Maki Kawai

Maki Kawai
Born	Tokyo, Japan
Occupation(s)	Chemist, academic
Years active	1980–present
Known for	Pioneering spatially selective single-molecule spectroscopy; first female president of the Chemical Society of Japan
Notable work	Development of vibrational spectroscopy techniques using scanning tunneling microscopy; leadership at Riken and University of Tokyo

is a distinguished Japanese chemist recognized for pioneering spatially selective single-molecule spectroscopy techniques. In 2018, she made history as the first female president of the Chemical Society of Japan.

Early life and education

Kawai completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Tokyo in 1975 and earned her doctorate there in 1980 under the mentorship of Kenji Tamaru.

Research and career

Following her PhD, Kawai conducted postdoctoral research at Riken from 1980 to 1982. She then returned to the University of Tokyo in 1982 as a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science fellow. Her scientific investigations concentrate on the vibrational behaviors of individual molecules adsorbed on surfaces, employing scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to observe atoms and molecules at the nanoscale. This research contributes significantly to the comprehension of chemical and physical processes occurring in nanodots, nanowires, and biomolecular systems.

Supported by fellowships from the Surface Science Society of Japan and the American Physical Society, Kawai advanced single-molecule spectroscopy methods. Her laboratory explores vibrational relaxation and energy transfer phenomena by integrating STM with inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy, facilitating detailed mapping of electron transfer pathways. Notably, she identified a novel reaction mechanism on titanium dioxide surfaces, enhancing insights into electron transport at the nanoscale.

In 1991, Kawai was appointed Chief Scientist and Director of the Surface Chemistry Laboratory at Riken, later becoming executive director in 2010. She joined the faculty at the University of Tokyo as a professor in 2004 and was named Director General of the Institute of Molecular Science in 2016. Her election as President of the Chemical Society of Japan in 2018 marked a significant milestone as its inaugural female leader.

Awards and honours

• 2021 Person of Cultural Merit
• 2020 Recognized among Asian Scientist magazine's Asian Scientist 100
• 2019 Recipient of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards
• 2018 Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK)
• 2018 Delivered the Diels-Planck Lecture at Kiel University
• 2017 Awarded Japan’s Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon
• 2016 Honored with the American Vacuum Society’s Medard W. Welch Award
• 2015 Named Distinguished Woman in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering by IUPAC
• 2015 Awarded Gerhard Ertl Lecture Prize from the Max Planck Society
• 2012 Mukai Award, Japan
• 2009 Recipient of the Chemical Society of Japan Award
• 2008 Commendation for Science and Technology by Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology