Kazuo Tanishita

Kazuo Tanishita was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1946. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1969 from Keio University, his MS in Production Mechanical Engineering in 1971 from Tokyo Institute of Technology and his PhD in Engineering in1975 from Brown University. He also received his Dr. Eng. In 1986 from Tokyo Institute of Technology. From 1976 to 1981 he was a research associate in Tokyo Women’s Medical College and was an assistant professor in Keio University from 1981 to 1984. From 1984 to 1992 he was an associate professor in Keio University and was a professor from 1992 to 2012 in Keio University. He is currently a professor emeritus of Keio University and a professor of Waseda University, in the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. He is also a visiting professor of school of medicine in Tokai University and a visiting researcher of National Institute of Science and Technology Policy.

His research has focused on the Biofluid mechanics of respiratory and circulatory system and cellular mechanics applied to tissue engineering. He has been studying the arterial flow in the cerebral aneurysm and proposed the hemodynamic hypothesis for the development and rupture of cerebral aneurysm. To verify this hypothesis, he performed animal experiments of induced cerebral aneurysm and found out the interesting correlation between the hemodynamics and expression of enzymes associating with the vessel wall destruction. He also has been devoting the study of vessel network formation by effective use of mechanical stimulus, which is one of the important subjects in tissue engineering. He found out the interesting process of vessel network formation with the application of shear stress stimulus and concentration gradient of growth factor. He concluded that the development of tissue engineering needs mechanical factors to achieve the reconstructed tissue.

He has been contributing to both education and development of biomechanical engineering through lectures and his work with students, and by serving as the vice president of Japan Society for Mechanical Engineers (JSME) and congress committee member of IUTAM. He was also a president of Japanese Society of Biorheology and an editor in chief of Journal of Biorheology. He is or was a trustee of several professional societies, including Japan Society of Computer Aided Surgery, Japan Federation of Engineering Societies.

He received the awards due to significant contribution to the field of biomechanical engineering. Bioengineering Achievement Award of Bioengineering Division of JSME in 1995, JSME MEDAL for the best papers in 1996, MAGNA CUMLAUDE CITATION of American Society of Nueroradiology in 2001, Fellow of JSME in 2001, Prize for Credit of Bioengineering Division of JSME in 2007, Keio University Award in 2011, Fellow of Japan Federation of Engineering Societies in 2012, Honorary member of JSME in 2012.