Shigekazu Nagata is a world-renowned molecular biologist celebrated for his transformative contributions to understanding programmed cell death mechanisms. Currently serving as Distinguished Professor and Specially Appointed Professor at the WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center at Osaka University, he has held prestigious academic positions at Kyoto University and the University of Tokyo throughout his distinguished career. Dr. Nagata received his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Tokyo in 1977 following undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Science at the same institution. His early postdoctoral work at the University of Zürich laid the foundation for his groundbreaking research on apoptosis, which would later revolutionize the field of immunology and cell biology.
Dr. Nagata's seminal research on the Fas death factor and its receptor has fundamentally elucidated the signal transduction pathways and physiological roles of apoptosis, with his 1993 work on human Fas antigen becoming a cornerstone of modern cell death studies. His laboratory made the pivotal discovery identifying Tim4 as a critical phosphatidylserine receptor and identifying factors that link apoptotic cells to phagocytes, work that has been cited thousands of times and reshaped understanding of immune tolerance mechanisms. These discoveries have profound implications for understanding autoimmune diseases, as demonstrated by his team's research showing impaired uptake of apoptotic cells in MFG-E8-deficient mice leading to autoimmune conditions. His comprehensive studies on apoptotic DNA fragmentation have provided essential tools for researchers worldwide investigating programmed cell death in development, homeostasis, and disease pathogenesis.
Beyond his laboratory achievements, Dr. Nagata has exerted significant leadership influence as President of the Human Frontier Science Program Organization since 2018 and former President of both the Japanese Biochemical Society and Japanese Society of Molecular Biology. His editorial service for prestigious journals including Cancer Cell and Immunity has helped shape the direction of biomedical research globally. With an impressive academic record featuring over 122000 citations and an H-index of 148, his work continues to inspire new generations of researchers investigating cell death mechanisms. Dr. Nagata's ongoing research at Osaka University's Immunology Frontier Research Center focuses on advancing the understanding of phagocytosis and immune regulation, maintaining his position at the cutting edge of immunological research with implications for therapeutic interventions in autoimmune disorders and cancer.
