Professor AKIRA, Director of Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), awarded Gairdner Foundation International Award

AKIRA Shizuo , Professor and Director of Osaka University's Immunology Frontier Research Center ( IFReC ), was awarded the Gairdner Foundation International Award for 2011. Professor Akira shared this year's award with four other researchers from other world-leading universities. The award was presented at a ceremony in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday, October 27.

The Gairdner Foundation International Award is given for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Similar to the Lasker Award, which is also given for major contributions to medical science, many winners of the Gairdner Foundation International Award go on to become recipients of a Nobel Prize.

Congratulations, Dr. Akira!

Dr. Akira gives a speech after receiving his award.

L to R : Foundation President Dr. Dirks , Foundation Board Chair Dr. Tyrrell , Dr. Akira , Ambassador Ishikawa