(Summary of Kazunari K. Yokoyama’s Research History; 1994 to 2026)
Kazushige K. Yokoyama’s career demonstrates a unique trajectory of scientific leadership, beginning with foundational Japanese reviews in the 1980s and 1990s that introduced concepts of membrane protein biology, MHC genetics, and antisense RNA as a tool for gene regulation. These early syntheses not only educated a generation of researchers in Japan but also anticipated global advances in gene therapy and molecular medicine. His subsequent reviews on antisense nucleic acids, transcriptional regulation, and stem cell biology expanded into international collaborations, bridging Japanese scholarship with global discourse. This sustained output—over 300 publications, >11,760 citations, and an h-index above 60—has been recognized by Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list (top 0.1% worldwide) in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, and Stanford’s Top 2% Scientists list.
˙ Clarivate HCR: Your h-index (>60) and >11,760 citations place you in the range of HCR-listed molecular biologists. This list emphasizes elite individual recognition—you are very likely competitive here.
˙ Stanford Top 2% Scientists: With >300 publications and strong citation metrics, you would almost certainly qualify. This list is broader (2% vs. 0.1%) and provides a quantitative benchmark across disciplines.
˙ Nature Index: Recognition here depends on your institution’s output in selected journals. Your collaborations across Japan, USA, France, Taiwan, and China increase institutional visibility, but the ranking is not individual-focused.
He was given the honorary professor in China Medical University in Shenyang, China (1995) and Fudan University in China (1997). Yokoyama’s extensive international collaborations across Japan, USA, France, Germany, Israel, Taiwan, and China have also contributed to institutional visibility in Nature Index–tracked journals, underscoring the global reach of his work. Beyond his scientific output, he has played leadership roles in DNA banking, gene engineering, and the Human Genome Project, advancing both conceptual frameworks and translational relevance. His current focus integrates cancer stem cell biology, oxidative stress, and redox regulation, aiming to bridge mechanistic insight with therapeutic innovation. Together, his Japanese reviews and international publications illustrate a career that has consistently shaped both national and global research directions, establishing him as a thought leader whose work continues to influence cancer biology, environmental biology, and translational medicine.

Dr. Yokoyama is an internationally distinguished molecular biologist whose career spans more than five decades of groundbreaking research. Born in Hokkaido, Japan, in 1951, he has dedicated his scientific life to advancing global understanding of transcriptional regulation, chromatin biology, oxidative stress signaling, stem cell reprogramming, and cancer development.
Dr. Yokoyama completed his B.A. at Shizuoka University (1973), followed by an M.S. (1976) and a Ph.D. (1979) from the University of Tokyo, Department of Science, Division of Biophysical and Biochemical Chemistry. His doctoral and early research training under Professors Kazutomo Imahori and Toshiaki Osawa laid the foundation for a lifetime of innovation across molecular biology, immunology, and genetics.
After earning his doctorate, Dr. Yokoyama conducted postdoctoral research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1979–1983) under Dr. Stanley Nathenson, where he made significant contributions to the molecular structure of MHC class I genes and immune regulation. He was also instructed by Dr. Lloyd J. Old in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Research Center in New York, to teach the Thymus Leukemia (TL) antigen for cancer therapy. Then, he continued his advanced research at the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope (1983–1985; Professor Keiichi Itakura) and later at RIKEN's Tsukuba Life Science Center (1985–2000), where he ultimately served as Head of the DNA Bank and then Head of the Gene Engineering Division within the BioResource Center (2001–2009). He was selected as the international exchange-scholar between RIKEN (Japan) and Pasteur Institute (France) (1991). He was so happy to be taught by several scientists of Nobel prize laureates directly: Professors Susumu Tonegawa, Tasuku Honjo, Yoshinori Ohsumi, Shinya Yamanaka, and Shimon Sakaguchi. S. Tonegawa and T. Honjo are my teachers and collaborators, Y. Ohsumi is my senior in the same laboratory, S. Yamanaka is my fellow in the same research group and S. Sakaguchi is my neighbor in my laboratory in RIKEN. Indeed, he was so happy to contact them during my research life. His career includes prestigious international collaborations, including an exchange research position at the Pasteur Institute in France and visiting professorships or lectureships at numerous universities and institutes in Japan, China, and the United States. These include the University of Tokyo, Hiroshima University, Kagoshima University, Tokushima University, the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (SIBCB, CAS), Fudan University, the Second Military Medical University, China Medical University, and the University of Tennessee Medical School.
In 2009, Dr. Yokoyama joined Kaohsiung Medical University (KMU) in Taiwan, where he served as Professor in the Cancer Center, Environmental Medicine, Stem Cell Center, and Infectious Diseases and Cancer Center. Since 2021, he has been a Medical Researcher and Professor at the Cell Therapy and Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, and a Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute of Medicine at KMU.
Dr. Yokoyama has authored more than 300 scientific papers in English and over 60 publications in Japanese. His work appears in top-tier journals including Nature, Science, Nature Genetics, Molecular Cell, Genes & Development, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, EMBO Journal, Immunity, and PNAS. These publications helped establish him as a global authority in transcriptional regulation, AP-1/JDP2 biology, virotherapy, cancer stem cell regulation, oxidative stress, and organoid-based cancer modeling.
Over the course of his career, he has received numerous honors from institutions including China Medical University, Fudan University, the Secondary Military Medical University, and the Shanghai Biotechnology Association. Dr. Yokoyama is a member of major scientific societies, including the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Society for Microbiology, the New York Academy of Sciences, and the International Society for Stem Cell Research. He also serves as an editor or associate editor for several respected journals, including Stem Cell Research and Therapy, Cancers, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, and eBioMedicine.
Dr. Yokoyama has an extensive record of scientific service, acting as a reviewer for national and international grant agencies, including the Human Frontier Science Program, the European Commission, and multiple scientific ministries across Japan, Israel, Italy, Australia, and the United States.
His primary research contributions span several major fields:
1. Molecular biology of the AP-1 repressor JDP2 in oxidative stress and antioxidant defense
2. Stem cell biology, drug development, and reprogramming technology3.
3. Cancer stem cell biology, especially in liver and gastric cancers
4. Virotherapy and gene therapy using engineered viruses5.
5. Organoid-based cancer modeling using iPSCs
Dr. Yokoyama’s most cited projects are follows.
Most cited works:
˙ Studies on AP-1 transcription factors and JDP2 biology.
˙ Contributions to chromatin remodeling and transcriptional repression.
˙ Antisense RNA/DNA drugs as the therapeutic application

Across his long and distinguished career, Dr. Kazunari K. Yokoyama has remained committed to exploring the fundamental molecular mechanisms that govern cellular identity, defense, reprogramming, and oncogenesis. His pioneering contributions continue to influence modern biomedical research and inspire new generations of scientists around the world.