Google honors virologist Dr. Michiaki Takahashi with new Doodle

Feb. 17 (UPI) -- Google is celebrating virologist Dr. Michiaki Takahashi, who developed the first vaccine against chickenpox, with a new Doodle.

Google's homepage features artwork of Takahashi working on the vaccine by Tokyo-based guest artist Tatsuro Kiuchi. The Doodle was released on Thursday to mark what would have been Takahashi's 94th birthday.

Takahashi was born on this day in 1928 in Osaka, Japan. He graduated with his medical degree from Osaka University. Takahashi later accepted a research fellowship in 1963 at Baylor College in the U.S.

Takahashi would turn his attention to fighting chickenpox after his son developed a serious bout of the viral infection. He returned to Japan in 1965 and began working on the vaccine, making it ready for clinical trials after five years of development.

The doctor had developed the first vaccine that targets the varicella virus, which causes chickenpox. The vaccine started to be rolled out in Japan in 1986 was soon used in over 80 countries.

Takahashi was appointed the director of Osaka University's Microbial Disease Study Group, which he held until his retirement. Takahashi died in Dec. 2013 at the age of 85.