In Japan, diabetes is a national disease that affects one in six adults. Professor Jun Shirakawa is dedicated to finding fundamental treatments for diabetes and is currently one of the most prominent researchers at the Institute for Molecular and Cellular Regulation. One distinctive aspect of Professor Shirakawa's research is using human pancreatic islets as the study subject. Pancreatic islets are specific tissues within the pancreas. Diabetes is a disease where blood sugar level rises due to an insufficient amount of insulin and a decrease in the capacity of pancreatic "beta cells" within the islets leading to the onset and progression of diabetes. The study of pancreatic islets, particularly on increasing the number of beta cells, is a major focus. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct research using human pancreatic islets rather than animal models that have previously been the primary focus thus far. However, while organizations in Europe and the United States have established systems for distributing human pancreatic islets for research purposes, such organizations do not exist in Japan or Asia. Furthermore, Japan lacks regulations allowing the reuse of isolated pancreatic islets for research purposes if they are not used for transplantation. Consequently, Professor Shirakawa obtained ethical approval for conducting medical research involving humans and imported pancreatic islets from three locations in Canada and the United States to help further research in the field. In 2021, on the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, Professor Shirakawa received the Lilly Award from the Japan Diabetes Society. There are high expectations for Professor Shirakawa's research in the field.