Kenso SoaiKenso Soai obtained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Tokyo with Teruaki Mukaiyama. He was a research associate with Ernest. L. Eliel at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He joined the faculty of Tokyo University of Science in 191. He has been a Full Professor since 1991. His research interests include asymmetric autocatalysis, origin of homochirality, asymmetric catalysis. The first asymmetric autocatalysis of pyridyl alkanol was found in his group in 1990. Asymmetric autocatalysis of pyrimidyl alkanol with amplification of ee was reported in 1995. Since 2003, the reaction has been called as the Soai reaction. Among his awards include Molecular Chirality Award 2002, Merit of Science and Technology 2002 of Tokyo Metropolitan, Synthetic Organic Chemistry Award 2003, Chirality Medal 2005, Science and Technology Prize by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 2007, The Chemical Society of Japan Award for 2010, Medal with Purple Ribbon 2012 by the Emperor of Japan, and Toray Science and Technology Award 2017. Read More Read Less