Kyoto University stem-cell biologist Shinya Yamanaka is among the world's 100 most influential people this year, according to the Friday issue of U.S. weekly magazine Time. ...[more](The Japan Times)

Yamanaka succeeded in creating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from mouse skin cells that can change into different tissues without needing fertilized eggs as embryonic stem cells (ES cell) do (Paper published in the science journal “Cell” in August 2006). He is a pioneer of the new research field into iPS cells. He also successfully created an iPS cell from human skin using the same method, which was published in the online flash news of “Cell” on November 20, 2007....[more](Science Links Japan -Opinions)

Biologist, artist in Time's top 100
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/mail/nn20080503b3.html
The 2008 TIME 100 -Shinya Yamanaka & James Thomson
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733754_1736238,00.html

The H5N1 strain of bird flu virus has been detected in dead and dying swans near Lake Towada in Akita Prefecture, a study by the National Institute of Animal Health showed Tuesday. ...[more](The Japan Times)
Akita Prefecture on Wednesday began two days of on-site inspections of chicken farms near Lake Towada after the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza was detected in dead swans found in a lakeside town. ...[more](The Japan Times)

WHO is coordinating the global response to human cases of H5N1 avian influenza and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic....[more](WHO)

© WHO

H5N1 found in Akita swans--First sign of deadly strain of avian flu in Japan since March 2007 (The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080430a2.html

Akita chicken farms inspected for deadly flu (The Japan Times)
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080501a6.html

Avian Influenza(WHO)
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html

Commemorative Lecture: The First Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize Laureates on 29 May in Tokyo, and on 30 May in Fukushima

The Government of Japan established the Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize in July 2006 as a new international medical research and services award to mark the official visit to by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to Africa in May 2006 and the 80th anniversary of Dr. Noguchi’s death. The Prize aims to honour individuals with outstanding achievements in combating various infectious diseases in Africa or in establishing innovative medical service systems. The prize is particularly timely since global health will be a highly profiled agenda item in this year’s G8 summit and TICAD(Tokyo International Conference on African Development).

Dr. Brian Greenwood and Prof. Miriam K. Were are laureates of the inaugural Hideyo Noguchi Africa Prize. They will be awarded a citation, a medal and an honorarium of 100 million yen (approximately 1 million US dollars) at an award ceremony on 28 May 2008 within the TICAD IV. The commemorative lecture will be held on 29 May 2008 in Tokyo and on 30 May 2008 in Fukushima.