معرفی
Kentaro Shimizu is a Full Professor and Director of the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. He holds additional roles as Guest Professor at Yokohama City University and Visiting Professor at Kyoto University. His research focuses on molecular mechanisms of biodiversity, speciation via polyploidy, and evolutionary genomics of plants (Arabidopsis, wheat, tropical trees) and humans. He develops tools like HomeoRoq for polyploid RNA-seq analysis and GeLaTo for integrating genetic and linguistic data.
Education:
- Ph.D. in Biology, Kyoto University (1997–2002)
- B.S. in Biology, Kyoto University (1993–1997)
Research Interests: His work bridges evolutionary biology, ecology, and computational biology. Key areas include:
- Genomic basis of speciation and adaptation in polyploid plants
- Plant defense mechanisms against herbivores
- Language evolution correlations with genetic diversity
- Development of bioinformatics tools for genomic analysis
Awards:
- 2015 NISTEP Award for contributions to research
Grants & Leadership:
- Swiss representative of the Multinational Arabidopsis Steering Committee
- Director of the PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology (2016–present)
- Co-director of the University Research Priority Program 'Evolution in Action' (2021–2024)
Labs & Teams: His lab integrates fieldwork, genomics, and machine learning to study plant evolution. Collaborations span institutions globally, including projects on wheat resistance and tropical tree conservation.
