My name is Seiji Aoyagi, Chief Science Officer of NiHTEK®. My professional life has been guided by a passion for science, nutrition, innovation, and the pursuit of improving human health and performance. Over the course of more than three decades, I have had the privilege of working across academia, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, and food science in Japan, the United States, Singapore, and China. My journey has been one of continuous learning, international collaboration, and a commitment to translating scientific discoveries into practical solutions that benefit people around the world. I was born in Yokohama, Japan. Growing up, I developed a strong curiosity about science and the natural world. This curiosity ultimately led me to pursue higher education in the United States, where I began building the foundation for a career that would span continents and industries.
Early Academic Foundations: Biochemistry and the Birth of a Scientific Career
I attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry with a minor in Chemistry. During my undergraduate studies, I became fascinated by molecular biology and genetics. My senior composition focused on the evolution of mitochondrial DNA in domesticated goldfish (Carassius auratus). This work was later published in the scientific journal Copeia in 1987, marking my first contribution to the scientific literature and reinforcing my desire to pursue research as a lifelong career. During my years at Occidental College, I had the unique experience of attending the same college as Barack Obama. At the time, he was simply another student pursuing his education, and few could have imagined that he would one day become President of the United States. Looking back, it is fascinating to remember that our paths briefly crossed at a small liberal arts college in LA that would help shape both of our futures in very different ways.
From Japan to Industrial Biotechnology: Kyowa Hakko and Amino Acid Science
Following graduation, I returned to Japan and joined Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co., Ltd., one of Japan’s leading biotechnology and fermentation companies. My first position was as a scientist in the Amino Acid Fermentation Group at the Hofu Technical Research Laboratories. There, I worked on strain improvement and fermentation scale-up technologies for amino acid production. The experience provided invaluable exposure to industrial biotechnology and manufacturing processes. My work contributed to significant production cost reductions of key amino acids (arginine, ornithine, and citrulline) and resulted in several patents. In 1988, I moved within Kyowa Hakko to the New Product and Technology Development Center in Tokyo, where I focused on animal nutrition. My responsibilities included the development of amino acid and enzyme products for livestock production. I worked extensively on rumen-protected amino acids and cellulolytic enzymes while monitoring scientific developments and designing experiments to support product registration and commercialization. These early years in industry taught me how to bridge scientific innovation with practical business applications.
Graduate Research at the University of Illinois: Deepening Expertise in Nutritional Science
Driven by a desire to deepen my scientific expertise, I returned to the United States in 1990 to pursue graduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, one of the world’s premier institutions for animal and nutritional sciences. Under the mentorship of distinguished scientists, I conducted extensive research in trace mineral nutrition and amino acid metabolism. I earned my Master of Science degree in 1992. My thesis examined the bioavailability of copper from inorganic and organic copper supplements in young chicks. Building upon this work, I completed my Ph.D. in 1994 with a dissertation titled Factors Affecting Copper Utilization. My research contributed significantly to the understanding of mineral metabolism and bioavailability, resulting in numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as The Journal of Nutrition, Poultry Science, and The Journal of Animal Science. One of the greatest influences on my scientific career was the late Dr. David H. Baker, under whose mentorship I pursued my studies at the University of Illinois. His commitment to scientific excellence, critical thinking, and experimental rigor shaped not only my research but also my lifelong approach to science.
Transitioning to Clinical Nutrition: Abbott Laboratories and Medical Nutrition Innovation
Following the completion of my doctorate, I joined Abbott Laboratories in Columbus, Ohio, as a Clinical Research Associate in the Medical Nutrition Research and Development Division. This marked my transition from animal nutrition into clinical nutrition, a field that would define much of my subsequent career. At Abbott, I focused on disease-specific enteral nutrition products, particularly immuno-nutrition and anti-inflammatory nutritional therapies. My work involved clinical protocol development, study monitoring, and product innovation.
In 1997, I was promoted to Senior Clinical Project Leader, where I played a key role in developing disease-specific nutritional formulas and functional ingredients. During this period, I contributed to innovations that led to several U.S. patents related to therapeutic nutritional products for rheumatoid arthritis and sepsis. My growing involvement with Japanese healthcare systems and nutrition science led me to participate in a national initiative to establish nutritional assessment standards for the Japanese population. This work eventually contributed to the development of the Japanese Anthropometric Reference Data project, commonly known as JARD2001.
