Sun research group at the University of Michigan
by Shusuke Ito I joined the Sun research group at the University of Michigan, led by Professor Sun, as a visiting scholar to collaborate on research into thermodynamics in zeolites. Motivation Zeolite is a representative polymorphic material with over 260 polymorphs and often plays a central role in several industrial processes. To direct the crystallization of a targeted zeolite, a template molecule and/or inorganic cation that occupies the pores defined by a specific zeolite topology is commonly used. Although many computer-assisted algorithms are poised to optimize experimental conditions to control the final phase, a significant gap remains between simulations and real-world systems. During my study abroad, I visited the research group led by Professor Sun at the University of Michigan. He possesses valuable expertise in thermodynamics, which he uses to elucidate the synthesis of various inorganic materials and to optimize experimental conditions. I plan to apply their methods to the zeolite systems. Figure 1. Crystal structures of AEI-type, CHA-type, and ERI-type zeolites. They are often composed of aluminosilicate frameworks. Achievements Modeling To consider the thermodynamics of zeolites during the synthesis, it is required to obtain plausible atomistic models of as-synthesized zeolites. During zeolite synthesis, inorganic or organic molecular cations act as templates, filling and stabilizing the pores, cages, or channels. At the same time, these cation species are recognized as charge compensators countering the negative charge induced by the Al atom, to which the Si atom is substituted. Based on this prior knowledge, I built the computational workflow to generate the plausible atomistic model of as-synthesized zeolites. By running this workflow, I obtained ~50,000 as-synthesized zeolites and performed atomistic simulations to calculate the energetic data. Figure 2. The schematic illustration of the as-synthesized zeolite, with template cation species filling the pore of the zeolite and countering the negative charge coming from the insertion of Al3+ substituting Si4+. Thermodynamics I derived a thermodynamic framework to describe zeolite synthesis. By combining this thermodynamic framework and accumulated data from the modeling workflow, I constructed the first phase diagram of zeolites. The key feature of this theoretical approach is that it bridges the gap between experimental conditions and computationally derived phase diagrams, which represent concentrations of several species and energetic data. I chose choline as a molecular cation and organic template, and Na+, K+, Cs+, and Rb+ as inorganic templates. In addition, I consider the SOD-, AEI-, LEV-, CHA-, and ERI-type zeolites. I plan to conduct experiments to validate this approach for polymorph selection in zeolites. Figure 3. An example of a computationally derived phase diagram of zeolite. Black dashed lines in the M to μ diagram designate the concentration of several species, which are experimental conditions. And the black dashed lines in the diagram at the bottom indicate the energetic value (μ) derived from the M to μ diagram. The values and ticks are omitted because they have not yet been published. Life in Ann Arbor My apartment is located in the downtown area of Ann Arbor. I enjoy walking around and appreciating the beautiful townscape and historic buildings. I sometimes hang out with members of the Sun research group and enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, etc., in Ann Arbor. I had a truly memorable time with the group members. I’m deeply grateful for their generous support, not only in research but also as wonderful friends. I am confident that this experience will have a lasting impact on my future life and career. Acknowledgment I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Friends of UTokyo, Inc. for their generous support, which made my research visit to the University of Michigan possible.
Study abroad experience
by Yuta Yamabata I have a dream that one day, as a mechanical engineer, I will design and manage the development of themed entertainment experiences that bring happiness to people worldwide. To achieve my dream, I have wanted to study abroad in the U.S. for two reasons. One reason is to improve my skills and knowledge as an engineer. It is said that the United States has one of the most competitive academic environments, and many brilliant researchers and engineers are there. The other reason is to explore career opportunities there, because many of the most impactful themed entertainment companies are located in the United States. To achieve this goal, I joined Associate Professor Joohyung Kim’s lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) as a visiting scholar this fall. Within his broad research interests in robotics, including humanoid robots, teleoperation, and dexterous hands, I have been particularly interested in his work because some of these topics are entertainment-focused and related to Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). He has experience working in the themed entertainment industry, and some of his current research is actually based on his work there. In particular, he is also an expert in motion retargeting, which is a technique to transfer human motion to robots, a research topic that I am interested in. During my stay, I basically spent my time in the lab, working on my research on motion retargeting. Because my project was still in its very early phase, I needed to begin by reviewing previous literature. At the beginning, I reviewed work in this field, ranging from some of the professor’s earlier papers (Fig. 1) to the latest studies on motion retargeting. The professor suggested a promising starting direction, which helped me gain deeper insight into this field and think of a possible way to achieve my research goals. My dense three-month stay helped me build up a solid foundation for my research and contributed to giving my research a good start. Now I’m back in Japan, but I aim to continue working on it and make it academically meaningful. Aside from working