Vice Presidents
Vice Presidents
MYOWA Masako
Professor, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University; Visiting Professor, Hiroshima University
MYOWA Masako has been serving as the Vice-President of the Science Council of Japan since October 2026. She is Professor at the Graduate school of Education, Kyoto University, and Visiting Professor at Hiroshima University. She received her Ph.D. from Kyoto University in 1993. She has been Professor at Kyoto University since 2014, following her appointment as Associate Professor in 2008.
Through comparative studies of humans and non-human primates from the fetal stage onward, she has investigated the origins and develoment of uniquely human brain and cognitive functions. In doing so, she has pioneered the field of "Comparative Cognitive Developmental Science". Her expertise spans cognitive nueroscience, psychology, and priatology. Her research interests include developmental neuroscience, social cognition, the social brain, embodiment, caregiver–child interactions, and the gut microbiota–gut–brain axis. She leads interdisciplinary and international collaborations that bridge neuroscience, clinical medicine, information engineering, robotics, and related fields. Her research has also extended to industry–academia partnerships with efforts to translate fundamental research into real-world applications, including products and testing services, thereby contributing to the creation of new value for society.
HORI Masatoshi
Professor, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo
HORI Masatoshi has been serving as the Vice-President of the Science Council of Japan since October 2026. He is Professor at the Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo. He received a Master of Veterinary Science degree from Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University in 1986 and a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine from the University of Tokyo in 1994. After serving as Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo and conducting postdoctoral research at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, he was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo in 2004 and Professor in 2018.
His areas of expertise are Veterinary Medicine, Animal Life Science, and Pharmacology. His research focuses on the mechanisms underlying gastrointestinal functions and their interactions with immune and inflammatory responses, the molecular mechanisms of organ fibrosis mediated by mesenchymal progenitor cells, and the biological activities of natural organic compounds. His work has contributed to advancing the understanding of physiological and pathological processes in animals and he leads fundamental research that supports the development of novel therapeutic approaches and drug discovery.
Vice-President for International Affairs
SEKITANI Tsuyoshi
Professor, SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), The University of Osaka; Distinguished Professor and Executive Assistant to the President, The University of Osaka
SEKITANI Tsuyoshi has served as Vice-President for International Affairs of the Science Council of Japan since October 2026. He is Professor at SANKEN (The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research), The University of Osaka, and Executive Assistant to the President of the university. He graduated from the School of Engineering Science, The University of Osaka, in 1999 and received his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Tokyo in 2003. After serving as a research associate, assistant professor, lecturer, and associate professor at the University of Tokyo, he was appointed Professor at The University of Osaka in 2014. He was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor in 2017.
His fields of expertise are integrated engineering and electrical and electronic engineering. Grounded in condensed matter physics, nanoscience, and nanotechnology, his research explores electronic states and charge-transport mechanisms in organic molecules and nanomaterials, as well as the physical properties of material interfaces. He connects the understanding and control of these properties with the design of electronic devices that combine electrical functionality with mechanical flexibility and stretchability. By integrating research on materials, devices, integrated circuits, and systems, he has advanced the scientific and technological foundations of ultrathin and stretchable electronics. Building on this foundation, he has extended his research to bioelectronics that interface electronic systems with living systems, and to new measurement technologies.