ARCS Foundation Honolulu Chapter has named John A. Burns School of Medicine Professor Richard Yanagihara its 2017 ARCS Scientist of the Year. The Scientist of the Year award recognizes a University of Hawaiʻi researcher whose advancement of knowledge in a STEM field and mentorship of new scientists mirrors the ARCS Foundation mission of advancing science in America.
Yanagihara, an expert in emerging diseases, will discuss Hantaviruses: A Personal Journey of Discovery and New Beginnings at a free pauhana talk beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 14 in the Agricultural Sciences Building on the UH Mānoa campus.
Hantaviruses are a relatively newly discovered genre spread by rodents with sometimes fatal consequences to humans. Yanagihara, a professor in the Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology and director of UH’s Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Research, is considered to be one of the top hantavirus researchers in the world. He studies the appearance of diseases such as Ebola, measles, hepatitis C and HIV among populations isolated by viertue of genetics, culture and/or geography.
The talk is co-sponsored by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. It is free and open to the public, but reservations are requested to ensure adequate seating. Email arcshonolulu@gmail.com.
More about the ARCS Foundation
ARCS Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to advance science in America through support of outstanding graduate students in STEM fields. The Honolulu Chapter has awarded more than $2 million to UH Mānoa doctoral candidates since 1974.