on my own research, I mainly interacted with Ph.D. students and a postdoc in the lab. I was especially impressed by their broad knowledge and curiosity about technology because I mainly interact with undergraduate and master’s students while I am in Tokyo. I realized that there are researchers who are like Superman, who seem to understand even the details that I would normally be tempted to give up on or compromise on. Overall, I found that they work very hard, and I realized that working hard is a minimum requirement. I hung out with them many times, sometimes even with the professor (Fig. 2-5). It was a really fun experience for me to discuss not only our personal lives but also rapidly changing trends in the field of AI and robotics, such as whether bipedal locomotion is truly necessary for robots in factories. In particular, I found their dedication to creating videos especially impressive. Originally this was the professor’s philosophy, but it has been adopted by the students as well. Every member seems to put a huge amount of effort into how they can effectively showcase their work. Their videos on the YouTube channel actually contribute to drawing attention from many people all over the world. I was really lucky to be able to participate in their annual Halloween video because my visit happened at the right time. We leveraged our teleoperation framework and replicated one scene from the movie Hamilton using four robots with different morphologies. It was a truly tough project, but it was so satisfying to get it done (Fig. 6, 7). Please check out our video: The biggest challenge during the stay was communication, which made me realize the importance of storytelling to assert my opinion. I began my stay just after my project had started, and in every weekly meeting with the professor, I was required to summarize and organize my thoughts at the time and explain them to him in an appropriate order and with clear causation, so that he could follow my storyline and I could get effective feedback from him. My English was not good enough to convey the nuance of my work, which made the meetings even harder for me. Because I didn’t want to miss even a single word he said, I recorded all our conversations in the meetings so that I could check them later and focus on the discussion during the meetings. It was really tough for me to iteratively make research progress, wrap it up, discuss it, and keep it in a good direction. I don’t think I could have done it perfectly, but eventually this experience gave me confidence in storytelling to some extent. I feel that the ability to organize thoughts and build a story to tell based on a listener’s background and understanding is generally vital in many situations, including both industry and academia. I aim to work internationally in the future, so the fact that I was able to do this in English in a different country is even more valuable. Aside from my activities in the lab, I participated in several events of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) at UIUC. I enjoyed the activities, and I was truly lucky to be able to listen to talks from industry professionals. Through my experience of studying abroad, I decided to keep the following in mind: The most memorable thing the professor said is a Chinese proverb: 尽人事以听天命, which means “Do your best and leave the rest to fate.” I assume that, considering his contributions in the field of humanoid robots, the way he has done his best so far has been extremely tough and based on a huge amount of effort that I cannot even imagine. His words made me feel that I still need to keep on working hard and tackle the tasks ahead. In the end, I truly appreciate the generous financial
Princeton University Office of Population Research
by Haruki Sugimoto 東京大学大学院国際社会科学専攻相関社会科学コース修士1年の杉本遥と申します。本レポートは、2025年4月にPrinceton University Office of Population Research（以下OPR）に約1ヶ月の間、R教授、Friends of UTokyo, Inc. 様のご厚意により、研究滞在させて頂いたご報告です。
USTEP
by Humza Qazi Having received the Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou Scholarship in support of my studies at the University of Tokyo, I am now writing this report to recount my academic achievements and how this study abroad program helped me to accomplish my goals. First, however, I would like to express my utmost gratitude toward Hsun Kwei, Aiko Takizawa Chou, and Friends of UTokyo, Inc. for awarding me this beyond generous scholarship; I am honored to have been selected from such a talented pool of students. In terms of my academics during my time at the University of Tokyo, it was my “Japanese Beginning-1” language course that undoubtedly proved to be my most difficult undertaking. This is not to say, however, that the course was not immensely rewarding. There is, after all, something profound about the undertaking of “learning on the job,” so to speak; with each passing day I spent in Japan, what were once incomprehensible jumbles of hiragana and katakana slowly but surely became semi-digestible billboards, menu items, etc. When confronted with the prospect of my end-of-semester final presentation, I was afforded the opportunity by my exceedingly kind professors to speak about something — or rather, someone — that I am infinitely passionate about: Spider-Man; I wanted to explore beyond the simple confines of the textbook for my final presentation, with my professors graciously supporting such creativity. Having rehearsed my presentation several times according to my professors’ potent feedback, I was confidently able to speak about my favorite super hero in front of my class, entirely in Japanese. This is my proudest academic achievement while at UTokyo. And so to conclude, I would like to thank my Japanese language professors for what was nothing short of an excellent classroom experience; they provided an appropriate blend of patience and “tough love,” so to speak, never letting my peers or I settle for anything less than our absolute best. Their instruction has inspired me to continue studying and learning Japanese language now that I have returned to the United States; I only hope that my future instructors are as amazing as they were.
