Daiwa Adrian Prizes 2010

The evolutionary and spatial dynamics of human viral pathogens. Investigation of the spread of human viruses, particularly HIV and Hepatitis C, why outbreaks begin at certain times and in certain locations, and why virus strains follow particular routes when they disseminate internationally.

Institutions: University of Oxford and the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo

UK Team Leader: Dr Oliver Pybus, University of Oxford

Japan Team Leader: Dr Yutaka Takebe, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo

“In addition to being a very great honour, the award will enable us to sustain our scientific collaboration in the future.” (Dr Pybus)

“On behalf of my research team in Japan and my colleagues in Asia, I would like to express our sincere thanks to all of you. This unexpected prize is a great honour and encouragement for us.

We plan to extend our study on the genesis of the AIDS epidemic in Asia, and we wish to study other important viral pathogens of great public health importance in the regions, particularly the hepatitis C virus and influenza, as mentioned by Dr Pybus.

Thank you very much for your kind attention. Thank you again for your kind support and great encouragement.” (Dr Takebe)

Photonic quantum information science and technology. Development of new technologies based on harnessing quantum mechanics – the fundamental physics theory governing behaviour at the microscopic scale.

Institutions: University of Bristol, Hokkaido University and Osaka University.

UK Team Leader: Professor Jeremy O’Brien, University of Bristol

Japan Team Leader: Professor Shigeki Takeuchi, Hokkaido University and Osaka University

“It is my great pleasure that we receive the Daiwa Adrian Prize from Lady Adrian today. I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the people who took part in this awarding.

I would also like to use this opportunity to thank the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation for their kind support previously for our collaboration in 2006…we had already started a series of experiments in Hokkaido University. However, for us, how to cover the travel expenses was a big problem. In this sense, the support from Daiwa Anglo-Japanese foundation played a crucial role for our fruitful collaboration.

Thank you very much again for such an excellent award to our collaboration. When you have any chance, please visit us in Hokkaido, or Osaka where now our group is temporarily located.” (Professor Takeuchi)

Non-linear cosmological perturbations. Providing theoretical predictions from the very early universe physics for the statistical properties of primordial curvature perturbations.

Institutions: University of Portsmouth and Kyoto University

UK Team Leader: Professor David Wands, University of Portsmouth

Japan Team Leader: Professor Misao Sasaki, Kyoto University

“It is an honour and a pleasure to be here today to receive this award from Lady Adrian and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation. Indeed given the unexpected amount of snow on the way here today, I am pleased to be here at all!

This award will support the ongoing collaboration between researchers in Portsmouth and Kyoto to understand the non-linear evolution of density and pressure waves in the universe – in effect, cosmic sound waves.” (Professor Wands)

“Today I am extremely happy and honoured to receive the Daiwa Adrian Prize. This award will certainly strengthen our collaboration even more than before.” (Professor Sasaki)

Nonlinear dynamics of cortical neurons and gamma oscillations – from cell to network models. Advancement of knowledge of the basic operation of brain networks, contributing to understanding of disorders such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy.

Institutions: University of Cambridge, Harvard University, Karolinska Institutet, University of Tokyo and Osaka University

UK Team Leader: Dr Hugh Robinson, University of Cambridge

Japan Team Leader: Professor Kazuyuki Aihara, University of Tokyo

“Receiving this Prize is truly a great pleasure, and a great honour. It has been a real team effort, and I thank all of the members of our collaboration – those with us today, and those who were not able to be here. The support that we have received from the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation has been absolutely key to the success of our research.

This award is also particularly significant to me, because of the connection of the prize with Lord Adrian, who was a great figure in my department, the Department of Physiology – now Physiology, Development and Neuroscience – at the University of Cambridge.” (Dr Robinson)

“We are hoping to get clues to realize Astro Boy’s great powers by studying neurons and neural networks in the brain.” (Professor Aihara)

Use of genomics to understand plant-pathogen interactions. Understanding plant pathogen interactions to enhance knowledge on plant disease control.

Institutions: The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich and Iwate Biotechnology Research Center

UK Team Leader: Professor Sophien Kamoun, The Sainsbury Laboratory

Japan Team Leader: Dr Ryohei Terauchi, Iwate Biotechnology Research Center

“I am delighted by this recognition of our long-standing collaboration with the laboratory of Dr Terauchi. The collaboration has been extremely productive both at the technical and intellectual levels.” (Professor Kamoun)

“This “Daiwa Adrian Prize” provides a strong impetus to enhance our joint research on the control of devastating disease of rice.” (Dr Terauchi)

Phase space analysis of partial differential equations. Analysis of a range of properties exhibited by solutions to evolution partial differential equations which are of major importance in many different sciences.

Institutions: Imperial College London, Nagoya University, Tokai University, Yamaguchi University and Osaka University

UK Team Leader: Professor Michael Ruzhanksy, Imperial College London

Japan Team Leader: Professor Mitsuru Sugimoto, Nagoya University

“We would like to thank the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation for recognising our work that we have been doing over the last decade. Receiving the Daiwa Adrian Prize is a great honour for all members of our teams, and we will use this support to further our research on the phase space analysis of evolution partial differential equations.” (Professor Ruzhanksy)

“We are very honoured to receive the Daiwa Adrian Prize. As far as I know, our team is the first Mathematician’s group which is awarded such a prestigious prize. ” (Professor Sugimoto)