Japan Statistical Society
June 25, 2018
The Institute of Statistical Mathematics (ISM)
The Japan Statistical Society (JSS)

Announcement of the Awardee ofthe Second Akaike Memorial Lecture AwardAwardee/Speaker: Professor Mike West (Duke University, USA)
Lecture Title: Bayesian Forecasting of Multivariate Time Series:
Model Scalability, Structure Uncertainty and Decisions
Debater: Dr. Jouchi Nakajima (Bank for International Settlements)
Dr. Christopher D. Glynn (University of New Hampshire)
Date/Time: September 10, 2018 (a.m.)
1.
Award Ceremony
2.
Akaike Memorial Lecture
3.
Discussion with Young Scientists
4.
Others
Venue: Building No. 5, Room 5534, Korakuen Campus, Chuo University(1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
http://global.chuo-u.ac.jp/english/siteinfo/visit/korakuen/)* Detailed information will be uploaded on the website of ISM(http://www.ism.ac.jp/index_e.html) and other media.

Professor Mike West (current age, 61)

Duke University distinguished professor: The Arts & Sciences Professor of Statistics and Decision Sciences,in the Department of Statistical Science at Duke University

Professor West’s pioneering research throughout the field of Bayesian statistics has paved the way to theapplication of Bayesian methods to practical data analyses. He has made great contributions to theoreticaland algorithmic innovations opening new opportunities to practitioners of statistics. Professor West himself
has contributed significantly to the creation of data-driven sciences by advancing frontier research in a broad
range of applied fields.

Dr. Hirotugu Akaike
The late Dr. Akaike was a statistician who proposed the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). He
established a novel paradigm of statistical modeling, characterized by a predictive point of view,that was completely distinct from traditional statistical theory. Dr. Akaike’s research has greatly
influenced a wide range of research areas.

Press Contact: URA Station, ISM (Kozo Kitamura and Makiko Imakado)
E-mail: ask-ura@ism.ac.jp, TEL: +81-50-5533-8580

Japan Statistical Society
June 25, 2018

Announcement of the Awardee ofthe Second Akaike Memorial Lecture Award◆ Overview:
In May of 2016, the Institute of Statistical Mathematics (ISM) and the Japan Statistical Society (JSS) havejointly created the Akaike Memorial Lecture Award to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the late Dr.
Hirotugu Akaike. Dr. Akaike greatly influenced a wide range of research by proposing the Akaike
Information Criterion (AIC) and establishing a novel paradigm for statistical modeling, which wasdistinguished by its predictive point of view, and was totally distinct from traditional statistical theory. The
Akaike Memorial Lecture Award aims to encourage the education of talented young researchers byrecognizing researchers who have achieved outstanding accomplishments that contribute to the field ofstatistical sciences.
With great pleasure, we announce that the awardee of the Second Akaike Memorial Lecture Award isProfessor Mike West of Duke University in USA. Professor West’s contributions to Bayesian statistics
include seminal work in dynamic modeling, and the implementation of nonparametric models that paved theway to practical data analyses via the first realization of large-scale simulation-based methods. Professor
West himself has also actively worked at the frontiers of various research fields to which Bayesian statistics
can be applied and contributed to the creation of data-driven sciences. For example, he established a new
approach for biomarker discovery using gene expression data, thus creating a novel trend in omics biology
based on data analysis. The award ceremony and memorial lecture will be held during the plenary session ofthe Japanese Joint Statistical Meeting 2018, which will take place at the Korakuen Campus of Chuo
University on September 10, 2018.

Reason for Selection:
Professor Mike West is a great pioneer in the field of Bayesian statistics. He receives the Second Akaike
Memorial Lecture Award for his wide-ranging and outstanding research accomplishments in both theoreticaland practical aspects of this field.
Professor West has made significant contributions to the development of statistical sciences, including
dynamic modeling, space–time data analysis, sparse modeling, Bayesian computation, and non-parametric
Bayesian analysis. The applied fields to which Prof. West has contributed include finance, macroeconomics,climatology, and biology. His paper on Dirichlet Process mixture models, published in 1995, offered an easy1/5

Japan Statistical Society
to-implement and efficient algorithm for the model. Previously, even though its usefulness had been
understood theoretically, this model had not been used in practice due to difficulties in its computation.
Professor West’s algorithm represented a major contribution to the practical realization of the non-parametric
Bayesian analysis. The magnitude of this influence is illustrated by the fact that the paper has been cited morethan 2000 times [1]. In addition, in 2001 and 2006, Professor West published important papers pertaining tocancer prognosis using gene expression data, conducted jointly with leading molecular geneticists. Thesepapers identified patterns of cell signaling pathway deregulation by combining signature-based predictions
and developed predictive models for identifying types of breast cancer [2,3]. These outcomes led to theoccurrence of a mega-trend in omics biology: biomarker discovery through gene expression profiling.
For these reasons, the nominating committee is proud to select Professor West as the awardee of the SecondAkaike Memorial Lecture Award.

