Statement on the passing of Susumu Tonegawa, Former Director of the Brain Science Institute

It is with profound sadness that we learned of the passing of Susumu Tonegawa, RIKEN Fellow, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1987), and former Director of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute (BSI), on July 11, 2026 (U.S. local time). On behalf of all members of RIKEN, I would like to express our deepest condolences.

After receiving the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking discovery of the genetic principles underlying the generation of antibody diversity, Dr. Tonegawa turned his extraordinary intellectual curiosity toward a new frontier—neuroscience. From April 2009 to June 2017, he served for more than eight years as the third director of the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, leading Japanese brain science to the forefront of the international research community.

During his tenure as director, Dr. Tonegawa pioneered a series of transformative discoveries, including elucidating the nature of the memory engram—the physical substrate in which memories are stored in the brain—through the use of cutting-edge genetic approaches. His visionary leadership, driven by his aspiration to “Pursue your curiosity. Create research that leads the world.” and the world-class research environment that he established continue to thrive today in the RIKEN Center for Brain Science (CBS), providing an enduring foundation for the continued advancement of neuroscience at RIKEN.

We offer our deepest condolences, and extend our profound gratitude and highest respect for Dr. Tonegawa's extraordinary contributions to RIKEN and to science worldwide, as well as for his exceptional leadership and mentorship.

Makoto Gonokami
President, RIKEN