2017 Winners and Finalists Honored at Awards Ceremony at NYAS in New York City

Christophe Weber, Takeda President and CEO, along with Emiliangelo Ratti, Head, Central Nervous System Therapeutic Area Unit, and Andy Plump, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer for Takeda, attend the Takeda Innovators in Science Awards Ceremony on November 28th at the New York Academy of Sciences headquarters. The trio presented remarks on Takeda’s commitment to forging relationships with cutting edge researchers across the globe.

Koto and Shamisen musicians entertain ceremony guests with traditional Japanese stringed harmonies. Along with the musical performance, the program included several nods to Takeda’s 236-year-old Japanese heritage, including a sake toast.

Christophe Weber, Takeda President and CEO, delivers opening remarks to guests and Honorees. Among the themes Christophe shared was Takeda’s support of the global academic community. “At Takeda, we revel in the opportunity to promote scientific excellence while fostering unbreakable ties between our industry and academia,” he said.

Andy Plump, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, presents the Senior Scientist Awards at the 2017 Takeda Innovators in Science Awards ceremony. Speaking to the strength and power of external partnerships, Andy reinforced Takeda’s passion for exploring and developing meaningful therapies for patients both within and beyond our own labs.

Andy Plump, Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, presents a medal of excellence to Senior Scientist Winner, Shigetada Nakanishi, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences Bioorganic Research Institute in Japan. Dr. Nakanishi is recognized for developing innovative cloning strategies for membrane embedded transmitter receptors and subsequent identification of functional genes encoding NMDA and G-protein coupled glutamate receptors.

Emiliangelo Ratti, Head, Central Nervous System Therapeutic Area Unit, congratulates Early-Career Scientist Winner, Viviana Gradinaru, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Gradinaru is honored for exemplary work in developing novel tools for neuroscience and using them to probe circuits underlying locomotion, reward and sleep.

Shigetada Nakanishi, M.D., Ph.D., Winner, Senior Scientist Award, Viviana Gradinaru, Ph.D., Winner, Early-Career Scientist Award, and Michael Halassa, M.D., Ph.D., Finalist, Early-Career Scientist Award gather after receiving medals for excellence in neuroscience research. Award honorees were chosen by a panel of independently selected jury members.

This year’s Innovators in Science Award Honorees in the field of neuroscience were celebrated at a ceremony on November 28^th at the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) Headquarters in New York City. Presenters included Takeda CEO Christophe Weber; Andy Plump, CMSO; and Emiliangelo Ratti, Head, CNS TAU.

Shigetada Nakanishi, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Suntory Foundation for Life Sciences Bioorganic Research Institute in Japan was the Winner of the Senior Scientist Award. Nakanishi was honored for developing innovative cloning strategies for membrane embedded transmitter receptors and subsequent identification of functional genes encoding NMDA and G-protein coupled glutamate receptors.

The recipient of the Early-Career Scientist Award was Viviana Gradinaru, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology and Biological Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. Gradinaru is honored for exemplary work in developing novel tools for neuroscience and using them to probe circuits underlying locomotion, reward, and sleep.

Four-Year Partnership Recognizes and Celebrates Disruptive and Transformative Research

In 2016, Takeda and NYAS launched the Award partnership to recognize and celebrate disruptive and transformative research conducted by promising Early-Career Scientists and outstanding Senior Scientists from across the globe.

The goal of the Innovators in Science Award is to celebrate scientists who have distinguished themselves for the creative thinking and impact of their research. This program is another step in Takeda’s commitment to promoting scientific excellence as well as fostering a sense of community between industry and academia.

Over the course of four years, the Innovators in Science Award will honor research from across the areas among which Takeda has focused its drug discovery with two prizes of US $200,000 each year, distinguishing innovative scientists in their respective fields, drawn from major universities and academic medical centers, or equivalent, around the world.

Inaugural Awards Focus on Excellence in Neuroscience Research

The Award recognizes research in the areas of neuroscience, gastroenterology, oncology, and regenerative medicine.

In 2017, the Award focuses on recognizing excellence in neuroscience discovery. Takeda is committed to being a global leader in neuroscience research, expanding in psychiatry, and creating an anchor in neurology through partnership and co-development. Our focus is on patients with neuropsychiatric disorders who have no adequate available treatments for schizophrenia, depression, and selected neurological diseases.

Year Two Awards to Focus on Regenerative Medicine

In the Award’s second year, Takeda and NYAS will call for submissions of outstanding research in regenerative medicine. Takeda points to regenerative medicine development as a key capability as we diversify therapeutic modalities and drive toward prioritizing translational medicine drug discovery.