PhD March 2001
Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Thesis title: Ecological roles of crayfish (koura; Paranephrops zealandicus) in New Zealand stream commnities
Supervisor: Prof. Colin TOWNSEND
MSc March 1995
Graduate School of Earth Environmental Science, Hokkaido University, Japan
Supervisors: Dr. NAKANO Shigeru & Prof. TODA Masanori
BSc March 1992
Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, Japan
Supervisors: Dr. NAKAYA Kunihiro & Dr. YABE Mamoru
Academic Positions
Associate Professor (September 2013-Present)
Center for Nature and Environmental Technology
Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
Associate Professor (April 2010-August 2013)
Center for Toki and Ecological Restoration (CTER)
Niigata University, Sado, Japan.
Associate Professor (December 2009-August 2013)
Toki Project
Center for Transdisciplinary Research
Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
Research Scientist (April 2006- November 2009)
Center for Environmental Risk Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tukuba, Japan.
Postdoctoral Fellow (April 2004- March 2006)
Biodiversity Conservation Research Project Group, National Institute for
Environmental Studies, Tukuba, Japan.
Visiting scholar (June 2001- July 2002)
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University,
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Japan Society of the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellow (April
2001- March 2004)
Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Sapporo,
Japan
Awards
Research and Education Awards
2016
Best Oral Presentation Usio N Effects of different wildlife-friendly farming practises and surrounding
land use on aquatic macro-invertebrate diversity in a Japanese GIAHS site.
The 7th EAFES International Congress, Daegu, Korea.
2010
Best Poster Presentation (co-supervised student's paper)
Chidani H, Usio N, Takamura N & Yamamuro M. Are turtle predators effective in controlling
the invasive red swamp crayfish? Ecological Society for Japan Conference,
Tokyo, Japan (In Japanese).
2009
13th Denzaburo Miyadi Award
(For outstanding contribution in Ecology)
Ecological Society of Japan
2005
Best Poster Presentation (co-supervised student's paper)
Matsuzaki SS, Usio N, Takamura N & Washitani I. Changes in ecosystem states in response
to introductions of domesticated common carp.The 22nd Symposium of the Society of Population Ecology, Katayamatsu, Kaga, Japan.
2000
Runner-up Oral Presentation Usio N & Townsend CR. Roles of New Zealand crayfish: consequences of predation and bioturbation for stream invertebrates. Joint annual conference of the New Zealand Limnological Society and Australian Society of Limnologty, Dunedin, New Zealand
Scholarships & Fellowships
2001- 2004
JSPS postdoctoral Fellowship
1997, 1999-2001
University of Otago Scholarship
1997-1999
Rotary International Scholarship
Grants & Contracts (2008-present)
2016-2018
Title: Using biodiversity of Satoayama-satoumi to establish sustainable
wildlife-friendly farming
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: KAKENHI (B) (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
Funding agency: MEXT
2016-2018
Title: Identifying factors affecting personality in the secondary spread
of an invasive crayfish
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: KAKENHI (C) (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
Funding agency: MEXT
2016
Title: Effects of different natural cultivation history on arthropod diversity
in paddy fields
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: Collaboration research
Funding agency: Hakui City
2012-2014
Programme: Assessment of biota on Sado Island
Role: Contributed researcher (Freshwater Crustacea)
Grant: Sponsored research
Funding agency: Sado City
2012-2014
Research title: Developing risk assessment methods for invasive crayfish on the basis of
genetic and phenotypic traits
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: Kakenhi (C) (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
Funding agency: MEXT
2011-2013
Programme: Sizen-saiseigaku Kouza (Ecological Restoration Programme)
Role: Team leader
Grant: Donation programme
Funding agency: Sado City
2010-2014
Programme: Toki-no-sima Kankyo-saisei Leader Yousei Unit (Restoration Leader
Training Programme on Sado Island)
Role: Contributed lecturer
Grant name: Strategic Funds for the Promotion of Science and Technology
Funding agency: Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
2010
Research title: Developing management methods for biodiversity in Satoti
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: Start-up research grant
Funding agency: CTER, Niigata University
2010
Research title: Assessing biodiversity in paddy fields
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: Research Promotion Grant
Funding agency: Niigata University
2009-2011
Research title: Interdisciplinary studies on conservation of freshwater
ecosystems
Role: Contributed researcher (Principal Researcher: Dr. Noriko Takamura)
Grant: Kakenhi (B) (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
Funding agency: MEXT
2008-2010
Research title: Developing risk assessment methods for invasive crayfish on the basis of
genetic and phenotypic traits
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: Kakenhi (C) (Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research)
Funding agency: MEXT
2008
Title: Construction of mesocosms for ecological experiments
Role: Principal researcher
Grant: NIES Infrastructure development grant
Funding agency: National Institute for Environmental Studies
Professional Activities
Member of Sado City Environmental Advisor (2010-present)
Member of the Development and Promotion of Sado City Social-ecological
Restoration Committee (2011-present)
Member of Sado City Red Data Book Preparation Committee (2012-present)
Associate Editor of the journal Limnology (2011-present)
Professional Affiliations
Ecological Society of Japan
The Japanese Society of Limnology
The Japanese Society of Irrigation, Drainage and Rural Engineering
Ecology and Civil Engineering
The Carcinological Society of Japan