Two faculty members from Kanazawa University have been received the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award in the field of science and technology in 2026.
The Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award in the field of science and technology is given annually by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology with the aim of improving the motivation of those involved in science and technology and contributing to the improvement of the level of science and technology in Japan by honoring those who have made remarkable achievements in research, development and promotion of understanding of science and technology.
The awardees and their achievements are as follows:
<Science and Technology Award (Research Category)>
Awarded to researchers who have conducted original research or development with high potential to contribute to the development of science and technology in Japan.
?NAKADA MitsutoshiProfessor, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences Faculty of Medicine
［Title] Research on brain function starting from awake brain surgery
Human higher brain functions are unique to humans, and the neural basis of these functions is complex and varies widely from person to person. For this reason, it has been difficult to fully analyze the neural circuits of higher brain functions using conventional research methods.
From the viewpoint of a neurosurgeon who directly approaches the human brain, Professor Nakada has established an original research method that integrates information on functional brain regions obtained during awake brain surgery with temporal higher brain function test data and functional brain imaging, and has clarified various previously unknown higher brain functional localizations. In addition, he was the first in the world to report the phenomenon and regularity of functional reorganization and migration of brain lesions to other areas when they extend to functional areas in the pathological brain. Furthermore, he discovered novel anatomical structures and neural circuits underlying functional migration through his original research integrating white matter anatomy and brain imaging analysis.
This study revealed the higher brain functional localization in the human cerebrum and demonstrated the dynamic plasticity and diversity of brain neural circuits, moving away from static functional localization studies in the healthy state.
The results of this research are not limited to academic findings in brain science, but are expected to contribute to the improvement of national welfare by being useful in the diagnosis and treatment of higher brain dysfunction, and by being immediately applied to awake brain surgery and returned to society.
?●HASEBE, NorikoProfessor, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology
［Title] Research on the Earth's environment through the development and improvement of thermochronological methods
Thermochronological studies using low closure temperature methods are used to reveal changes in the Earth's surface environment, most notably the fission track method, which utilizes the scarps created in minerals by the fission of uranium. Uranium is difficult to quantify because it is contained only in trace amounts in the sample, so neutron irradiation in nuclear reactors has been used. However, the problem of sample activation and the closure of the research reactors have eliminated the opportunity for measurement.
Professor Hasebe has shown for the first time that LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) can be used to measure uranium concentration and isotopes. This eliminates the need to handle radioactive materials and to wait for the radioactivity of the sample to decay, thereby shortening experimental time and enabling mass production of data.
This research has made it possible to perform multiple methods of radiometric dating of trace samples by simultaneously measuring not only uranium but also other isotope concentrations.
The results of this research have stimulated the development of new dating methods using new minerals or catastrophic events, and are expected to contribute to the understanding of the history of the Earth's history and surface deformation, and to discussions on the stability of the land.
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