Oxford Instruments is delighted to announce Dr Yoshihiko Okamoto from the Department of Applied Physics, Nagoya University as the winner of the 2018 Sir Martin Wood Prize. Dr Okamoto was awarded the prize for the “Exploration of Novel Transition Metal Compounds Based on the Unique Crystal and Electronic Structures”.

Dr Okamoto was awarded with the medal, certificate and a cash prize of ¥500,000 at an event in Tokyo by Ms Sue Kinoshita, Minister Counsellor of Economic Affairs, UK Embassy Tokyo in November 2018 and gave a lecture on his work at the 2018 Millennium Science Forum held organised by Oxford Instruments and chaired by Professor Maki Kawai, Director General of the Institute for Molecular Science. The guest speakers at the event were Professor Motoko Kotani, Chair of the Mathematics Society of Japan and Professor Atsufumi Hirohata from the University of York. 

"I am delighted to be to be awarded this acclaimed prize and I am grateful to Oxford Instruments and the Sir Martin Wood Prize Committee for recognising my research", commented the winner. 

The Millennium Science Forum was established in 1998 to promote scientific exchange between Britain and Japan and award the Sir Martin Wood Prize to a young researcher from a Japanese University or research institute who has performed outstanding research in the area of condensed matter science. The prize is named after Sir Martin Wood, Founder and Honorary President of Oxford Instruments plc. 

The Sir Martin Wood Prize selection committee consists of 8 senior professors from Japanese Universities and is chaired by Professor Hidetoshi Fukuyama from Tokyo University of Science. 

The ‘Sir Martin Wood Prize’ winner receives ¥500,000 in cash and the opportunity to give a series of lectures in UK and EU Universities. Here is the list of confirmed talks for Dr Okamoto's trip -

Mon 27-May-2019: Max Planck Institute, Germany
Tuesday 28-May-2019: Oxford University, England
Thursday 30-May-2019: Edinburgh University, Scotland
Friday 31-May-2019: York University, England

Previous winners of the Sir Martin Wood Prize for Japan include –

• Dr Michihisa Yamamoto Quantum-Phase Electronics Center, The University of Tokyo (2017)
• Dr Akihito Ishizaki, Institute for Molecular Science, Okazaki  (2016)
• Dr Takuya Satoh, Kyushu University (2015)
• Dr Masamitsu Hayashi, NIMS (2014)
• Dr Naoya Shibata, University of Tokyo (2013)
• Dr Daichi Chiba, Kyoto University (2012)
• Dr Yukio Kawano, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2011)
• Dr Shuichi Murakami, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2010)
• Dr Yousoo Kim, RIKEN (2009)
• Dr Teruo Ono, Kyoto University (2008)
• Dr Eiji Saito, Keio University (2008)
• Dr Akira Ohtomo, Tohoku University (2007)
• Dr Kazutomo Suenaga, AIST (2006)
• Dr Tsuyoshi Kimura, Osaka University (2005)
• Dr Yuzo Ohno, Tohoku University (2004)
• Dr Toshimasa Fujisawa, NTT basic research laboratories (2003)
• Dr Ichiro Terasaki, Waseda University (2002)
• Dr Keiya Shirahama, Keio University (2001)
• Dr Katsuya Shimizu, Osaka University and Dr Tokushi Kizuka, Nagoya University (2000)
• Dr Yasunobu Nakamura of NEC Corporation (1999)