Statement on the Passing of Akiyoshi Wada, former Director of the RIKEN Genomic Sciences Center

RIKEN Honorary Scientist Akiyoshi Wada, who served as director of RIKEN’s Genomic Sciences Center (GSC), passed away on October 18 at the age of 97. I was saddened to hear of his passing and offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones.

Dr. Wada assumed his position as Director of the GSC upon its establishment in 1998 and served in that role for six years following that. In addition to contributing to the International Human Genome Sequencing Project, he carried out innovative organizational management that took an integrated approach to analyzing elemental data across hierarchical planes—from genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic to phenomic. He also emphasized the importance of developing proprietary technologies and worked to establish departments focused on computational science designed to handle the analysis of massive amounts of data, including genomic data. The research activities he fostered through his foresight and exceptional leadership have become a true foundation for advancing life science research today.

At RIKEN, we are committed to building upon the foundation laid by Dr. Wada to further advance life science research. We offer our deepest respect and gratitude for the immense contributions and achievements of Dr. Wada, who laid the foundation for today’s life sciences, and we humbly express our condolences.

Makoto Gonokami
President, RIKEN