Japanese winner of U.S. Lasker Award

TSUKUBA, Japan, Sept. 11 Kyodo - Japanese sleep scientist Masashi Yanagisawa, a professor at the University of Tsukuba, attends a press conference at the university in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 10, 2026, after receiving the Lasker Award for basic medical research for identifying orexin and linking its deficiency to narcolepsy. (Kyodo)

Japanese winners of U.S. Lasker Award

Japanese winners of U.S. Lasker Award

Composite photo shows Japanese Lasker Award winners (from L) Takehisa Kitazawa, Kunihiro Hattori and Tomoyuki Igawa of Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., and Masashi Yanagisawa, a professor at the University of Tsukuba. The Chugai researchers received the clinical medical research award for developing a hemophilia treatment, while Yanagisawa won the basic medical research award for identifying orexin and linking its deficiency to narcolepsy.

Japanese winner of U.S. Lasker Award

Japanese winner of U.S. Lasker Award

Japanese sleep scientist Masashi Yanagisawa, a professor at the University of Tsukuba, attends a press conference at the university in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 10, 2026, after receiving the Lasker Award for basic medical research for identifying orexin and linking its deficiency to narcolepsy.

Japanese winner of U.S. Lasker Award

Japanese winner of U.S. Lasker Award

Japanese sleep scientist Masashi Yanagisawa, a professor at the University of Tsukuba, gives a lecture on his research at the university in Tsukuba in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 10, 2026, after receiving the Lasker Award for basic medical research for identifying orexin and linking orexin deficiency to narcolepsy.

Japanese winner of U.S. Lasker Award

Japanese winner of U.S. Lasker Award

Japanese sleep scientist Masashi Yanagisawa, a professor at the University of Tsukuba, attends a press conference at the university in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Sept. 10, 2026, after receiving the Lasker Award for basic medical research for identifying orexin and linking its deficiency to narcolepsy.