Dr. Nakamura was born in 1936 in Tokyo, Japan.  She graduated from the Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo in 1959.  She earned her Ph.D. degree at the Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo in 1964.

She held positions such as Researcher of National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID); Chief of the Social Life Science Laboratory, Mitsubishi Kasei Institute of Life Sciences; Research Director of the Human Nature Science, Mitsubishi Kasei Institute of Life Sciences; and Professor of Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University.  She served as Vice Director of JT Biohistory Research Hall from 1993 to 2001, and she has served as Director General, JT Biohistory Research Hall since 2002.  She also served as Visiting Professor of Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo and Professor of Graduate School in Cooperation with Other Institutes, Osaka University. 

Dr. Nakamura was awarded the 47^th Mainichi Publishers Award for Culture for her book entitled “Jikososhutsu suru Seimei (in Japanese, Life produces itself) (Tetsugaku Shobo) in 1993, and the Excellence Award, the 12^th Book Award for Technologies and Sciences by the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun Ltd. for “Genomu o Yomu” (in Japanese, Reading Genome) (Kinokuniya Shoten) in 1996.  In 2000, she both won the 8^th Konosuke Matushita Memorial Award of Flower Exposition and the 15^th Diamond Ladies Award.  She is also an awardee of the Omega Award (2002), the 10^th Primula Grand Prix, Osaka Fund for Women (2002), the 45^th Osaka Prefectural Prize for Culture (2007) and the Academia Prize (Cultural Sector), The Academic Society of Japan (2012).