Rate My Professor Yuki Hirakawa

Yuki Hirakawa is a professor in the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life at Hiroshima University. He earned a Master of Science and a Doctor of Science from the University of Tokyo. Hirakawa joined Hiroshima University as professor in April 2024. Prior to this appointment, he served as assistant professor at Gakushuin University from April 2017, postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Transformative Bio-molecules at Nagoya University from September 2013 to March 2017, and postdoctoral researcher at Monash University from April 2011 to August 2013.

Hirakawa is a professor of Plant Biology whose research examines peptides and genes regulating meristem activity in land plants, employing the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate plant development and environmental responses. He has published peer-reviewed papers including “Initiation of asexual reproduction by the AP2/ERF gene GEMMIFER in Marchantia polymorpha” (Current Biology, 2026), “Control of stem cell behavior by CLE-JINGASA signaling in the shoot apical meristem in Marchantia polymorpha” (Current Biology, 2023), and “Induction of Multichotomous Branching by CLAVATA Peptide in Marchantia polymorpha” (Current Biology, 2020), as well as the review “Evolution of meristem zonation by CLE gene duplication in land plants” (Nature Plants, 2022). Hirakawa serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Plant Research since January 2024. He has received the Botanical Society of Japan Award for Young Scientist in 2023 and the Botanical Society of Japan Award for Junior Scientist in 2012. Hirakawa has held committee roles with the Botanical Society of Japan, including secretary of treasurers from 2023 to 2025. He contributes to teaching in biology programs at Hiroshima University.