Akon HiguchiProf. Higuchi is a distinguished Professor in National Central University, a guest researcher in RIKEN (Japan) and National Research Center for Child Health and Development (Tokyo), and a visiting professor in King Saud University (Saudi Arabia) and enzhou Medical University (China). He received his Ph.D. in Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1985. He was a Professor in Seikei University (Tokyo) from 1993 to 2007. He received Sofue Memorial Award from Society of Fiber Science, Japan in 1994, Seikei Academic Award from Seikei Alumni Association in 2003, and Nanotechnology Outstanding Contribution Award, National Science Council, Taiwan in 2013, Future Tech Breakthrough Award in 2019, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan. He also received Outstanding Scientific Award, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society, Asia Pacific region (TERMIS-AP) in 2021. He is a fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC, England), a fellow of Taiwan Chemical Engineering Society, and a fellow of American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering (AIMBE, USA). He is interested in the development of materials for stem cell culture and differentiation. He established purification method of hematopoietic stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells from umbilical cord blood and adipose tissue, respectively by filtration method through polymeric porous membranes. He is also developing biomaterials for stem cell culture and differentiation. He emphasized the important function of cell culture biomaterials, which guide differentiation fate of human pluripotent stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells into specific lineage of the cells. He developed ECM-derived peptide-immobilized hydrogels having adjustable elasticity for culture and differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells. He is now developing universal (hypoimmunogenic) human pluripotent stem cells on specific ECM-coated surface. He is an advisory board of Journal of Materials Chemistry B (RSC), an Editor of Open Physics, Editorial Board of Laboratory Investigation, Editorial Board of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and Associate Editor of IET Nanobiotechnology. Read More Read Less