Interim Review Report
Initiative Research Scientist
Song Changyong
Kohei Tamao, Chair
Initiative Research Scientist Program Promotion & Review Committee
In accordance with Article 13 (Evaluation) of the RIKEN Regulations for the Initiative
Research Unit Program which requires that all Initiative Research Units undergo review
after 3 years, an interim review has been made of the Song Initiative Research Unit
(opened in April 2006).
1. Research topic:

Atomic Resolution Coherent X-ray Diffraction Imaging
utilizing the Japan XFEL
2. Contract period:
March 1, 2008 to February 28, 2013
3. Review date & time: November 17, 2011, 13:00–17:05
4. Review committee members:
Chair
Kohei Tamao, Director, RIKEN ASI
Deputy Chair
Masaki Takada, Deputy Director, RIKEN SPring-8 Center
Members Yoshiyuki Amemiya, Professor, Graduate School of Frontier Science,
University of Tokyo
Masayoshi Nakasako, Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty ofScience and Technology,. Keio University
Akira Yagishita, Professor, High Energy Accelerator Research
Organization (KEK)
Naoko Imamoto, Chief Scientist, ASI
Toshihide Kobayasi, Chief Scientist, ASI
Katsumi Midorikawa, Chief Scientist and Deputy Director, ASI (emailreview)
5. Review program
1) Part 1 Research report session (public lecture at Kamitsubo Hall)
13:00–13:10
Greetings and background information
Tamao
13:10–13:55
Research reportSong
13:55–14:30
Q&A
The review committee chair opened the session with words of greeting and abrief description of Initiative Research Scientist Song’s background. This wasfollowed by a presentation made by Song on his unit’s research and a Q&A
session with the committee members. This first part of the review process
ended earlier than scheduled. (RIKEN internal website notice and poster for thepresentation)2) Part 2 Laboratory tour and discussion with review committee members(closed session)
14:45–15:15
Lab tour and discussions with lab members
15:35–16:35
Discussion: review committee members and Initiative
16:35–16:50
16:50–17:05

Research Scientist Song
Discussion: review committee members and Harima Institute
Director Ishikawa
Closed session of review committee members only
The second session of the review consisted primarily ofdiscussions among the review committee members, theInitiative Research Scientist, and the director of the Harima
Institute. The comments of the individual review committee
members which were later submitted to the review committee
chair are attached to this report. These comments are based on
the Review Criteria distributed to the committee members
prior to the review.

Initiative Research Scientist SongInterim Review Report(with comments from individual review committee members)
1.

Research results
Initiative Research Scientist Song has been working primarily on technology andequipment development related to SPring-8 and XFEL coherent imaging, making
full use of his experience in his former position at UCLA with coherent diffractive
imaging (CDI). He has taken the technology further to undertake the challenge of3D-imaging on the atomic level of living biological molecules, and has alreadypublished four papers on the subject in high-impact journals. His achievements aresuperior and he has opened the way to a whole new world of photo science. It
should be specially noted that he has received speaking invitations from 17
international symposiums and workshops over a period of just three and one-halfyears, an indication that Dr. Song is becoming internationally recognized.
Dr. Song has played an important role in developing research using SACLA,and can be expected to continue in this role. His contributions to joint experiments
using SACLA have been major.

2.

Research management and interaction with other researchers
The Song Initiative Research Unit is small, consisting of 1 research scientist, 2
special postdoctoral researchers, 1 IPA student, and 1 part-time Japanese technicalassistant. The laboratory is well organized and highly efficient. There are nomanagement problems of note. Overall the laboratory is well-managed and has agood atmosphere.

3.

Future research directions
Japanese corporations have very high standards of research, and the expectation isthat world-leading achievements should be possible through joint research withJapanese industry. This will require not only the efforts of the Song Initiative
Research Unit researchers, but also guidance and advice from those around them.
Special note should be taken of the unit’s joint research with ASI Chief
Scientist Imamoto and her team. In the work with biological materials, it will be
important to encourage further opportunities for free interaction with otherresearchers in biology-related fields.
Currently, Song’s laboratory is located at the edge of the XFEL building and isgeographically independent from other labs on the Harima campus. The HarimaInstitute, however, is planning to consolidate all the labs next fiscal year. Thischange should improve the research environment and open up new opportunities tocommunicate with biologists.
4.

Recommendations
Dr. Song is invaluable to the future development of the Harima Institute and wehave great expectations that he will become the leading scientist in the use ofSACLA.
It is to be hoped that he will take the initiative to forge close ties with SACLA
R&D groups inside and outside Japan and expand the possibilities for joint
research.
In discussions regarding Dr. Song’s career options after the completion of his
current term, Harima Institute Director Ishikawa, who is also Dr. Song’s advisor,
has suggested that Dr. Song is a candidate to become a team leader for advanced
research using SACLA.
Given Initiative Research Scientist Song’s age, abilities, and management skills,
the position of XFEL team leader is the best choice for him and the review
committee fully supports this view.
Attachment: Mid-term Review Report on Initiative Research Scientist, Song,
Changyong