◆ About the Second Awardee: Professor Mike West
Research Achievements
Professor Mike West is one of the pioneers who have led the field of the Bayesian statistics. In particular,
Professor West’s research on Bayesian modeling of dynamic processes, high-dimensional data and largescale complex systems has significantly influenced the development of the theory and practice of statistics.
Professor West’s broad activities range from statistical theory, including time series, high-dimensional space–time data analysis and sparse modeling, to application, including decision-making theory for financial
time-series data analysis, structure modeling, analysis of high-frequency financial time series data,
macroeconometrics, dynamic network analysis, image recognition, system biology, and analysis of air
environment monitoring data.
After obtaining his Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Nottingham, UK, Professor West has
published nearly 200 papers in numerous fields, ranging from pure statistical theory to applied research infields including business, economy and finance, signal processing, climatology, public health sciences,
genome sciences, immunology, neurophysiology, and systems biology.
Professor West has devoted himself passionately to education in statistics, and has made outstanding
accomplishments in education. Over the course of his career, he has instructed young statisticians fromindustry, government, and academia around the world, and mentored more than 55 talented doctoral students
and post-doctoral researchers.
Additionally, Professor West was awarded the Mitchell Prize (three times, in 1994, 1997, and 2012); theAmerican Statistical Association Outstanding Statistical Application Paper Award (1997); the American
Statistical Association NC Chapter Award (2014); and the Zellner Medal from the International Society for
Bayesian Analysis (2014).
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Japan Statistical Society[1] Escobar, M.D., West, M.(1995). Bayesian density estimation and inference using mixtures. Journal of theAmerican Statistical Association 90:577-588.
[2] Bild, A.H., Yao, G., Chang, J.T., Wang, Q., Potti, A., Chasse, D., Joshi, M., Harpole, D., Lancaster, J.M.,
Berchuck, A., J.A. Olson, J.R.M., Dressman, H.K., West, M., Nevins, J.R.(2006). Oncogenic pathway
signatures in human cancers as a guide to targeted therapies. Nature 439:353-357.
[3] West, M., Blanchette, C., Dressman, H.K., Huang, E.S., Ishida, S., R. Spang, H.Z., Marks, J.R., Nevins,J.R. (2001). Predicting the clinical status of human breast cancer utilizing gene expression profiles.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 98:11462-11467.
Current Position
The Duke University distinguished Arts & Sciences Professor of Statistics and Decision Sciences,in the Department of Statistical Science, Duke University
Biography
Date of birth:

October 30th, 1956 (current age, 61)

Education:
1978 B.Sc. Mathematics, First Class Honors, Department of Mathematics, University of Nottingham, UK
1982 Ph.D. in Mathematics (Statistics), University of Nottingham, UK
Professional Summary
1981–1988

Lecturer at Department of Statistics of University of Warwick, UK

1984

Visiting Professor at Harvard University, USA

1987

Visiting Professor at Purdue University, USA

1988-2003

Associate Fellow at Department of Statistics of University of Warwick

1994

Senior & University Fellow at the National Institute of Statistical Sciences (NISS), USA

1988–1992

Associate Professor at the Institute of Statistics and Decision Sciences (ISDS) ofDuke University, USA

1990–2002

Director at ISDS

1992–2007

Professor at ISDS

1999–present

Distinguished Professor at Duke University
Professor in the Division of Statistics of Duke University

