Catherine Alix-Panabières, Professor of Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montpellier, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Honored and delighted to have been invited to serve on the Screening Committee for the 2025 Masao Horiba Awards — an inspiring experience in Kyoto, Japan, celebrating innovation at the crossroads of science, technology, and healthcare.
It was a privilege to serve under the chairmanship of Prof. Makoto Suematsu, alongside an outstanding panel of judges:
Alan Ryder (University of Galway), Yutaka Yatomi (Dean, International University of Health and Welfare), Misako Hammamura (Japan Alexion Pharmaceuticals), Kazunori Yoshioka (Deputy General Manager, HORIBA), Akinori Yokogawa (Department Manager, HORIBA), and myself (University of Montpellier and CHU de Montpellier).
This year’s awardees truly embodied the spirit of scientific excellence:
- Dr. Kaji Noritada – for the Development of non-labeled, non-destructive single stem cell analysis technology for cell therapy
- Dr. Ryo Nishihara – for the Development of a protein analysis technique using latent luciferase activity
- Dr. Takao Yasui – for Innovation in Liquid Biopsy with Nanowires and its clinical translation to Next-Generation Healthcare.
I was particularly thrilled to see, on the 17th October 2025, two of the awards highlighting the transformative potential of Liquid Biopsy in cancer care — a powerful reminder of how essential this field remains for advancing personalized and precision medicine.
Beyond the ceremony, it was a great honor to meet and exchange with the visionary leadership of HORIBA, including Atsushi Horiba (Chairman and Group CEO), Juichi Saito, Masayuki Adachi, Hiroshi Nakamura, Fumihiko Matsuda, Jun Nishimura, Seiichiro Yoshioka, Kazunori Yoshioka, Tomoyuki Murata, and Motoaki Hamada as well as with the President of the Kyoto University, Nagahiro Minato.
Finally, I’m excited to announce the beginning of a new collaboration with HORIBA France ABX in Montpellier, together with Michael Bruckner (Marketing and Business Development Director), Damien Isèbe (Research and Innovation Manager), and Martine Clot (Responsable Innovation & Partenariats).
This partnership represents a fantastic synergy between HORIBA France ABX, the Liquid Biopsy LCCRH Lab – Laboratoire Cellules Circulantes Rares Humaines at the CHU de Montpellier, and the University of Montpellier — a step forward in strengthening innovation in healthcare diagnostics and research.
Kyoto, science , and collaboration — an unforgettable combination!”
More posts featuring Catherine Alix-Panabières.