We held the 2018 Kochi University Research Recognition Awards Ceremony (Research Achievement Award, Outstanding Young Faculty Research Award, and Graduate Student Research Encouragement Award).
Release Date:
The Research Recognition Program aims to stimulate the research motivation of distinguished researchers, early-career faculty members, and graduate students by having the President commend individuals who have conducted outstanding research, thereby revitalizing and further advancing research at our university.
In fiscal year 2018, one recipient received the Distinguished Researcher Award, two received the Early-Career Faculty Research Excellence Award, and one received the Graduate Student Research Encouragement Award, all in recognition of their potential for future achievements.
■ Award Ceremony Date and Time: Wednesday, July 24, 2019, 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, August 1, 2019, 1:50 p.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Location: President’s Office
■ Award Recipients and Reasons for the Awards
≪Research Achievement Award≫
Shogo Shimizu (Assistant Professor, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine)
Assistant Professor Shimizu specializes in the pharmacology of urination and has conducted research aimed at elucidating the pathophysiology of urinary disorders and establishing a foundation for the development of new therapeutic agents.As a result of this research, his papers have been published in world-leading journals such as the British Journal of Pharmacology, Neurourology and Urodynamics, and Scientific Reports. As of September 2018, he has published 15 papers as first or corresponding author and 31 papers as a co-author in international journals.
Furthermore, he presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Urinary Function (September 28, 2018), a national-level conference in the field of urination, and received the Japanese Society of Urinary Function Award. He also received an Honorable Mention (Special Award) in the Diokno Lapides Essay Contest 2018.On May 19, 2018, I delivered an award lecture and received recognition at the American Urological Association (AUA) Annual Meeting held in San Francisco, USA. Additionally, for a presentation at ICS (International Continence Society) 2016 held in Tokyo from December 6–8, 2016, I was selected for the 2016 Kawanabe Award from the Japanese Society of Urinary Function.
≪Outstanding Young Faculty Research Award≫
Shin Nakamine (Lecturer, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)
With “interpersonal relationships” as his key research theme, Lecturer Nakamine has conducted social psychological research on topics such as the initiation of romantic relationships and the impact of interpersonal relationships on mental health.
Over the past three years, he has published 13 papers, one of which received the Japan Society of Applied Psychology Award (Encouragement Prize). In addition, he received the Outstanding Presentation Award at the annual conferences of the Japan Society of Applied Psychology (2015) and the Japanese Psychological Association (2016 and 2017).
Koichi Nozumi (Lecturer, Department of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)
Lecturer Nozumi specializes in Japanese painting and has created, submitted, and exhibited numerous works to date.This year, he received the Excellence Award at the 8th Maeda Seison Memorial Grand Prize Exhibition for Japanese Painting, and over the past three years, he has been selected for national-level open exhibitions and competitions six times.
In addition, including achievements from three Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research projects (as principal investigator), he has produced a significant body of work over the past three years, including one book, 11 academic papers, and five conference presentations.
≪Graduate Student Research Encouragement Award≫
Zou Suo (2nd-year Master’s student, Department of Medical Science, Graduate School of Integrated Human and Natural Sciences)
Mr. Zou is conducting his thesis research on the theme of “Elucidation of the physiological functions of the gaseous signaling molecule hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) in lower urinary tract tissues (bladder and prostate).” He compiled his findings into a paper, which was accepted as an original article in *Neurourology and Urodynamics* (Impact Factor: 3.263), the official journal of the International Society of Urology, with Mr. Zou serving as the first author.Furthermore, he has already presented these research findings as the lead presenter at an international conference (the 18th International Congress of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology). His active research activities have been highly evaluated, and he is expected to continue his proactive research efforts in the future.
