MANPEI SUZUKI INTERNATIONAL PRIZEAward Ceremonies
2023 Award
The Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation presented the 2023 Manpei Suzuki International Prize for Diabetes Research to Dr. Douglas A Melton, Distinguished Research Fellow, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Harvard University, Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, at the ceremony held on March 6th, in Tokyo, Japan.
After Dr. Sunao Manabe, the president of the Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation delivered the opening remarks, Dr. Masato Kasuga, the Chair of Selection Committee, director of the Institute of Medical Science, Asahi Life Foundation, presented the reason for bestowing the 2023 prize on Dr. Douglas A Melton. The president Manabe gave a Certificate of Honor, US$200,000, and a Japanese objet d’art (an Iro-Nabeshima pomegranate vase by Imaemon Kiln) as a memento of the award, to Dr. Melton
The award ceremony and the commemorative lecture were attended by many people, including invitees of the award winner, officers and trustees of the Foundation and other related parties, returnees of overseas study subsidized by the Foundation, and executives of Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.
【Reason for bestowing】
The Selection Committee recognized his pioneering and groundbreaking contributions over the years to understand the development of the pancreas, defining its lineage and cell fate regulation, which enabled him to direct the differentiation of human stem cells to islet cells that functionally mimic endogenous human islets. Furthermore, the Committee recognized his contribution to clinical trials using stem cell-derived islet-like cells in human islets transplants and the early promising results of this procedure.
More than one hundred attendees gathered
Award Ceremony: Opening Remarks
Dr. Sunao Manabe, President of the Foundation
Award Ceremony: Selection Committee Chairman’s Report
Dr. Masato Kasuga, the Chair of Selection Committee
Award Ceremony
Award Ceremony: Greeting of the Winner
Dr. Douglas A Melton
Award Lecture “Cells as Living Medicines: A New Approach to Treat Type 1 Diabetes”
Chair: Dr. Masato Kasuga
Speaker: Dr. Douglas A Melton
Dr. Douglas A Melton with members of Selection Committees and the Foundation
at Keidanren Hall in Tokyo
Seated, left to right
Masato Kasuga
Chair of the Selection Committee
Asahi Life Foundation
National Center for Global Health and Medicine
Douglas A Melton
2023 Winner of the Prize
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Harvard University
Sunao Manabe
President, Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation
Back row, left to right
Masashi Aonuma
Managing Director, Manpei Suzuki Diabetes Foundation
Nobuya Inagaki
Member of the Selection Committee
Medical Research Institute KITANO HOSPITAL
Kyoto University
Domenico Accili
Member of the Selection Committee
Columbia University
Gerald I Shulman
Member of the Selection Committee
Yale School of Medicine
Makoto Daimon
Member of the Selection Committee
Center for Health Promotion, Shiseido General Hospital
Hirosaki University