An expert on natural rubber science and technology, Professor Seiichi Kawahara has spent the last three decades investigating a relationship between structure and properties of natural rubber. He also has a strong interest in control of hierarchal structure of rubbery materials. After receiving his doctorate in Engineering from Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in 1992, Kawahara began his career as assistant professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology. He made collaborative research works with Prof. Yasuyuki Tanaka. He joined rubber research group of Prof. Alan Gent and Prof. Gray Hamed at Akron University in 1996-1997 as a visiting scientist. Currently, he is professor of Nagaoka university of Technology. He published 235 peer reviewed articles. Kawahara has served on advisory boards for Polymers for Advanced Technology, Journal of Rubber Research and Kautschuk Gummi Kunststoffe. He received 14 awards, some of which are listed as follows:

The Award of the Society of Polymer Science in 2021, from the Society of Polymer Science, Japan

The Science and Technology Award in 2015 from the Society of Rubber Science and Technology, Japan

The Sparks-Thomas Award in 2014 from the American Chemical Society, USA

The SPSJ Wiley Award in 2011 from the Society of Polymer Science, Japan

The SRJ Research Award in 2004 from the Society of Rheology, Japan