Yoshinori Ohsumi

Yoshinori Ohsumi is a scientist I hold in deep respect. He took autophagy, the unglamorous process by which cells recycle their own components, and turned a neglected corner of biology into world-changing knowledge through patient work with humble yeast. His 2016 Nobel Prize is only part of the story; the Gairdner, Kyoto, and Breakthrough awards underline how foundational his work became. What I admire most is his stubborn refusal to chase trends, pursuing a question he found fascinating for decades. From a Fukuoka high school to the frontier of human understanding, his career is a quiet argument that substance, not spectacle, ultimately endures.

Name (English)

Yoshinori Ohsumi

Name (Japanese)

大隅良典

Reading

おおすみ よしのり

Born

February 9, 1945 (age 81)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Aquarius / Rooster

Origin

Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan

Occupation

biologist

High school

Fukuoka Prefectural Fukuoka High School

University

University of Tokyo

Awards & achievements

• 2015 Canada Gairdner International Award
• 2015 International Prize for Biology
• 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
• 2015 Person of Cultural Merit
• 2015 Rosenstiel Award
• 2015 Keio Medical Science Prize
• 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
• 2012 Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences

• Official sitehttp://www.ohsumilab.aro.iri.titech.ac.jp/english.html
• Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshinori%20Ohsumi
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A4%A7%E9%9A%85%E8%89%AF%E5%85%B8
• Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8056214

Tags

• Fukuoka Prefecture
• biologist

Last updated

2026-06-21

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.