To the Members of the Genetics Society of Japan

My name is Hiroshi Iwasaki and I have been appointed as the President of the Genetics Society of Japan since April 2021. I have been a member of the Genetics Society of Japan for more than 30 years since I joined the society when I was a second-year master’s student.

The Genetics Society of Japan celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020. As one of the oldest societies in Japan, it has been involved in many important academic activities. Although the 100th anniversary meeting had to be cancelled due to the Corona disaster last year, we published “Wordbook in Genetics” (a glossary of genetic terms) despite the difficult situation. In addition, we are planning to publish an encyclopedia of genetics as part of the 100th anniversary project. Furthermore, the journal Genes & Genetics Systems (GGS) has been registered in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) and is now widely recognized as an international journal. As introduced above, the Genetics Society of Japan is continuing its steady and robust activities.

I think that the severe situation caused by the corona will continue for some time to come. Even under these difficult circumstances, we must not lose sight of the original role of the society, which is to exchange research and disseminate science. As the president of the society, I will focus most on these activities. In addition, I would like to promote new exchanges with geneticists in Australia and New Zealand, and greatly promote the internationalization of the Genetics Society of Japan as a leading society in genetics in Asia and Oceania. Furthermore, as a bridge between the life sciences and society, we aim to make the society more open to society than ever before. The most important thing is that our members can enjoy science regardless of age or sex. The society will be the platform for this. With these goals in mind, and with the help of our members, I would like to do my best for the Genetics Society of Japan.

I look forward to working with you for the next two years.

April 2021
Association for Propagation of the Knowledge of Genetics
The Genetics Society of Japan
President Hiroshi Iwasaki
(Professor, Cell Biology Center, Institute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology)