Takashi Kato is a Professor Emeritus of The University of Tokyo. He was a Professor of Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo since 2000. He retired from The University of Tokyo on 31st March, 2025. He is currently Specially Appointed Professor of Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University (2025-present) and Specially Appointed Professor of Institute for Aqua Regeneration, Shinshu University (2025-present). He is an Outside Director of Toagosei Co. Ltd. (2023-present).
He received his Ph.D. degree at The University of Tokyo in 1988 under supervision of Professor Toshiyuki Uryu. After his postdoctoral research at Cornell University, Department of Chemistry with Professor Jean M. J. Frechet on supramolecular liquid crystals and polymers (1988-1989), he joined The University of Tokyo. He was also Deputy Director of Research Center for Water Environment Technology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo. He was a professor of Research Initiative for Supra-Materials, Shinshu University (2020-2025) (cross appointment). He was visiting professor of Okayama University (2023-2025) and Kyushu University (2006 and 2025).
His research focuses on design, synthesis and functionalization of self-assembled materials including supramolecular soft materials such as liquid crystals, stimuli- and environment-responsive self-organized materials, nanostructured ion- and electron-, and photo- active materials, liquid-crystalline physical gels, functional polymers, and biomineralization-inspired organic/inorganic hybrids.
He was the President of The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ) (2018-2020). He was a former President of the Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (JLCS) (2016-2018). He is the chair of the 19th Pacific Polymer Conference (PPC19), Kitakyushu (2025) and The President of Pacific Polymer Federation (PPF) (2023-present). He chaired the International Liquid Crystal Conference (ILCC), Kyoto (2018).
In 2021, he received the Medal with Purple Ribbon (Cabinet Office, The Government of Japan). He is the recipient of The Chemical Society of Japan Award for Young Chemists (1993), The Sakurada Memorial Award of the Society of Fiber Science and Technology Japan (1993), The Paper Award of the Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (2000), The Wiley Polymer Science Award (Chemistry) 2001, the 17th IBM Japan Science Award (Chemistry) (2003), the 1st JSPS (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science) Prize (2005), the Award of Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (2008), Molecular Science Forum Lecture Professorship of Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science (2009), and The Award of the Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2010), The Fast Breaking Paper of Thomson Reuters (2012), The Paper Award of the Japanese Liquid Crystal Society (2012, 2019, 2023), The Chemical Society of Japan Award (2016), SPSJ Award for Outstanding Achievement in Polymer Science and Technology (2021). He is a fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (2014-present). He is a honorary member of The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2025-present).
He was the Project Leader of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research "Aquatic Functional Materials" on Innovative Areas of MEXT (2019FY-2023FY). He was appointed as Research Supervisor of PRESTO research "Molecular Technology" of Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) (2012-2016). He was the Project Leader of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research "Fusion Materials" on Innovative Areas of MEXT (2010FY-2014FY). He is the Principle Investigator of Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research(S) "Science of Water in Nanospace and Self-Organized Nanostructured Membranes" (2025FY-2029FY).
He has published about 500 papers including original papers, reviews, and chapters of books.
He is Advisory Board of "Advanced Materials" (2004-present), Executive Board of "Advanced Science" (2014-present), Advisory Board of "Chemical Science" (2010-present), "Small" (2012-present), "ACS Applied Polymer Materials" (2023-present), "Molecular Systems Design & Engineering" (2017-present), "New Journal of Chemistry" (2012-present) and "The Chemical Records" (2004-present). He was advisory board of "Journal of Materials Chemistry C" (2008-2020) and "ChemPlusChem" (2012-2020). He was the editor in chief of "Polymer Journal" (2012-2018) and the senior associate editor of "Chemistry Letters" (2010-2012), honorary advisory board of "Polymer Journal" (2018-present).
He was co-editor of "Handbook of Liquid Crystals, 2nd Edition"(Wiley-VCH) (2014) and "Molecular Technology"(Wiley-VCH) (2018). He was a section editor of "Bulletin of the Chemical Society of Japan" (2004-2008), editorial board of "Liquid Crystals" (2000-2005), a section editor of Liquid crystal part of "Current Opinion of Solid State and Material Science" (2002), and guest editors of "Israel Journal of Chemistry", and "Transactions of Material Research Society of Japan".
He gave many plenary and invited lectures: selected PLENALY LECTURES at International Liquid Crystal Conference (ILCC) (Rio de Janeiro, 2024), Pacific Polymer Conference (PPC17) (Brisbane, 2022), IUPAC-MACRO2020+ (Jeju, 2021), Polymer Congress of Chinese Chemical Society (Xi'an, 2019), International Symposium of Novel Aromatic Compounds (ISNA) (New York, 2017), Swiss Chemical Society Meeting (Neuchatel, 2018), Korean Polymer Society Meeting (Busan, 2019), Polymer Congress, FAPS 2017 (Jeju, 2017), International Liquid Crystal Conference (ILCC) (Dublin, 2014). He also presented special lectures: Xing Da Lecture, Peking University (2019), Zhou Huijiu Forum Lecture, Xi'an Jiao Tong University (2019), Nanqiang Lecture, Xiamen University (2018), Xuetang Lecture, Tsinghua University (2018), Oppolzer Lecture, University of Geneva (2004).