Kiyoto Maekawa

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About

Kiyoto Maekawa is a leading researcher in the evolutionary biology of social insects, with a particular focus on termites and the mechanisms underlying eusociality. His work bridges behavioral ecology, developmental biology, and sociogenomics to explore how collective behavior and caste differentiation arise in superorganisms. Maekawa’s major contributions include elucidating the genetic and hormonal pathways that regulate caste determination and reproductive division of labor in termites, offering key insights into the evolutionary transition from solitary to social life. His research has been widely cited, with his most influential paper, "Understanding of superorganisms: collective behavior, differentiation and social organization" (2022), accumulating over 8 citations and serving as a foundational review for the field. Beyond this, Maekawa has published extensively on the molecular underpinnings of termite sociality, including the role of juvenile hormone and insulin signaling in caste development. His work not only advances fundamental knowledge of insect societies but also provides comparative perspectives for understanding social evolution across animals. For students and researchers, Maekawa’s studies offer a compelling window into how genomic and physiological mechanisms shape the complex, cooperative systems of termite colonies.