Kenichiro Itami (Director of ITbM)
I would like to express my deepest sympathies on the news of the death of Prof. Daisuke Uemura. I have always had huge admiration and respect for Prof. Uemura, and his passing leaves a huge loss that I am yet to entirely accept. Prof. Uemura was a true genius in natural product chemistry, a visionary leader who built the foundation of today’s organic chemistry community in Nagoya, and an inspiring and lovable mentor who forever impacted the way we do science and research.
Prof. Uemura was my father in chemistry, and a benefactor who changed my life. Since I first met him 18 years ago, my goal has been to emulate his life and achievements. Prof. Uemura was absolutely unique, and neither Nagoya University Itami Lab nor ITbM would exist without his advice and mentorship. My opportunity to come to Nagoya University arose from an unforgettable phone call from Prof. Uemura in the fall of 2004, and my appointment in 2008 as his successor as a Professor of the Organic Chemistry Laboratory in Nagoya University would not have been possible without his guidance. Through his remarkable research on natural product chemistry, Prof. Uemura showed us that an exciting world is spreading at the interface between chemistry and biology. Our admiration for this idea, and for Prof. Uemura himself, was exactly our motivation to establish ITbM in 2012.
Prof. Uemura initiated the Yoshimasa Hirata Memorial Lecture (now the Hirata Award) and served as the event’s lifetime chairman, and he kindly included me as a member of its executive/selection committee. Each year, we invite the award winners – some of the world's top young organic chemists – to Nagoya, and we have always had a wonderful time. Over the years, I witnessed all the award winners became big fans of Prof. Uemura, and the spread of “Uemura-ism” across the globe.
Prof. Uemura always protected and encouraged me. He instructed me to always aim high in research, saying, "Don't be small. Make your way in the world." He was also a remarkable empath, sensing when I was in difficult situations even from afar. His advice and encouragement on such occasions was both generous and wise. I was so happy that I cried.
Prof. Uemura was not only a man of surprisingly sharp intuition, insight, and exceptionally high caliber, but he was also full of joy, positivity, and extraordinary humanity. He lived an irreplaceable and tremendous life. As a researcher, teacher, and human being, Prof. Uemura is who I will always look up to.
Prof. Uemura’s memory and legacy will live on at ITbM, Nagoya University, and in the scientific community world widely.
May his soul rest in peace.
Shigehiro Yamaguchi (Vice-Director of ITbM)
The passing of Professor Daisuke Uemura fills me with sadness. Over my 19 years at Nagoya University, Prof. Uemura taught me so much. When I joined Nagoya University, I was immediately fascinated by his enthusiastic and warm character, and deeply impressed by his dynamic research with lots of dream. Prof. Uemura attracted many young scientists and his lab was full of life to pursue his outstanding and fantastic natural products chemistry. Prof. Uemura always said ‘I still have many things that I want to do, I’ll never stop’, even after his retirement of Nagoya University. I deeply admire such his desire as a true scientist. Prof. Uemura also left us a fabulous gift, which is the Hirata Memorial Lectureship (now the Hirata Award), currently our important activity to increase the visibility of Nagoya University. Every year, after the lecture was complete, we went together to the same hotel bar and enjoyed chatting with daiquiris while surrounding Prof. Uemura and the award winner. It was indeed fond memories for us that his energetic conversation made everyone in the room heartsome. I am immensely thankful to Prof. Uemura's strong leadership to lead our organic chemistry at Nagoya University. May he rest in peace.
Takashi Ooi (ITbM)
On the passing of Professor Daisuke Uemura
Professor Uemura left us so suddenly, and it is impossible to comprehend that he is truly gone. His absence leaves me with a sense of disbelief.
Although I had known of Professor Uemura’s unparalleled work in natural products chemistry since I was a graduate student, I first had the chance to meet him when I became a full professor at Nagoya University in 2006. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have been touched by his character as I watched him organize events such as the Hirata Award, and give his time to the graduate student education program. The foundation of ITbM gave me the opportunity to spend time with him regularly, an opportunity which I felt blessed to receive. The smooth transition to a new generation of organic chemistry at Nagoya University, which has broken free of many of its departmental divisions and has a new, central sense of direction, is the fruit of Professor Uemura’s labor. I was never Professor Uemura’s student, but even as a member of faculty, to be guided and educated by the man who built the legend of Nagoya University’s organic chemistry excellence was a strong formative experience.
I can’t remember an occasion of our meeting upon which Professor Uemura didn’t have a smile and an encouraging word to offer. When we got onto the subject of scientific research, he always had an opinion to give, a prediction for the future, and the encouragement that I needed. The stern kindness at the heart of those messages, his clear affection for those around him and his unique sense of humor were the essential parts of his character which struck a deep chord with me. For those of us lucky enough to have worked with him, his presence was so great and entirely irreplaceable.
Professor Uemura’s incomparable contribution to education, his own research, and the memories he created for all of us live on right here. I and everyone else touched by his work are proud to carry on and pass on the torch that is his legacy.
May he rest in peace.
Cathleen M. Crudden (ITbM; Queen’s University, Canada; The Hirata Award Committee)
It was with great sadness that I learned of Professor Uemura’s untimely death. He was without a doubt a visionary in the area of natural products chemistry. His work with palytoxin stands out as a remarkable example of structure determination in hugely complex molecules. This is an example that I have used in my organic classes for years. However, what I will remember about him most is his joyful and inclusive attitudes. He was always happy to spend time with students and young faculty and was rarely without a smile. His outgoing and jovial demeanour along with his rapier sharp intellect made him a truly unique person and a true joy to be around. He will be sadly missed.
Jeffrey W. Bode (ITbM; ETH-Zürich, Switzerland; The 6th Yoshimasa Hirata Memorial Lecture, 2009; The Hirata Award Committee)
I first met Uemura-sensei in the early 2000s, when I was a postdoc at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Previously, I had known him only by name – as part of the fearless team from Nagoya University who had elucidated the planar structure of palytoxin, a feat that to this days stands as one of the greatest achievements of organic and analytical chemistry. Later on, in January 2010 I had the honour to be hosted by Prof. Uemura for the Hirata Memorial Award, one of the best experiences of my professional life. It was a snowy day in January, but Uemura-sensei was not going to let that bother him. With an also lively Nakanishi-sensei in tow, we crossed the town for restaurant, to bar, to nicer bar in an evening filled with science and laughter. Upon joining ITbM a few years later, I enjoyed many chances to interact with him again, especially through intense debates selecting the next Hirata awardees. Nagoya will not be the same without him, but I am blessed by the chance to spend many memorable days (and nights) together.
Condolence messages from ITbM
