Dr. Yoshiki Sawa is the Professor at Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine and the Advisor to CiRA (Center for iPS cell Research and Application) at Kyoto University. His research activities include heart transplantation, artificial organs, gene and regenerative therapies. His dedication to the research led to receive numerous awards and honors, such as Japan Biomaterial Association Award, Scientific Technology Award sponsored by Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare award. He is also the Director of Japanese Surgical Society and the President of Japanese Society of Regenerative Medicine.

He earned a medical degree from Osaka University Medical School in 1980 and joined the First Department of Surgery, Osaka University School of Medicine. In 1989, he earned Humboldt scholarship to pursue further education in both the departments of cardiovascular physiology and cardiac surgery at the Max-Planck Institute in Germany. After returning to Japan, he became Chief surgeon at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery in 2004, Professor and Chief at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, the Director at Medical Center for Translational Research at Osaka University Hospital in 2006. He was appointed to the Dean at Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine from 2015 – March 2017.