- Fields of study:
- Infectious disease / Cryo EM
- Mentors:
- Dr. Atsushi Kawaguchi / Dr. Kenji Iwasaki
I take on challenges without fear.
I enrolled in this program after transferring from the Master’s Program in Frontier Medical Science. I have been interested in computer science and engineering for a long time. Still, I could study only medicine and biology in my current program. However, the Humanics program allows me to study medicine, computer science, and engineering altogether.
When I entered the program, I chose the laboratories of molecular virology and structural biology. Moreover, I had the opportunity to learn computer science and engineering through lectures and lab rotation. As an international student, I appreciate that all classes are taught in English. I also communicate with my two mentors in English. We regularly set meetings and share our ideas. It is always exciting for me to relay and discuss one of my mentors’ views to the other and vice versa.
This program offers excellent support for the students, such as the travel grant from the first year of enrollment. Through this support, I participated in a summer course at the University of Edinburgh (UK) and a training course at the Okinawa Graduate University, both in my first year. In the future, I will take advantage of this support to attend more academic conferences, both domestic and overseas.
After graduation, I plan to continue my research as a Postdoc in Japan. It is my way of giving back to Japan for the support I received during my graduate studies. I would be happy to apply what I learned from these two fields to solve society’s current problems. It may not be easy to understand a new area, but I hope that the new students will be inspired to take on the challenges without fear. Because at the end of the day, no matter how difficult it may get, you will get through everything as long as you love what you are doing.
[Time table of an ordinary day]
In Iwasaki lab, we use cryo-electron microscopy to reconstruct the 3D structure of proteins and protein complexes for a deeper understanding of their functions and interactions.
In Kawaguchi Lab, I perform most of the biochemical experiments to clarify the molecular mechanism behind the process called phase separation.
Through the Humanics travel grant, I was able to join a summer program and visit top-level universities and institutes in the United Kingdom.