Born 1936 in Nara prefecture, Japan, Kazuo Murakami completed his doctoral course at Kyoto University Graduate School in 1963.

He is the assistant professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and has been a professor at University of Tsukuba Institute of Applied Biochemistry in 1978.

Since his success in genetically decoding the enzyme "renin" in humans, the cause of high blood pressure, he has since attracted global attention in his research on biochemistry. Won the Max Planck Research Award in 1990. Won the Japan Academy Prize in 1996. Currently heads the Foundation for Advancement of International Science Bio Laboratory, a recognized authority on biogenetics.