surface phenomena[3]
3 Masako Osumi Japan Women's University 1983 Microstructure and function of yeast cells[3]
4 Fumiko Yonezawa Keio University 1984 Theoretical study of physical properties of non-crystalline materials[3]
5 Mariko Yasugi University of Tsukuba 1985 Methodology for elucidating the logical structure of analysis[3][4]
6 Yoshie Souma National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology 1986 New organic synthesis catalysts.
7 Izumi Oono Tokyo Institute of Technology 1987 Fundamental research on electrochemical formation of thin films
8 Chikako Sato Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute 1988 The study of mitotic cell death caused by radiation[3][5]
9 Mizuho Ishida Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology 1989 Microearthquakes as earthquake precursors and a probe of tectonic plate structure
10 Mihoko Takahashi University of Tsukuba 1990 Genetic studies of protozoan behaviour
11 Miwako Mori Hokkaido University 1991 Development of new reactions for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals
12 Takako Kato (ja) National Institute for Fusion Science 1992 Atomic processes in high-temperature plasma
13 Reiko Kuroda University of Tokyo 1993 Mechanism to discriminate the handedness of chiral molecules and DNA base pairs
14 Hiroko Shirai Okayama University 1994 Research of the mechanism of starfish ovulation and egg maturation
15 Shihoko Ishii Tokyo Institute of Technology 1995 Research of singularities in algebraic geometry
16 Maki Kawai RIKEN 1996 Basic research of chemical reactions taking place on solid-state surfaces
17 Tetsuko Takabe (ja) Nagoya University 1997 The molecular mechanism of salt-tolerance in plants
18 Keiko Nishikawa Chiba University 1998 Study of supercritical fluid
19 Sumiko Mochida Tokyo Medical University 1999 Research of the release mechanism of the neurotransmitter
20 Tomoko Nakanishi University of Tokyo 2000 Behavior of water and trace elements in plants
21 Hiroko Nagahara University of Tokyo 2001 The formation and evolution of meteorites and planetary materials
22 Chikako Shingyoji University of Tokyo 2002 A study on flagellar movement
23 Kiyoko Fukami Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences 2003 The role of phospholipid metabolism in life phenomena
24 Haruyo Koiso KEK 2004 Contribution to the world's highest brightness achieved in the collider KEKB
25 Motoko Kotani Tohoku University 2005 Research of discrete geometric analysis due to the crystal lattice
26 Ikue Mori Nagoya University 2006 Genetic studies of sensory and learning behaviour
27 Yukari Takayabu University of Tokyo 2007 Observational study on the dynamics of cloud distribution in the tropics
28 Kyoko Nozaki University of Tokyo 2008 Study of the precision polymerization of a polar monomer using a metal complex catalyst
29 Mikiko C. Siomi (ja) Keio University 2009 Mechanism of action of RNA silencing
30 Yoshiko Takahashi Nara Institute of Science and Technology 2010 The morphogenesis of animals during embryonic development[6]
31 Noriko Mizoguchi Tokyo Gakugei University 2011 Asymptotic analysis of blow-up phenomena
32 Ayako Abe University of Tokyo Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute 2012 The mechanism of ice sheet fluctuation and the past-to-future climate
33 Emiko Hiyama RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science 2013 The establishment of precise calculation algorithms for quantum few-body physics and development thereof
34 Emi Hifumi 2014 Functional proteins, coined "super catalytic antibodies" (antigenase)[7]
35 Keiko Torii Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules, Nagoya University 2015 Research of mechanism of cell-cell communication and stomatal development in plants[8]
36 Tamaki Sato (ja) Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Tokyo Gakugei University 2016 Description and Systematics of the Mesozoic Reptiles[9]
37 Aya Ishihara Hadron Space Science, Chiba University 2017 Research of ultra-high-energy cosmic neutrinos[3]
38 Toshiko Terakawa (ja) Earthquake and Volcano Research Center, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University 2018 Study on crustal stress and pore fluid pressure governing seismicity[10][11]
39 Rie Umetsu (ja) Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University 2019 The physical properties of the Heusler-type functional magnetic materials including the half-metal-type magnets[12]
40 Atsuko Ichikawa (ja) Department of Physics, Kyoto University 2020 Unraveling the nature of neutrino by accelerator-based long baseline neutrino experiment
41 Mikiko Tanaka (ja) Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology 2021 Research on the development and evolution of vertebrate limbs[3]
42 Kimiko Sekiguchi Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology 2022 Experimental study of three-body nuclear force in nuclear physics
43 Hiroko Miyahara Musashino Art University 2023 Mechanisms of solar activity variations and their impacts on climate[13]
44 Yoshiko Ogata Research Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Kyoto University 2024 Mathematical Studies of Quantum Many-Body Systems[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Yount, Lisa (2007). "Saruhashi, Katsuko". A to Z of Women in Science and Math (Rev. ed.). New York: Infobase Pub. p. 264. ISBN 978-1-4381-0795-0.[unreliable source?]
  2. ^ Otsubo, Sumiko (2007). "Women Scientists and Gender Ideology". In Robertson, Jennifer (ed.). A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons. p. 475. ISBN 978-1-4051-4145-1.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Saruhashi Awardess List 本年度の受賞者". www.saruhashi.net. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  4. ^ "YASUGI MARIKO - Researcher - researchmap". researchmap.jp. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  5. ^ "Chikako Sato's research works | Aichi Cancer Center, Nagoya and other places". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  6. ^ "TAKAHASHI Lab: Highlight". www.cdb.riken.jp. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  7. ^ "Emi Hifumi's research works | Oita University, Ōita and other places". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2019-02-15.
  8. ^ Hickey, Hannah (May 1, 2015). "UW biologist wins Saruhashi Prize for top woman scientist". UW Today.
  9. ^ "Saruhashi 本年の受賞者". www.saruhashi.net. Archived from the original on 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2016-04-29.
  10. ^ "Saruhashi 本年度の受賞者". www.saruhashi.net. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  11. ^ "Nagoya University 名古屋大学". en.nagoya-u.ac.jp. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  12. ^ "Tohoku University 東北大学". tumug.tohoku.ac.jp. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  13. ^ "The 43rd Saruhashi Prize Laureate in 2023". Saruhashi Prize (in Japanese). 2023-04-17. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  14. ^ "The 44th Saruhashi Prize Laureate in 2024". Saruhashi Prize (in Japanese). 2024-04-15. Retrieved 2024-04-17.