Mr. Sugiyama founded Ono Pharma Foundation and has been Director of the Board since its establishment in 2017. The Foundation was formed in DE as a 501(c)(3) entity, which administrates the Ono Pharma Breakthrough Science Initiative Awards Program to support scientists having creative ideas in chemical biology with the mission of seeking discoveries/solutions and development of high impact science. He is also Director of the US Foundation Promotion Office at Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., which leads catalytic activities to address important problems in drug discovery and find solutions. In this position, the team meets with academic institutions and bio-venture companies throughout North America. He has a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Osaka University and has been involved in the exploratory research, project evaluation for in-licensing, and discovery research alliances and partnerships between Ono Pharma, academic institutions and companies since 1996. Mr. Sugiyama has particular expertise in early stage drug discovery and has been involved with the projects to treat cancers, AIDS, autoimmune diseases including new modalities. In 2019, he started teaching a class for drug discovery, as Professor of TLS-I graduate student program in University of Tsukuba. He is also a member of the planning comittee in Senri Life Science Foundation and a subcomittee member of Industry-Academia Collaboration, R&D Comittee, Japan Pharmaceutical Manufactures Association (JPMA) since 2021.