Internship in the Ideguchi group
by Atsuko Price This summer, thanks to the support from Friends of UTokyo Inc. (FUTI), I was able to participate in a life changing internship with the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program (UTRIP). I was an intern in the Ideguchi group under Dr. Takuro IDEGUCHI, whose lab specializes in the development of optical and quantum technologies for applications in various fields such as biology, medicine chemistry, and physics. I worked closely with a grad student, Masato FUKUSHIMA, where I learned about diffraction tomography being used in microscopy. More specifically I learned to code for the reconstruction algorithms of phased-based optical diffraction tomography and intensity diffraction tomography, then compared their effectiveness across multiple simulated sample conditions. I even got to visit their physical lab and see their extensive optics set up, culture COS-7 cells, extract them and place them on a slide in order to image using the diffraction tomography techniques. This involves taking multiple “images” of the cell from different evenly spaced angles by shining it with visible light, and the camera captures how much the light perturbs due to the object. The reconstruction algorithm that was coded for is used to take this perturbed light measurement and deduce what internal structures of the cell being imaged would have resulted in a measurement like that. Beyond the lab, I got to participate in culture enrichment hosted by UTRIP staff including a tea ceremony, flower display making, a field trip to Kamakura, trying new foods and overall just getting to experience what it’s like living independently in Japan. I gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of Japanese work culture and definitely look forward to visiting the lab again sometime. Thanks to this internship, I got the opportunity to combine research in biology and physics, in something other than protein folding mechanics, which was an insightful experience. I really enjoyed optics research and plan on pursuing it more in the future. Words cannot express how grateful I am to have gotten this opportunity. Thank you so much.
UTSIP-Kashiwa
by Miruna Neacsu My name is Miruna Neacsu, and I am a student at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the United States, pursuing a major in Physics with a minor in Computer Science. This summer, I had the opportunity to participate in the UTSIP Kashiwa, through the generous sponsorship of FUTI program, and it has been more than just a dream, it has been the “Inception” of my journey. I had always dreamed of visiting Japan, becoming part of the UTokyo community, and getting a sense of what my future as a Master’s student might look like. At the same time, I wanted to apply my background in Physics and Computer Science to take steps toward a career in healthcare technology. Through UTSIP, all these dreams came together, not just separately but as one meaningful experience. During UTSIP I had the honor of being a summer research intern under the mentorship of Professor Kotani Kiyoshi at the Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies. My work focused on the “Time dynamics of Auditory Steady-State Responses (ASSR),” a project examining how the brain synchronizes its electrical activity with repetitive auditory stimuli. This line of research holds significant clinical potential, particularly in the context of treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), a condition affecting nearly 30% of patients for whom standard antipsychotic therapies prove ineffective. ASSR, especially at the 40 Hz frequency, stand out as a promising, non-invasive EEG marker capable of distinguishing TRS patients and guiding more personalized approaches to treatment, while also offering a cost-effective alternative to costly or invasive methods like PET imaging. I approached this research with dedication, integrating the theoretical and experimental knowledge I had gained throughout my academic career. This commitment was recognized at the program’s final, when I received the “Best Presentation Award,” a distinction symbolized by the gift of a traditional Japanese cup, an achievement I treasure with pride. Beyond research, UTSIP Kashiwa offered valuable perspectives on the intersection of science, technology, and society. A field trip to Shizuoka introduced us to the massive tsunami protection system, a striking example of resilience and human ingenuity in the face of natural disasters. I discovered advanced technologies applied in tomato farms and EEL fish aquaculture, enjoyed the serenity of a traditional tea ceremony, admired the landscapes of Yaizu, stood in awe before the majesty of Fuji-San, and was part of the cultural richness of kabuki theatre. Each of these experiences contributed to a more holistic understanding of Japan, complementing the academic dimension of the program. For me, UTSIP was not just an academic milestone, but a constant source of joy and wonder. I met inspiring specialists dedicated to their work, peers from around the world with whom I hope to keep lifelong friendships, and cultures that amazed me both in their diversity and in their shared passion for knowledge and science. In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the University of Tokyo and the FUTI Scholarship. Their support has given me the chance not only to contribute to meaningful research, but also to immerse myself in the richness of Japanese culture. This program has left a deep mark on my personal and academic path, and I sincerely hope to return to UTokyo and Japan in the future, to continue learning and building on this unforgettable experience.