The initiative provided the first standardized anthropometric reference data that significantly improved nutritional assessment practices in Japan. In 1998, I returned to Japan as Business Unit Director for Nutritional Products at Dainabot Co., Ltd., Abbott’s Japanese affiliate. This role represented my first major leadership position and provided an opportunity to combine scientific expertise with business management. I managed the Ensure product group and enteral feeding device business, overseeing a portfolio generating approximately 14 billion JPY in annual sales.
Advancing Clinical Nutrition Practice in Japan: TNT and the Nutrition Support Team Movement
During this period, I successfully launched several important nutritional products, including Glucerna, Oxepa, and Pulmocare. Beyond product commercialization, I worked extensively with healthcare professionals, government agencies, academic societies, and key opinion leaders. One of my most significant accomplishments was introducing the Total Nutrition Therapy (TNT) educational program to Japan in collaboration with the Japanese Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. This physician-focused program helped improve clinical nutrition education in Japan and in the world. In addition, one of my most meaningful contributions to clinical nutrition in Japan was supporting the development and dissemination of the Nutrition Support Team (NST) concept during a period when multidisciplinary nutritional care was still in its early stages. Drawing upon my experience in the United States, where nutrition support teams had already demonstrated their value in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs, I worked closely with physicians, dietitians, pharmacists, nurses, academic societies, and industry partners to promote a team-based approach to nutritional management. Through TNT educational initiatives and ongoing professional education activities, I helped raise awareness of the critical role nutrition plays in patient recovery and disease management. By advocating for standardized nutritional assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based nutritional intervention, I contributed to the broader movement that led to the establishment and expansion of NSTs throughout Japanese hospitals.
These efforts helped shift clinical nutrition from a supportive service to an integral component of patient care, improving the quality of nutritional management and ultimately benefiting countless patients across Japan.
Global Leadership at Abbott: Managing International Nutrition Portfolios
In 2002, I relocated to Abbott’s global headquarters in Illinois, initially serving as Manager of Medical Nutritional Products and later as Senior Business Development Manager for Global Nutritional Products. These positions broadened my global responsibilities and allowed me to influence nutrition strategy across multiple regions. As Senior Business Development Manager, I oversaw adult medical nutrition portfolios across more than thirty countries. I managed internationally recognized brands such as Ensure, Jevity, Osmolite, Enlive, and Enrich. My responsibilities included strategic planning, product lifecycle management, regulatory coordination, marketing support, budget management, and collaboration with healthcare professionals worldwide.
Perhaps one of my most enduring contributions during this period was the global expansion of TNT. Working closely with international affiliates, I helped launch TNT in countries throughout Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. The program became a widely respected educational platform for physicians and later expanded into TNT-CP to educate dietitians, nurses, and pharmacists. My work at Abbott also included efforts to introduce novel ingredients and nutritional technologies into international markets. In Japan, I successfully facilitated regulatory approval for new nutritional ingredients and played a pivotal role in incorporating fructooligosaccharides into pharmaceutical nutrition products and a novel ingredient, HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate), into a food-grade nutrition product.
Expanding into Asia-Pacific R&D: Singapore and Analytical Innovation
In 2009, I moved to Singapore to join Abbott Nutrition’s Asia-Pacific Research and Development Center as Group Manager for Technical Assessment, Competitive Intelligence, and Analytical R&D. There, I evaluated scientific, regulatory, patent, and supply chain opportunities across pediatric, medical, and consumer nutrition categories. I also helped establish advanced analytical laboratories in Singapore’s Biopolis research hub, strengthening Abbott’s regional R&D capabilities.
