At the 96th annual meeting of the Japan Society of Animal Reproduction (JSAR), held in Obihiro, Hokkaido, JAPAN in September, the 2003 JSAR awards were presented to each winner.

2003 JSAR Awardees. From left, Missaka P.B. Wijayagunawardane, Yoshikazu Nagao, Mariko Tamura, Ryosuke Sakumoto, Atsushi Tohei, Eimei Sato (JSAR Chief Directer), Noritoshi Kawate, Keiichiro Tominaga, Shigenori Matsuzaki and Kazuhiro Kikuchi.

JSAR Outstanding Research Award

The JSAR Outstanding Research Award is given for outstanding basic and applied research in animal reproduction. The JSAR Award Committee has selected the following three members as a winner in 2003: Noritoshi Kawate for "Studies on the Regulation of Expression of Luteinizing Hormone Receptor in the Ovary and the Mechanism of Follicular Cyst Formation in Ruminants", Atsushi Tohei for "Studies on the Functional Relationship between Thyroid, Adrenal and Gonadal Hormones", and Kazuhiro Kikuchi for "Developmental Competence of Porcine Blastocysts Produced In Vitro".

Noritoshi Kawate Laboratory of Theriogenology, Graduate School of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, accepts the 2003 JSAR Outstanding Research Award.

Atsushi Tohei Laboratory Animal Research Center, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, accepts the 2003 JSAR Outstanding Research Award.

Kazuhiro Kikuchi Genetic Diversity Department, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, accepts the 2003 JSAR Outstanding Research Award.

JSAR Innovative Technology Award

The JSAR Innovative Technology Award is given for the research which contributed to a development of innovative technology in animal reproduction. The JSAR Award Committee has selected the following two members as a winner in 2003: Keiichiro Tominaga for "Cryopreservation and Sexing of In Vivo- and In Vitro-derived Bovine Embryos for Their Practical Use", and Shigenori Matsuzaki for "Clinical Approach of New Biotechnology in the Field of Bovine Embryo Transfer".

Keiichiro Tominaga Hyogo Prefectural Institute for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, accepts the 2003 JSAR Innovative Technology Award.

Shigenori Matsuzaki Genetics Hokkaido Assoc., accepts the 2003 JSAR Innovative Technology Award.

JSAR Young Investigator Award

The JSAR Young Investigator Award is given for outstanding research in animal reproduction which was performed by exceptionally promising young investigator who has not reached the age of 35 before April 1 of the year when the award is presented. The JSAR Award Committee has selected the following member as a winner in 2003: Ryosuke Sakumoto for "Studies on Tumor Necrosis Factor-a and its Receptor in Bovine Ovary".

Ryosuke Sakumoto Department of Physiology and Genetic Regulation, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, accepts the 2003 JSAR Young Investigator Award.

JSAR Outstanding Presentation Award

The JSAR Outstanding Presentation Award was newly established in 2003, and is given for outstanding presentation at the annual fall meeting of JSAR. Chair of the 96th annual meeting of JSAR selected the following three members as a winner in 2003: Mariko Tamura for "Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase PTPeM Induces Apoptosis in Porcine Ovarian Granulosa Cells", Missaka PB Wijayagunawardane for "Tumor Necrosis Factor-a System in the Bovine Oviduct: A Possible Mechanism for Embryo Transport", and Yoshikazu Nagao for "Generation of Chimeric Sheep with Monkey Hematopoiesis by the In Utero Transplantation of Embryonic Stem Cells"

Mariko Tamura >>> Gene Research Center, University of Tsukuba, accepts the 2003 JSAR Outstanding Presentation Award.

Missaka P. B. Wijayagunawardane >>> Department of Agricultural and Life Science, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, accepts the 2003 JSAR Outstanding Presentation Award.

Yoshikazu Nagao >>> Laboratory of Animal Production and Reproduction, Utsunomiya University, accepts the 2003 JSAR Outstanding Presentation Award.

Abstracts of the presentations selected for the 2003 JSAR Outstanding Presentation Award >>>