LOC Committee

Kenji Matsuura is Vice Provost of Kyoto University and Professor of Insect Ecology at the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, where he has served since 2012. He received his BSc (1998), MSc (2000), and PhD (2002) from Kyoto University, followed by postdoctoral research at Harvard University (2002–2004). After returning to Japan, he held faculty positions at Okayama University before moving back to Kyoto University as a full professor. His research focuses on the behavioral ecology and evolution of termites, including reproductive systems, pheromone communication, and interactions with other organisms. He has made key contributions such as the discovery of Asexual Queen Succession, identification of termite queen pheromone, and elucidation of termite egg mimicry by parasitic fungi. He has received numerous honors, including the JSPS Prize and the Japan Academy Medal, and served as Secretary General of ICE2024 Kyoto.