GlaxoSmithKline, Danone, and the Breadth of Consumer Health Leadership
In 2010, I accepted a new challenge with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Consumer Healthcare Japan as Director of Regulatory Affairs and Product Development. I was responsible for five major functional groups, including regulatory affairs, product development, quality assurance, safety control, customer service, and scientific affairs. Leading a team of twenty-three professionals, I oversaw product portfolios generating approximately 17 billion JPY in annual sales. The experience at GSK deepened my understanding of regulatory science, quality systems, pharmacovigilance, and consumer healthcare innovation. It also strengthened my leadership capabilities as I managed diverse cross-functional teams responsible for product development, compliance, and customer engagement.
In 2012, I joined Danone Japan as Director of Research and Development. This role allowed me to contribute to one of the world’s leading health-focused food companies. I oversaw innovation, renovation, quality support, packaging development, and health affairs across major yogurt and dairy product portfolios. The brands under my responsibility generated annual sales exceeding 30 billion JPY.
Sports Nutrition Transformation: Dome Corporation, DNS, and Informed-Choice
In 2015, I joined Dome Corporation as General Manager of the Office of the President and CEO before transitioning into leadership of the company’s nutrition business. At Dome and its sports nutrition brand DNS, I spearheaded a comprehensive business transformation involving product innovation, manufacturing optimization, portfolio restructuring, and distribution strategy. Through these efforts, DNS achieved remarkable growth, increasing annual sales from 2.5 billion JPY to 4.2 billion JPY within two years. One of my proudest achievements during this period was introducing the internationally respected Informed-Choice anti-doping certification program to Japan. This initiative elevated quality and safety standards within the Japanese sports supplement industry and strengthened athlete confidence in nutritional products. Now, Informed-Choice is the standard for anti-doping certification in Japan, with nearly 400 brands/products certified.
Building Japan's Sports Nutrition Scientific Community: ISSN Japan and GPNi Japan
My passion for sports nutrition eventually led me to establish the International Society of Sports Nutrition Japan (ISSN Japan) and the Global Performance Nutrition Institute Japan (GPNi Japan) in 2021. Through these organizations, I have worked to bring global scientific standards and evidence-based sports nutrition education to Japan. We launched professional certification programs and educational initiatives designed to improve the knowledge and practice of sports nutrition among healthcare professionals, coaches, trainers, and athletes. In 2022, I had the honor of hosting the first International Society of Sports Nutrition Congress in Japan online, creating a platform for scientific exchange and international collaboration.
A New Chapter: Chief Science Officer of NiHTEK® and the NiHPRO® Mission
Designing NiHPRO®: Amino Acid Science Applied to Human Performance
One example of how my scientific experience continues to influence product innovation is the development of NiHPRO®. While many protein products focus primarily on total protein content, I believed it was essential to begin with a more fundamental question: what amino acid profile would best support muscle protein synthesis, recovery, physical performance, and healthy aging? Drawing upon my background in amino acid nutrition, protein metabolism, and muscle health, I played a central role in designing the amino acid composition of NiHPRO®. The objective was not simply to maximize protein intake, but to create a profile that more effectively supports the physiological processes responsible for maintaining and rebuilding skeletal muscle.
Attention was given to the balance of essential amino acids and the optimization of anabolic potential based on current scientific understanding of muscle protein synthesis. Understanding the science behind amino acid composition is explored further in our blog post on leucine content and its role in muscle growth, which sheds light on precisely why the right amino acid balance matters so profoundly. For me, this aspect of NiHPRO® was especially meaningful because it brought together several themes that have been present throughout my career: a fascination with amino acids that began during my early years at Kyowa, advanced nutritional training at the University of Illinois, decades of experience in clinical and sports nutrition, and a continuing commitment to translating nutritional science into practical solutions. Designing the amino acid profile was therefore more than a technical exercise it was an opportunity to apply a lifetime of scientific learning toward a product intended to help people maintain strength, performance, and quality of life.
Scientific Validation: DIAAS, INFOGEST, and FODMAP-Friendly Certification
Looking Ahead: Protein for EveryBody™ and the Future of Human Performance
Looking ahead, I am particularly optimistic about the integration of sports nutrition, healthy aging, and preventive healthcare. Increasingly, we are learning that the same principles that support athletic performance can also support healthy longevity. Strength, mobility, recovery, and metabolic health are important not only for athletes but for everyone.
“Protein for EveryBody™.”
