Dr. Tadataka Yamada Biography
Tadataka Yamada, M.D.
Tadataka (Tachi) Yamada is Chairman, Research and Development and a Member of the Board of Directors of GlaxoSmithKline. He joined SmithKline Beecham as a non executive Member of the Board of Directors in February 1994. Subsequently, he accepted a full-time position at SmithKline Beecham as President of their Healthcare Services Division which consisted of Diversified Pharmaceutical Services (pharmaceutical benefit management company), SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories, Health Management Services (disease management group) and Diversified Prescription Delivery (mail order prescription company). In February 1999, he was named Chairman, Research and Development, SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals and in January 2001 he assumed his current position. Prior to joining SmithKline Beecham he was Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School and Physician-in-Chief of the University of Michigan Medical Center.
Dr. Yamada graduated from Stanford University with a BA in history and obtained his M.D. from New York University School of Medicine. He is a gastroenterologist who has focused his research on the molecular biology of hormone receptors and is the editor of The Textbook of Gastroenterology. The studies undertaken by Dr. Yamada and his collaborators led to basic discoveries in the post-translational processing and biological activation of peptide hormones, the structure and function of receptors for hormones regulating gastric acid secretion, and the regulation of genes involved in the acid secretory process. In recognition of his contributions to medicine he has been elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences (US) and the Academy of Medical Sciences (UK). He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Distinguished Achievement Award in Gastrointestinal Physiology from the American Physiological Society, the Friedenwald Medal from the American Gastroenterological Association, the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award from the University of Michigan and the Distinguished Medical Scientist Award from the Medical College of Virginia.
Dr. Yamada is a Fellow of the Imperial College of Medicine, a Master of the American College of Physicians, President of the Association of American Physicians and a Past-President of the American Gastroenterological Association. He has also been a Member of the Board of Directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the National Board of Medical Examiners (US). Dr. Yamada is a member of the Board of Directors of diaDexus and is a Trustee of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.