On February 7, 2026, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø held a ceremony for the winner of the Kenichiro Ishii Prize, an award that honors faculty and staff at ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø for outstanding accomplishments. This year, the prize was awarded to Designated Professor Yoshi?nobu Baba of the Institute of Quantum Chemistry Innovation, one of the Institutes of Innovation for Future Society. He was praised for his significant contributions to the advancement of cutting-edge medical care which he achieved by leading medicine-engineering and industry-academia collaborations.
Professor Baba was first in the world to propose the concept of ¡°nanobiodevices¡± which fuse nanotechnology and biotechnology, enabling ultra-fast analysis of biological molecules such as DNA. His big-data analysis of cancer- and dementia-related molecules in urine, conducted in collaboration with the medical school, allowed for very early diagnosis of cancer and dementia, and the rapid diagnosis of coronaviruses.
Baba is also involved in the real-world applications of his research; he serves as nanotechnology advisor for Craif, Inc., a venture company that developed a test kit¡ªMySignal?¡ªcapable of assessing the risk of 10 types of cancer from a urine sample.
He was also praised for his role in fostering the next generation of researchers. In the 2025 academic year, two graduates from his lab received the Masao Horiba Prize, which recognizes researchers active in the fields of analysis and measurement technologies.
At the award ceremony, Shigeki Kiyonaka, director of the Institute of Quantum Chemistry Innovation, delivered a congratulatory address. “One of Professor Baba’s great achievements is his involvement in training researchers across the entire field; his disciples are active throughout the country,” said Kiyonaka.
Professor Baba expressed his gratitude for all the support he has received, saying, “I owe the success of the medical-engineering collaboration to the cooperation of the medical school on the Tsurumai Campus where I was able to conduct research with excellent students and researchers. It is thanks to them that I received the award.”
At the lecture held after the ceremony, Professor Baba gave an overview of his research to date. A young researcher asked about the secret behind doing high-impact research. Baba offered encouraging advice: “It’s important for young people to debate among themselves. You should conduct your research freely, unhindered by what your professors say!”
The Kenichiro Ishii Award was established in 2022 from funds bequeathed to ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø by Kenichiro Ishii, an alumnus of Nagoya Commercial College (the predecessor of the School of Economics) and the second president of the Faculty of Economics alumni association, ¡°Kitan-kai.¡± He was also the 8th President & CEO of Daido Steel Co., Ltd.
Originally published in Japanese on February 10, 2026.
