Yoshihiro Kawaoka

is a virologist specializing in the study of the influenza and Ebola viruses. He holds a professorship in virology in the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, and at the University of Tokyo, Japan.

Following the West African Ebola virus epidemic of 2014, Kawaoka attempted to develop an Ebola vaccine working in close coordination with Alhaji N'jai, a toxicologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and his non-profit organization Project 1808, Inc.

Controversial experiment Kawaoka created a new virus based on H5N1, which he revealed to the public in 2011. For now, no known vaccine has been developed. His research was halted by a moratorium issued from the US government in 2014. However, in 2019 he was allowed to resume the research.

Dan Brown mentioned the experiment in his novel Inferno.

Recognition 2006 – Robert Koch Prize (with Peter Palese) 2011 – Medal with Purple Ribbon 2013 – Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences 2014 – Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award 2015 – Carlos J. Finlay Prize for Microbiology 2016 – Japan Academy Prize 2018 – Sir Michael Stoker Prize 2022 – Keio Medical Science Prize 2023 – Person of Cultural Merit

Selected publications