Akira Hirao

Akira Hirao Tokyo Institute of Technology Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials S1-6, 2-12-1 Ohokayama, Meguro-ku Tokyo Japan 152-8552 Email: ahirao@polymer.titech.ac.jp Biographical Sketch: Akira Hirao is currently a Professor of Department of Polymeric and Organic Materials, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan. He completed his doctorate degree at Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1975 under the supervision of Professor Noboru Yamazaki. Following two years in postdoctoral work, he joined the Polymer Chemistry faculty of Tokyo Institute of Technology. Following Assistant and Associate Professors, he promoted to his present position in 1996. His research interests are focused on precise synthesis of functional (co)polymers and architectural polymers including block, graft, star-branched, and hyperbranched polymers by means of living anionic polymerization.