Oxford Instruments is delighted to announce Dr Keiichi Inoue from the Institute of Solid State Physics, the University of Tokyo as the winner of the 2019 Sir Martin Wood Prize. Dr Inoue was awarded the prize for the “Discovery and functional analysis of novel retinal proteins”.

Dr Inoue was awarded with the medal, certificate and a cash prize of ¥500,000 at the British Embassy in Tokyo by Ms. Sue Kinoshita, Minister Counsellor of Economic Affairs, UK Embassy Tokyo in November 2019 and gave a lecture on his work at the 2019 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 Jian Ping Gong from Hokkaido University and Professor J. Paul Attfield, from the University of Edinburgh

Dr Inoue said "I am thankful to the Sir Martin Wood Prize Committee for evaluation my work and awarding me the prize, I would also like to extend my thanks to Oxford Instruments for sponsoring and acting as the secretariat for the Millennium Science Forum.”

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.

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

• Dr. Yoshihiko Okamoto, Department of Applied Physics. Nagoya University (2018)
• 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)