Dr. Shin Murakami's proposal was titled "Novel insights into the mechanisms of Rift Valley fever virus RNA replication" and his mentor is Dr. Shinji Makino.

Dr. Murakami's McLaughlin Fellowship was scheduled to run until August 31, 2012, but he applied for and won a two-year fellowship from the Japan Society for Promotion of Science, to run from January 1, 2012, through December 31, 2013. As a result, the McLaughlin Committee bestowed the title of "McLaughlin Scholar" on Dr. Murakami and presented him with a research incentive award.