Ryo Kubota, MD, PhD
Biography
Dr. Kubota is Chairman, President, and CEO of Acucela, Inc. Acucela is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that specializes in discovering and developing novel therapeutics to treat and slow the progression of sight-threatening ophthalmic diseases affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Prior to founding Acucela, Dr. Kubota worked in the ophthalmology field, including serving as a faculty member at both Keio University and the University of Washington School of Medicine. He holds an MD and a PhD in medicine from Keio University. In the course of his work at Keio, Dr. Kubota discovered a glaucoma gene, myocilin, which earned him the Suda Award.