Reiko Kuroda
Reiko Kuroda | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Akita, Japan |
| Occupation(s) | Chemist, Professor |
| Known for | Research on chirality in chemistry; discovery of genetic basis for snail shell coiling direction |
is a distinguished Japanese chemist and serves as a professor within the Department of Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo.
Early life and education
Originally from Akita and brought up in Miyagi, Japan, Kuroda completed her Master of Science degree in 1972 followed by a PhD in Chemistry in 1975, both at the University of Tokyo. Her doctoral studies concentrated on the stereochemical properties of metal complexes.
Career
Following the attainment of her doctorate, Kuroda held research positions at King's College London and the Institute of Cancer Research before returning to Japan in 1986. In 1992, she made history as the first woman to be appointed full professor in the natural sciences faculty at the University of Tokyo.
Her scientific investigations focus on chirality within both inorganic and organic chemistry. A significant achievement includes discovering that the direction of spiral coiling in snail shells is established early during development. Utilizing CRISPR gene-editing technology, her research team revealed that this characteristic is governed by a single gene named Lsdia1.
Kuroda established the Science Interpreter Training Program at the University of Tokyo and has been a governor at the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre since 2006. Additionally, she has contributed as Vice-President for External Relations at the International Science Council.
Honours and awards
In recognition of her exceptional contributions as a female scientist, Kuroda was awarded the Saruhashi Prize in 1993.
She was elected as a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in the chemistry division on June 10, 2009.
Kuroda received the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science in 2013. Furthermore, she has been nominated for distinctions by the Human Frontier Science Programme (HFSP) and AcademiaNet.
External links
- 21st-century Japanese chemists
- Japanese women chemists
- Academic staff of the University of Tokyo
- Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
- 1947 births
- Living people
- Japanese women academics
- L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science laureates
- 21st-century Japanese women scientists
- Scientists from Sendai
- Scientists from Akita Prefecture