The 36th Grant Research Achievement Presentation and the 26th Kawano Pediatric Medical Award Ceremony Held ~Creating the Future of Pediatric Medicine Through Research Presentations and Exchange~

The Kawano Pediatric Medical Scholarship Foundation (Location: Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture; Chairman: Yukio Kawano / Representative Director and Chairman of Blue Zone Holdings Co., Ltd. and Yaoko Co., Ltd.), a public interest incorporated foundation that provides research grants to pediatric medical researchers and scholarships to medical students aspiring to pediatric medicine for the advancement of pediatric medicine, healthcare, and public health, held its 36th Grant Research Achievement Presentation and 26th Kawano Pediatric Medical Award Ceremony and Commemorative Lectures on March 7, 2026.

This event is held annually in March with the aim of honoring the achievements of researchers and creating opportunities to foster connections among researchers and generate ideas useful for future research. On the day of the event, approximately 90 people participated, including recipients of the Kawano Pediatric Medical Award, grantees of the general research grant category, scholarship students of the Foundation, as well as past research grant recipients, Kawano Award winners, and alumni scholarship students.

In fiscal year 2025, research grants were awarded to 56 individuals, and the Kawano Pediatric Medical Award was presented to 3 individuals. The total amount of research grants and Kawano Award prize money was approximately 87.56 million yen.

■ Ceremony Overview

Date and Time: Saturday, March 7, 2026, 12:15 PM - 8:00 PM

Venue: Imperial Hotel Tokyo

Program: The 36th Grant Research Achievement Presentation

　The 26th Kawano Pediatric Medical Award Ceremony and Commemorative Lectures

　Networking Event

Attendees: Recipients of general research grants, Kawano Pediatric Medical Award winners, past grantees, Foundation scholarship students, related parties, etc.

■ Greeting from Yukio Kawano, Chairman of the Kawano Pediatric Medical Scholarship Foundation (Excerpt)

To address the diverse challenges surrounding children, I believe it is essential for researchers and medical professionals like those presenting today to fully demonstrate their abilities and connect scientific knowledge with practical initiatives. Today, people with various backgrounds and different research fields have gathered, but I believe you all share a common aspiration: "for the healthy growth of children." I hope that each research not only provides new insights but also fosters new collaborations through exchange, creating an opportunity to generate social impact beyond the scope of individual research.

■ The 36th Grant Research Achievement Presentation

31 individuals (see reference materials) from the fiscal year 2025 general research grant recipients presented on the objectives, significance, and results of their respective research. During the Q&A session after the presentations, active discussions took place among the researchers.

＜About Research Grants＞　https://kawanozaidan.or.jp/research_support/

The Foundation has been providing grants to pediatric medical researchers since 1990 to support the development of research related to the elucidation of causes, treatment, and prevention of pediatric diseases. In 2007, a youth category was established for researchers under 40 years old to encourage the activities of young researchers. From fiscal year 2026, to provide even greater support, the grant amounts will be increased, with a maximum of 4 million yen per project for the general category and 1.5 million yen per project for the youth category. Recipients of the general category grants are required to orally present their research achievements every March.

While the advancement of research is extremely important, many researchers suffer from a lack of research funds, and the number of applicants for these research grants continues to increase. In the "【2nd】Survey of 400 Doctors and Researchers" disseminated by the Foundation on February 24, when asked about challenges in Japanese medical research, "insufficient research funds" was the most common answer at 63.3%, followed by "insufficient allocation of funds for long-term and basic research" at 50.8%. Both of the top two challenges were related to funding, with more than half of respondents indicating these issues.

Under these circumstances, from the start of the program until fiscal year 2025, the cumulative number of recipients has exceeded 820, and the total amount of grants has surpassed 1.2 billion yen. The Foundation will continue to be a presence that supports the continuous development of pediatric medical research.

■ The 26th Kawano Pediatric Medical Award Ceremony

Three pediatric medical researchers received the 2025 Kawano Pediatric Medical Award, and were presented with a trophy, certificate, and prize money of 1 million yen. Following the presentation, each awardee gave a commemorative lecture on their research achievements and future directions in three fields: basic medicine, clinical medicine, and social medicine.

＜About the Kawano Pediatric Medical Award＞　https://kawanozaidan.or.jp/prize/

This award was established in 1999 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Foundation. It annually recognizes pediatric medical researchers who have achieved outstanding results and contributed to the advancement of academia. Initially, selections were made from two fields: basic medicine and clinical/social medicine, but since 2019, selections have been made in three fields: basic medicine, clinical medicine, and social medicine. Awardees receive a trophy, certificate, and prize money of 1 million yen.

For the advancement of pediatric medicine, it is crucial to produce many individuals who will lead the future of the pediatric medical community. While many awards honor past achievements, the selection for this award also places importance on future breakthroughs, targeting researchers under 55 years old who are expected to continue contributing to pediatric medicine after receiving the award. By fiscal year 2025, the number of awardees reached 60, and all past recipients are now leaders in Japan's pediatric medical community.

＜Comments from Kawano Pediatric Medical Award Recipients＞

● Basic Medicine Field

Professor Katsuhiko Tabuchi, Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shinshu University

"Establishment of the Synaptic Cause Theory of Autism"

● Clinical Medicine Field

Associate Professor Hidekazu Ishida, Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University

"Research on Elucidating the Pathophysiology of Childhood-Onset Cardiomyopathy and Stratifying Clinical Prognostic Risk"

● Social Medicine Field

Professor Takeo Fujiwara, Department of Public Health, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University

"Adverse Childhood Experiences and Health: Life-Course Epidemiology Research"

*The affiliations and positions of the awardees are as of March 7.

■ Networking Event

A networking event was held, bringing together the three recipients of the Kawano Pediatric Medical Award, 31 presenters of grant research achievements, as well as scholarship students of the Foundation and general participants. Discussions were held based on the award lectures and research presentations, and researchers with common research fields interacted. A session was also provided for scholarship students to introduce themselves, where they spoke about what inspired them to become doctors and their impressions of participating in the research achievement presentation. Additionally, there were instances where scholarship students asked questions to the researchers.

■ Participant Comments (Excerpt)