NC State, Purdue professors to join National Academy of Inventors
Kenneth Adler, PhD, professor of cell biology at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, and Masanobu Yamamoto, adjunct professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, will be inducted as fellows of the National Academy of Inventors. The organization, which made the announcement December 12, comprises more than 4,600 members and 1,898 fellows, including 47 Nobel laureates.
Becoming an NAI Fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to academic inventors.
Adler is a biomedical scientist who has spent decades investigating respiratory disorders and, specifically, the problem of excess inflammation that occurs. His work has resulted in 10 national patents, four international patents, and more than 120 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
Adler discovered the role of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS) protein in excessive mucus production in respiratory diseases and developed a peptide to inhibit it. Following that discovery, he co-founded a startup to commercialize the peptide for the treatment of multiple diseases.
“Dr. Adler is one of the few research scientists to have seen his laboratory discoveries translated into actual drugs tested in clinical trials,” NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson said in his nomination letter. “Over his 30-plus years at NC State, he has become one of the world’s foremost researchers in the field of airway disease, and his innovative peptides have the potential to help the many patients suffering from severe respiratory diseases.”
“I think that recognition by the National Academy of Inventors, an organization that awards academic achievements that translate into products that help those in the ‘real world’, is an exciting and satisfying achievement for me and especially for the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine,” Adler said.
Masanobu Yamamoto is the chief technology officer for Miftek Corp., a company in Purdue’s Technology Research Park, in addition to his faculty position in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
He is the holder of close to 100 U.S. and 220 Japanese patents, many related to technologies developed for the electronic gaming and disc storage industries during his 40-year career at Sony Corp. Yamamoto was a key developer in optical components, including Blu-ray technology, according to a Purdue press release. After the completion and commercialization of Blu-ray, Yamamoto led a team that established the life science division of Sony, which used optical technology for use in biosciences.
“We have engaged single-photon technology as a tool to analyze chemical and physical characteristics of cells, including cancer. We are bringing the quantum world into the field of biology,” Yamamoto said in the release. “In the scope of invention, every discovery is a looking glass of hope. I’m proud to be able to represent Purdue in this endeavor.”
The NAI Fellows Program was established to highlight academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.
Adler and Yamamoto are two of 162 scientists and researchers in the NAI Class of 2023. The fellows will be honored and presented their medals at the organization's annual meeting on June 18, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A version of this story appears in the February 2024 print issue of JAVMA