2007–present

Professor in the Department of Statistical Science, Duke University◆ Overview of the Akaike Memorial Lecture Award
The Akaike Memorial Lecture Award was inaugurated in 2014 under the joint sponsorship of ISM and JSS.
The Award was named after the late Dr. Hirotugu Akaike (*1), who left a wide-reaching and influential legacy
3/5Japan Statistical Societyof research in the statistical sciences. Along with the Award, the ISM and JSS organize a memorial lectureby the awardee, offering opportunities for exchange among statistical researchers from within and outside
Japan as well as inspiration to young and talented researchers. Thus, the Award contributes to furtheradvances in this field.
Every 2 years, one awardee is selected from among those individuals who are, like the late Dr. Akaike,ahead of their times, exercising an international influence over a wide range of fields in the statistical sciences(including mathematical sciences and mathematical engineering, such as control and optimization) andrelated applied fields. The awardee receives a ¥100,000 honorarium, an award plaque, and travel expenses.
For educational purposes, the Memorial Lecture will be followed by time for question and discussion
involving the Awardee and selected students and young researchers. The contents of the lecture, including theaccompanying discussion, will be published as an invited article in the Annals of the Institute of Statistical
Mathematics (AISM).

◆ The Second Akaike Memorial Lecture
The Second Akaike Memorial Lecture will be held during the plenary session of the 2018 Japanese
Joint Statistical Meeting, which will be co-organized by the Institute of Statistical Mathematics and theOrganizing Committee of the Japanese Joint Statistical Meeting 2018, commissioned by The Japan
Statistical Society.
Lecturer:

Professor Mike West (Duke University)

Title:

Bayesian Forecasting of Multivariate Time Series:
Model Scalability, Structure Uncertainty and Decisions

Discussants:

Dr. Jouchi Nakajima (Bank for International Settlements)
Dr. Christopher D. Glynn (University of New Hampshire)

Date/Time:

September 10, 2018 (a.m.)

Venue:

Building No. 5, Room 5534, Korakuen Campus, Chuo University(1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551, Japan
http://global.chuo-u.ac.jp/english/siteinfo/visit/korakuen/ )Note: Detailed information will be uploaded on the following websites:
Institute of Statistical Mathematics (http://www.ism.ac.jp/index_e.html)
Japanese Joint Statistical Meeting 2018 (http://www.jfssa.jp/taikai/2018/english/index.html)
Japan Statistical Society (http://www.jss.gr.jp/en/).

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Japan Statistical Society(*1) Biography of Dr. Hirotugu Akaike
Born on November 5, 1927 in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, Hirotugu Akaike graduated from the Imperial
Naval Academy, the First Higher School, and the Department of Mathematics, and the Faculty of Science,
The University of Tokyo. He joined the Institute of Statistical Mathematics in 1952.
In the 1960s, Dr. Akaike led the field of time series analysis through his research and development ofspectral analysis techniques, multivariate time series models, statistical control methods, and TIMSAC (TimeSeries Analysis and Control), a software package designed for time-series analysis. In the 1970s, Dr. Akaike
proposed the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). Thus, he established a new paradigm of statisticalmodeling, which was characterized by a predictive point of view, and therefore completely distinct fromtraditional statistical theory. His accomplishments have greatly influenced research in a variety of fields. In1980s, Dr. Akaike advanced his research to realize the practical application of Bayesian modeling. His
research played a pioneering role in the development of new information processing systems that could meetthe demands of the era of large-scale information. His research results were held in the highest esteem by hiscolleagues and earned him many prizes, including the Medal of Honor (Purple Ribbon), the Second Class
Order of the Sacred Treasure, and the Kyoto Prize. His work continues to be cited today.
Dr. Akaike took the position of Director-General of the ISM in 1986. While overseeing the operation ofthe Institute, he also took part in establishing and teaching in the Statistical Studies program at the Graduate
University for Advanced Studies. His term as Director-General ended in 1994. At that time, he was appointed
Professor Emeritus at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, but never lost his passion for research;rather than resting on his well-deserved laurels, he continued his work, publishing studies of topics as diverse
as Bayesian models and the golf swing. He also served as the 19th president of the JSS from January 1989
to December 1990. He passed away in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan on August 4, 2009 (age 81).
On November 5, 2017, a celebration of Dr. Hirotugu Akaike’s 90th Birthday appeared on the Google
Doodle in 16 countries and regions around the world.

Memorial Website for Late Dr. Akaike: Hirotugu Akaike Memorial Website
http://www.ism.ac.jp/akaikememorial/index-e.html------------------------------

Press Contact:
URA Station in ISM
E-mail: ask-ura@ism.ac.jp
TEL: +81-50-5533-8580

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