After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo in 2007, Dr. Yamanaka joined the laboratory of Dr. Michael O’Connor at the University of Minnesota, where he identified molecular mechanisms of how the insect steroid hormone ecdysone is released from steroidogenic cells in flies. At UC Riverside, his lab is focused on understanding how insect hormones control physiology and behavior. The lab’s long-term goal is to develop methodologies and tools to control different types of insects by manipulating their endocrine signaling pathways. In addition to the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, Dr. Yamanaka is also a recipient of the NIH Pathway to Independence Award and the Pew Biomedical Scholars Award.