World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
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Best Scientists
2025
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Medicine
Japan
2026

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Best Scientists

D-Index
181
Citations
157905
World Ranking
589
National Ranking
9

Medicine

D-Index
182
Citations
159437
World Ranking
338
National Ranking
4

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Medicine in Japan Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Best Scientists Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Medicine in Japan Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Medicine in Japan Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Medicine in Japan Leader Award
  • 2009 - Keio Medical Science Prize, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan

Overview

Kenji Kangawa is affiliated with the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Japan. Their research spans multiple areas within Medicine and Neuroscience, with particular focus on subfields such as Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Endocrine and Autonomic Systems, Physiology, Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine, and Molecular Biology.

The scientist's work primarily addresses topics including Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology, Regulation of Appetite and Obesity, Receptor Mechanisms and Signaling, Adipose Tissue and Metabolism, Circadian Rhythm and Melatonin, Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research, and Heart Failure Treatment and Management.

Kenji Kangawa has contributed to numerous publications, frequently publishing in these venues:

  • Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
  • Scientific Reports
  • Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
  • Heliyon
  • Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters

Frequent collaborators include:

  • Mikiya Miyazato
  • Kenji Mori
  • Hiroshi Hosoda
  • Naoto Minamino
  • Takeshi Tokudome

Representative recent publications are:

  • A chemically stable peptide agonist to neuromedin U receptor type 2, 2020, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry
  • Thermoregulatory role of ghrelin in the induction of torpor under a restricted feeding condition, 2021, Scientific Reports
  • Nmu/Nms/Gpr176 Triple-Deficient Mice Show Enhanced Light-Resetting of Circadian Locomotor Activity, 2022, Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin
  • Cocaine has some effect on neuromedin U expressing neurons related to the brain reward system, 2020, Heliyon
  • Design and synthesis of peptidic partial agonists of human neuromedin U receptor 1 with enhanced serum stability, 2020, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters

Kenji Kangawa was awarded the Keio Medical Science Prize by Keio University, Tokyo, Japan in 2009.

Best Publications

  • Ghrelin is a growth-hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach.

    Masayasu Kojima;Hiroshi Hosoda;Yukari Date;Masamitsu Nakazato

  • A role for ghrelin in the central regulation of feeding.

    Masamitsu Nakazato;Noboru Murakami;Yukari Date;Masayasu Kojima

  • A new natriuretic peptide in porcine brain

    Tetsuji Sudoh;Kenji Kangawa;Naoto Minamino;Hisayuki Matsuo

  • Adrenomedullin: a novel hypotensive peptide isolated from human pheochromocytoma.

    Kazuo Kitamura;Kenji Kangawa;Mari Kawamoto;Yoshinari Ichiki

  • Ghrelin: Structure and Function

    Masayasu Kojima;Kenji Kangawa

  • Ghrelin, a novel growth hormone-releasing acylated peptide, is synthesized in a distinct endocrine cell type in the gastrointestinal tracts of rats and humans.

    Yukari Date;Masayasu Kojima;Hiroshi Hosoda;Akira Sawaguchi

  • Upregulation of Ghrelin expression in the stomach upon fasting, insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and leptin administration.

    Koji Toshinai;Muhtashan S. Mondal;Masamitsu Nakazato;Yukari Date

  • Primary structure of the receptor for calcium channel blockers from skeletal muscle

    Tsutomu Tanabe;Hiroshi Takeshima;Atsushi Mikami;Veit Flockerzi

  • Plasma Ghrelin Levels in Lean and Obese Humans and the Effect of Glucose on Ghrelin Secretion

    Tomomi Shiiya;Masamitsu Nakazato;Masanari Mizuta;Yukari Date

  • Stomach Is a Major Source of Circulating Ghrelin, and Feeding State Determines Plasma Ghrelin-Like Immunoreactivity Levels in Humans

    Hiroyuki Ariyasu;Kazuhiko Takaya;Tetsuya Tagami;Yoshihiro Ogawa

  • Cofilin phosphorylation by LIM-kinase 1 and its role in Rac-mediated actin reorganization

    Neng Yang;Osamu Higuchi;Kazumasa Ohashi;Kyoko Nagata

  • Ghrelin Strongly Stimulates Growth Hormone Release in Humans

    Kazuhiko Takaya;Hiroyuki Ariyasu;Naotetsu Kanamoto;Hiroshi Iwakura

  • Purification and complete amino acid sequence of α-human atrial natriuretic polypeptide (α-hANP)

    Kenji Kangawa;Hisayuki Matsuo

  • Monolayered mesenchymal stem cells repair scarred myocardium after myocardial infarction.

    Yoshinori Miyahara;Noritoshi Nagaya;Masaharu Kataoka;Bobby Yanagawa

  • C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP): a new member of natriuretic peptide family identified in porcine brain.

    Tetsuji Sudoh;Naoto Minamino;Kenji Kangawa;Hisayuki Matsuo

  • Primary structure and expression from complementary DNA of skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor.

    Hiroshi Takeshima;Seiichiro Nishimura;Takeshi Matsumoto;Hiroyuki Ishida

  • The role of the gastric afferent vagal nerve in ghrelin-induced feeding and growth hormone secretion in rats.

    Yukari Date;Noboru Murakami;Koji Toshinai;Shigeru Matsukura

  • Ghrelin and des-acyl ghrelin: two major forms of rat ghrelin peptide in gastrointestinal tissue.

    Hiroshi Hosoda;Masayasu Kojima;Hisayuki Matsuo;Kenji Kangawa

  • Ghrelin, an Endogenous Growth Hormone Secretagogue, Is a Novel Orexigenic Peptide That Antagonizes Leptin Action Through the Activation of Hypothalamic Neuropeptide Y/Y1 Receptor Pathway

    Mitsuyo Shintani;Yoshihiro Ogawa;Ken Ebihara;Megumi Aizawa-Abe

  • Orexins, orexigenic hypothalamic peptides, interact with autonomic, neuroendocrine and neuroregulatory systems

    Yukari Date;Yoichi Ueta;Hiroshi Yamashita;Hideki Yamaguchi

Frequent Co-Authors

Hisayuki Matsuo
Hisayuki Matsuo Osaka University
Hiroshi Hosoda
Hiroshi Hosoda Shinshu University
Masayasu Kojima
Masayasu Kojima Kurume University
Naoto Minamino
Naoto Minamino Osaka University
Kazuo Kitamura
Kazuo Kitamura University of Miyazaki
Noritoshi Nagaya
Noritoshi Nagaya National Archives and Records Administration
Tanenao Eto
Tanenao Eto University of Miyazaki
Masamitsu Nakazato
Masamitsu Nakazato University of Miyazaki
Kazuwa Nakao
Kazuwa Nakao Kyoto University
Yasunobu Hirata
Yasunobu Hirata University of Tokyo

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