Kenichiro Itami

Principal Investigator, Professor

Organic synthesis, catalysis, molecule activation, pharmaceuticals, organic materials
Itami will be one of the PIs in ITbM and thus will actively collaborate with all PIs, playing a key role in synthesizing molecules using our catalysts. His research group has developed a number of unique and highly efficient molecular catalysts for C-H coupling, an ideal approach to rapidly increase molecular complexity in organic synthesis. His synthesis-oriented catalyst development campaign has provided opportunities for markedly different connection/disconnection strategies in the construction of useful organic molecules, including pharmaceuticals, natural products, and new enzyme inhibitors.

Profile

1994B.S.; Kyoto University (Synthetic Chemistry)
1996M.S.; Kyoto University (Synthetic Chemistry & Biological Chemistry)
1998Dr. Eng.; Kyoto University (Synthetic Chemistry & Biological Chemistry)
1998-2005Assistant Professor; Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University
2005-2007Associate Professor; Research Center for Materials Science, Nagoya University
2005-2008 JST PRESTO Researcher
2008-presentProfessor; Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University
2013-presentDirector, Professor; WPI-ITbM, Nagoya University
2013-presentDirector; JST ERATO Itami Molecular Nanocarbons Project
2019-presentJoint Appointment Research Fellow, Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Selected Awards and Honors

2018 Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher
2018Netherlands Scholar Award for Supra-molecular Chemistry
2018Guthikonda Lectureship in Organic Chemistry 2018
2018Rowland Pettit Centennial Visiting Professorship
201735th Academic Award, Chemical Society of Japan
2017Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher
2017Chunichi Cultural Award, Chunichi Shimbun
201723rd Yomiuri Techno Forum Gold Medal Prize, Yomiuri Techno Forum
2016Nagase Prize, Frontier Salon Foundation
2016Ta-shue Chou Lectureship, Institute of Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
2015R. C. Fuson Visiting Professor, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
2015Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, American Chemical Society
2015Swiss Chemical Society Lectureship Award
2014Nankai University Lectureship Award
2014The Aldrich Lectureship Award
2014JSPS Prize, Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences
2013Novartis Chemistry Lectureship Award
2013Mukaiyama Award
2013Asian Rising Star Award, Asian Chemical Congress
2012Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK
2012German Innovation Award "GottFried Wagener Prize"
2012Novartis-MIT Lectureship Award, MIT, USA
2011Overseas Distinguished Professor, Wuhan University, China
2011ACP Lectureship Award, China
2011ACP Lectureship Award, Malaysia
2011Nozoe Memorial Award for Young Organic Chemists

Selected Publications