UTSIP-Kashiwa
by Reia Lee I had the opportunity to conduct research through the UTSIP Kashiwa program at the SCSLab (Simulation of Complex Systems Lab) in the Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Sciences. My project focused on using an agent-based model on a platform called NetLogo to simulate cancer growth and the interactions between cancer, healthy, and immune cells based on game theory and replicator dynamics. Although I had prior experience in computational biology, I was new to game theory and complex systems, so this project was an exciting challenge in an unfamiliar field. I was also eager to develop computational skills, since I was interested in diving deeper into dry lab rather than wet lab. After reviewing relevant literature and learning NetLogo, I identified two key parameters that significantly affected cancer growth: one representing competition between cancer and healthy cells, and the other representing the immune killing rate of cancer cells. I constructed a phase diagram that illustrated three modes of cancer growth—no growth, dispersed growth, and clustered growth—based on changes to these parameters. To further analyze the results, I coded a script in NetLogo to quantify clustering, drawing on concepts from the DBSCAN machine learning algorithm. This was the most technically challenging part of my research since I was new to the coding language and platform. Beyond the research itself, UTSIP Kashiwa was an incredible experience. I made friends from all over the world and enjoyed my time in Kashiwa. Although I am Japanese and have spent many summers in Japan with my family, living there longer-term and conducting research there gave me a deeper perspective on life in Japan. I am extremely grateful for this opportunity—this was truly one of my most memorable summers, and I gained valuable insights and skills in complex systems research.
UTSIP Kashiwa 2025
by Timea Jarosova This summer, I completed a 6 week internship at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, with the Frith Lab, a computational biology lab. At my home university, I worked in a wet lab focusing on viruses, but I wanted to gain experience in genetics, one of my favourite fields. This program was the perfect opportunity. Dr. Frith and the other members of the lab were very welcoming and supported me throughout my project. I chose to analyze previously unclassified mobile genetic sequences in the human genome. Working entirely in code was new for me, which presented a fantastic challenge that helped me grow as a scientist. I was able to use several types of software to pull out genetic data from databanks and create a consensus sequence, allowing me to find more spots in the human genome where the sequence is present. I discovered a lot about the field of evolutionary biology. I was even able to attend a conference with my lab, where I met many experts in the field and heard interesting lectures. In fact, I even got inspiration for what I might want to study as a graduate student. I feel that this program hugely boosted my career, scientific ability, and introduced me to fantastic people who made the program wonderful. I am so thankful to the University of Tokyo and FUTI for the experience.
Johns Hopkins Clinical Electives
by Wakana Inumaru First of all, I’d like to thank FUTI for supporting my clinical electives abroad. I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a 4-week clinical elective at two institutions: Johns Hopkins University and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. I was a part of the pediatric surgery department and transplant surgery department consecutively, at each university. I. Pediatric Surgery at Johns Hopkins i. Daily Schedule 5:00-5:30 check on assigned patients5:30-6:15 sign out6:15-7:15 rounds7:30-10:00 surgery①10:00-10:20 review surgery① / prepare for surgery②10:20-13:00 surgery②13:00-13:20 lunch13:20-15:30 surgery③15:30-17:00 consults, emergency cases17:00-17:40 sign-out ii. Sign-out I presented assigned patients every day. During the first week, I was responsible for two patients, which increased to three in the second and third weeks, and four in the final week. iii. Rounds The pediatric surgery service typically had between 20 and 40 inpatients at any given time. Rounds usually began in the PICU, followed by the general pediatric ward and then the NICU. Since many patients (or their parents) were Spanish-speaking and many physicians were fluent in Spanish, communication was often conducted in Spanish. iv. Surgery Johns Hopkins has a very high surgical volume and a dedicated pediatric hospital building. One entire floor was reserved for pediatric surgeries, with 12 operating rooms exclusively for children. Pediatric surgeries were performed daily, averaging about three cases per day. Patients were referred from surrounding areas, with e a broad spectrum of symptoms. Some of the most memorable cases I observed included ileal atresia, esophageal atresia, bowel necrosis caused by a lactobezoar, gastroschisis repair in neonates, ovarian tumors, pelvic Ewing sarcoma, emergency splenectomy, and robotic-assisted procedures using the Da Vinci system.Additionally, about half of the pediatric surgery attendings specialized in burn and trauma care, so I was able to observe laser therapy and skin grafting for extensive burns. v. Consults At Hopkins, the pediatric surgery team was typically the first to be consulted for children presenting to the ED with trauma or burns. Assisting with CT scans and X-rays for a child who had suffered multiple fractures in a traffic accident on a Saturday was an unforgettable experience. Besides trauma cases, we were also consulted by other pediatric departments. For