Keiji Numata

Appointment

Professor, Lab for Biomaterial Chemistry, Chair in Polymer Material Chemistry

Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering,

Kyoto University

E-mail

numata.keiji.3n@kyoto-u.ac.jp

Education

  • B.S., Polymer Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2003)
  • M.S., Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2005)
  • Ph.D., Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology (2007)

Employment

2006-2007 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellow (DC), Tokyo Institute of Technology & Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
2007-2008 JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow (PD), Tokyo Institute of Technology
2008-2010 JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow for Research Abroad, Tufts University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, USA
2010-2012 Senior Scientist, Enzyme Research Team, RIKEN
2012-2018 Team Leader, Enzyme Research Team, RIKEN
2018-2020 Team Leader, Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN
2020-present Professor, Lab for Biomaterial Chemistry, Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University
2022-present Unit Leader, Unit for Bio/Polymer Big Data Driven Soft Matter Creation, Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Kyoto University

Concurrent Position

2011-2013 Visiting Associate Professor, Shibaura Institute of Technology
2011-2019 Visiting Professor, Universiti Sains Malaysia
2014-2015 Part-time lecturer, Saitama University
2014-present Visiting Fellow, Spiber Inc.
2014-2019 Project Leader, Impulsing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program (ImPACT), Super High-Function Structural Proteins to Transform the Basic Materials Industry
2015-2018 Co-supervisor for PhD program, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)
2016-2019 Team Leader, ImPACT Planned Serendipity
2016-present Visiting Associate Professor, Gunma University
2016-2023 Research Director, JST-ERATO Numata Organellar Reaction Cluster Project
2019-present Member, The Engineering Academy of Japan.
2020-present Team Leader, Biomacromolecules Research Team, RIKEN
2020-2024 L-INSIGHT Fellow (Program for the Development of Next-generation Leading Scientists with Global Insigh )
2020-present Research Director for MEXT Program: Data Creation and Utilization-Type Material Research and Development Project (Biological/polymer material)
2021-present CTO, Symbiobe Inc.
2021-present Project Leader, JST-COI-NEXT, Zero-carbon Bioindustry
2023-present Project Professor, Institute for Advanced Biosciences, Keio University

Honors and Awards

  • Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), the Royal Society of Chemistry (2024)
  • Exemplary contributor to Biomacromolecules. in celebration of 25 years of publishing the highest quality biopolymer research. American Chemical Society Publications, USA (2024)
  • SPSJ Science Award 2023 (2024)
  • 20th JSPS Prize (FY2023)
  • 5th Japan Innovation Prize (JOIP) Minister of Science and Technology Policy Award, Cabinet Office, Japan (2023)
  • Nagase Prize from the Frontier Salon Foundation, Japan (2022)
  • Bioindustry Research Award, Japan Bioindustry Association (2021)
  • Award of The Society of Fiber Science and Technology, Japan (2021)
  • 2020 ACS Macro Letters/Biomacromolecules/Macromolecules Young Investigator Award, American Chemical Society (2020)
  • SPSJ Asahi Kasei Award 2019, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) (2019)
  • Award for Encouragement of Research, Japanese Society for Plant Cell and Molecular Biology, Japan (2019)
  • The BEPS Outstanding Young Scientist Award, BEPS 25th Anniversary Meeting, Bio-Environmental Polymer Society (BEPS), USA (2018)
  • The Young Scientists’ Prize, The Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (2018)
  • ChemComm Emerging Investigators, Royal Society of Chemistry (2017)
  • The most highly prolific authors for Biomacromolecules, American Chemical Society (2016)
  • Delegate as Future Leaders for 13th Annual Meeting of Science and Technology in Society forum (STS forum) (2016)
  • Young Scientist Presentation Award, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ), Biopolymer Division (2015)
  • Young Scientist Lectureship Award, The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ), Kansai Regional Chapter (2015)
  • SPSJ Award for the Outstanding Paper in Polymer Journal 2013 sponsored by ZEON; The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2014)
  • Award for Encouragement of Research in Polymer Science; The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2014)
  • RIKEN Research Incentive Award (2012)
  • Delegate for 59th Meeting of Nobel Laureates in Lindau dedicated to Chemistry (2009)

International Journal Activities

  • Editorial Board of Scientific Reports (February 2017-present), Springer-Nature Publishing Group
  • Associate Editor of Polymer Journal (May 2018-February 2020), Springer-Nature Publishing Group
  • Editorial Advisory Board of Biomacromolecules (January 2019-present), American Chemical Society
  • Associate Editor of ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering (April 2020-present), American Chemical Society
  • Editorial Advisory Board of ACS Polymers Au (March 2021-present), American Chemical Society
  • Advisory Board of RSC Applied Polymers (April 2024-present), Royal Society of Chemistry