Yoshihiro Kawaoka

Yoshihiro Kawaoka (河岡義裕, Kawaoka Yoshihiro, born November 14, 1955) is a virologist specializing in the study of the influenza and Ebola viruses. He holds a professorship in virology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and at the University of Tokyo, Japan.^[1]

Disputable experiment

Yoshihiro reinvented a new virus based on H5N1, which, according to Daily Mail Online, can "wipe out 400 million people". For now, no known vaccine has been found. Despite the great disturbance he has caused, Yoshihiro argued that "it is part of valuable scientific research".^[2]

Awards

2006 Robert Koch Prize (with Peter Palese)^[3]

Selected publications

Hatta M, Gao P, Halfmann P, Kawaoka Y. Molecular basis for high virulence of Hong Kong H5N1 influenza A viruses, Science 298:1840–1842, 2001.
Schultz-Cherry S, Dybdahl-Sissoko N, Neumann G, Kawaoka Y, Hinshaw VS. Influenza Virus NS1 Protein Induces Apoptosis in Cultured Cells. J Virol 75: 7875–7881, 2001.
Kobasa D, Wells K, KawaokaY. Amino Acids Responsible for the Absolute Sialidase Activity of the Influenza A Virus Neuraminidase: Relationship to Growth in Duck Intestine. J Virol 75: 11773–11780, 2001.
Goto H, Wells K, Takada A, Kawaoka Y. Plasminogen-binding activity of neuraminidase determines the pathogenicity of influenza A virus, J Virol 75:9297–9301, 2001.
Watanabe T, Watanabe S, Ito H, Kida H, Kawaoka Y. Influenza A virus can undergo multiple cycles of replication without m2 ion channel activity. J Virol 75:5656–5662, 2001.
Jasenosky LD, Neumann G, Lukashevich I, Kawaoka Y. Ebola virus vp40-induced particle formation and association with the lipid bilayer. J Virol 75:5205–5214, 2001.