Embassy of Japan in the United States of America
在米国日本国大使館

Conferral of the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
upon
Dr. Stephen Ira Katz, Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

On November 3, 2011(Japan Time), the Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2011 Fall Imperial Decorations. Among 53 recipients is Dr. Stephen Ira Katz, Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and Dr. William R. Farrell, Chairman of the National Association of Japan-America Societies, who receives the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon.

• DECORATION: The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
• SERVICE: Contributed to the education of Japanese dermatologists and to the development and internationalization of the dermatological research in Japan
• NAME (AGE): Stephen Ira Katz (70)
• MAJOR TITLES:
• Director of National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institute of Health
• Former Chief of the Dermatology Branch of National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health
• ADDRESS (NATIONALITY): Maryland (U.S.A)

【Meritorious Service for Japan】
Dr. Katz was born in 1941 in New York.  After attending the University of Maryland, where he graduated with honors, he graduated from the Tulane University Medical School with honors in 1966. In 1974, he obtained a Ph.D. degree in immunology from the University of London.  He then became Senior Investigator in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1974, and served as Chief of the Branch from 1980 to 2002.  Currently, Dr. Katz is Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) and is also a Senior Investigator in the Dermatology Branch of the NCI of NIH.

Dr. Katz has greatly contributed to the education of Japanese dermatologists.  He has welcomed many Japanese scientists at his laboratory in NCI and NIAMS of NIH and has directly or indirectly trained 32 Japanese scientists over the last 35 years.  Many of these individuals now play a leading role in the field of dermatology.

Dr. Katz also made a significant contribution to the development and internationalization of dermatological research in Japan.  The Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology (JSID), which is currently considered one of the largest and most important societies for dermatology, used to be active only in Japan and was not highly recognized internationally. Dr. Katz, then a member of the Board of Directors and President of the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID), emphasized the importance of cooperation between SID and JSID and held a joint academic research meeting between Japan and the U.S. in 1986.  In 1989, he took the initiative in starting the International Investigative Dermatology meeting with the European Society for Investigative Dermatological Research (ESDR).  His efforts greatly raised JSID’s international reputation in the field of dermatology.  Moreover, he has served on the editorial boards of a number of Japanese investigative dermatology journals and has been engaged in the education of dermatology in Japan, frequently visiting Japan and giving lectures at a number of universities. 

He received the title of Honorary Member of JSID from JSID in recognition of his longstanding achievements, an honor which is rarely conferred upon foreigners.