example, we were asked to evaluate a swollen gastrostomy site, or to determine whether a lung abscess secondary to pneumonia required drainage. I accompanied the residents on these consults and participated in the assessments. vi. Surgical Experience and Skills Development My time in the OR allowed me to significantly improve my technical skills, including assisting techniques and suturing. Before each surgery, I waited for the patient’s arrival and helped transport the bed to the OR with the anesthesia team. I assisted with tasks such as transferring the patient to the operating table and positioning them, working closely with the anesthesiologists and nurses. In the OR, I frequently served as the second assistant and helped with wound closure. I also volunteered to hold the camera during laparoscopic procedures, which attendings kindly allowed. Although I had prior exposure to some surgical techniques, this was my first opportunity to perform them repeatedly, and the hands-on experience I gained at Hopkins was invaluable—especially as a fifth-year medical student. One particularly memorable case was assisting an attending one-on-one during a posterior neck mass excision. I was given the opportunity to use the electrocautery (bovie) and perform parts of the procedure as the primary operator. Being entrusted with this level of responsibility and receiving direct instruction was a rare and extremely rewarding experience. II. Transplant Surgery at Mount Sinai i. Summary At Mount Sinai, the transplant surgery department primarily focused on liver and kidney transplants, with additional hepatobiliary procedures. When notified of available donor organs, the team would travel, often on short notice, across the East Coast, day or night, to procure them. ii. Scheduled Surgeries I had the chance to observe several scheduled procedures, including living donor kidney transplants, Whipple procedures for pancreatic cancer, liver resections for hepatocellular carcinoma, and robot-assisted cholecystectomies. Most of these were new to me, and I gained valuable exposure to both surgical and non-surgical treatment approaches for liver and pancreatic cancers. iii. Organ Procurement and Recipient Surgery When a donor became available at a nearby hospital and the team accepted the offer, we would travel by car or plane for organ procurement. This was one of the most exciting parts of the elective, with many opportunities for student involvement. I participated in three procurements and assisted in retrieving the liver and kidney, as well as closing the donor afterward. v. Surgical Experience and Skills Development Transplant surgery is a field with significant differences between the U.S. and Japan, particularly in terms of the number of available donors and frequency of recipient surgeries. Through this elective, I gained in-depth knowledge of transplant procedures, post-transplant patient care, and the use of immunosuppressive therapy. I also progressively improved my ability to assist in high-stakes, complex surgeries, contributing more confidently and effectively each day. III. Simulation Training Johns Hopkins and Mount Sinai both had a simulation center available for residents and students to practice surgical skills. I visited whenever I had time and trained on the Da Vinci robotic surgical system. The simulator was identical to the machines used in actual procedures. Given that the Da Vinci systems are extremely expensive and access to practice in Tokyo is limited, this was a rare and valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Acknowledgment The opportunity to participate in surgeries at two distinctly different institutions in the U.S. has given me invaluable perspectives and insights that will have a lasting impact on my future career as a surgeon. I am deeply grateful to Friends of UTokyo for their generous support of my clinical electives. This experience was truly the highlight of my student life, and it would not have been possible without your help.
Stanford Summer Session
by Seigo Hayami This summer, I participated in the Stanford Summer Session, an eight-week program that allowed me to study and experience life at Stanford University. I enrolled in CS148: Introduction to Computer Graphics and Imaging and CS229: Machine Learning. These courses not only gave me the chance to learn new things, but also allowed me to experience firsthand how classes are taught at Stanford. In CS148, I learned about the fundamental concepts of computer graphics. The course was approachable, combining lectures with group activities and culminating in a final project where we created original 3D-rendered scenes. CS 229 was more challenging. It required heavy assignments and a demanding final exam. Through the workload was tough, I gained a much deeper understanding of machine learning. Learning machine learning at Stanford was one of my goals and I am proud that I achieved it. Beyond academics, I could make so many friends from diverse backgrounds. Living in a dorm with those brilliant students was one of the most memorable experiences. We studied together, talked a lot, played sports, and traveled on weekends. These experiences gave me not only unforgettable memories but also a global network of friends. Highlights included visiting Yosemite National Park and Los Angeles, as well as joining summer school-organized activities like amusement park trips, a soccer game, and a bay cruise. These experiences gave me not only unforgettable memories but also a global network of friends. Overall, I had a really good time at Stanford. It challenged me academically, enriched me culturally, and built connections. I am deeply grateful to FUTI for providing me with this opportunity.