Elective Clerkship at Johns Hopkins University
by Kota Sueo This summer, thanks to the generous support from Friends of UTokyo, Inc., I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a three-month elective clerkship program at Johns Hopkins University. My clerkship comprised two segments: a clinical rotation in the Department of Cardiology and a research rotation at the Schizophrenia Center. Both experiences profoundly shaped my understanding of what it takes to become an excellent doctor. I. Department of Cardiology I was assigned to the Progressive Cardiac Care Unit (PCCU), a transitional unit from the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CCU). While the CCU attends to patients in critical conditions, the PCCU is dedicated to those whose vitals have relatively stabilized. The PCCU is divided into two specialized teams: the General Cardiology (Gen Cards) team, which manages cases such as post-myocardial infarction patients, and the Cardiomyopathy (CM) team, which cares for post-heart transplant patients, for instance. My rotation encompassed three weeks with the Gen Cards team and two weeks with the CM team. My principal responsibility entailed presenting the patients under my care during the morning rounds. This task, initially challenging, became progressively more manageable thanks to the precise and constructive feedback from the attending physicians, which fostered my consistent professional growth. Beyond the morning rounds, I had the chance to observe procedures such as catheterizations and echocardiograms and to help residents with their tasks. Additionally, I had the opportunity to deliver a presentation on “SAVR vs. TAVR Treatment Options” to the team. These experiences afforded me considerate insights into patient care and the nuanced practicalities of cardiology. II. The Schizophrenia Center The Schizophrenia Center is a comprehensive institution comprising clinical departments and multiple research teams, where Dr. Sawa, my mentor, serves as the director. During my time there, I participated in a research project and also attended the Schizophrenia Center Annual Symposium, where I learned about outreach methods for patients and their families. Research Project Given my interest in cardiology, I was assigned to a project on cardiomyocytes. Since the late 1980s, it has been recognized that some proteins have secondary roles beyond their primary functions, known as moonlighting proteins. Dr. Sawa has long focused on the protein GAPDH, collaborating with Dr. Takimoto’s team from the Cardiology Department of the University of Tokyo. GAPDH is typically known as a glycolytic enzyme localized in the cytoplasm, but under specific stress conditions, it undergoes post-translational modifications and translocates to the nucleus, inducing cell death. While many studies have addressed this cell death cascade, recent findings suggest the existence of GAPDH nuclear translocation that does not result in cell death, indicating further roles for GAPDH. This non-cell-death-related nuclear translocation of GAPDH has been linked to microglial dysfunction in Dr. Sawa’s team and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in Dr. Takimoto’s team. My task was to establish a similar cellular experimental system for the hypertrophy model at Johns Hopkins and to explore the mechanisms and concepts of cardiac hypertrophy through a literature review. Although I successfully confirmed nuclear translocation in the cell death model, I could not replicate it in the hypertrophy model, highlighting the complexities of cell biology. However, by extensively reviewing the literature, I identified other molecules potentially involved in this cascade and shared studies indicating that GAPDH translocates to the nucleus in a cell cycle-dependent manner with the team. Presentations at the Weekly Meetings Every week, a one-hour meeting is held where a few members present their research progress. I had the opportunity to present twice. The first presentation covered the historical context of the GAPDH project and my experimental results. The second presentation was a journal club on the relationship between the heart and brain. The paper I presented investigated whether mice experience anxiety when their heart rate is non-invasively increased using optogenetics, addressing the famous question, “Do people run because they are afraid of bears, or are they afraid because they run?” This paper used cutting-edge technology to explore the connection between mind and body. While it is well-known that stress can cause cardiac abnormalities, as seen in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, appropriate experimental systems to study the reverse relationship were lacking, making this study particularly enlightening. Dr. Sawa emphasized that since humans function through the complex interactions of various organs, it is crucial not only to focus on one organ but also to consider how the same molecular mechanisms manifest in different organs and to think systemically about organ interactions. This experience truly brought his advice to life. Schizophrenia Center Annual Symposium The Schizophrenia Center has four main pillars, one of which is outreach to patients and their families. The Schizophrenia Center Annual Symposium is held for this purpose, bringing together researchers, clinicians, patients, and their families. The symposium is funded by donations, making participation free and accessible for patients. I was impressed by the inclusivity and the value of such a multi-stakeholder event in problem-solving. The symposium effectively connected clinicians and researchers with stakeholders, including patients and their families, who were also actively interacting with each other. Since psychiatric disorders often require long-term care involving families, this symposium provided a meaningful space for information gathering and support for them. For aspiring physician-scientists, it is crucial to remember that there are always patients hoping for improvements in their conditions behind every experiment. Observing such an inclusive event reaffirmed this for me, making my participation highly rewarding. The symposium was a true embodiment of a win for all. Acknowledgment The experience of being educated within a different system has enriched my perspective and approach to medical practice. I extend my deepest gratitude to Friends of UTokyo, Inc., for their generous support. This invaluable opportunity would not have been possible without their assistance, and it has undoubtedly become a significant highlight of my academic journey.
Sustainable Society Design Center
by Carter Powers Hello! I’m Carter Powers, an American and a 3rd-year undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame located in South Bend, Indiana USA where I study Environmental Engineering with a supplemental major in Asian Studies and a minor in Energy Studies. This summer of 2024, I conducted research as an intern in the UTSIP program. I worked in the Sustainable Society Design Center in the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Frontier Sciences’ (GSFS) Graduate Program of Sustainability Science for about 7 weeks. I stayed at the Kashiwa Campus in Chiba Prefecture. I conducted a research project with my university last year where we traveled to Japan for 10 days in May, visiting Fukushima and Tokyo. Since I am self-studying Japanese, have an interest in Japanese culture, and I’m interested in studying climate change from an international perspective, I wanted to try and continue to conduct research in Japan for a longer period of time. So, when a representative from UTokyo came to Notre Dame to explain about UTokyo’s summer programs, I thought that the UTSIP program was a perfect match for my goals. I was accepted to work under Prof. Kameyama Yasuko looking at climate change and carbon sequestration policy. My laboratory had a very independent work environment which allowed me to choose my own project and do a lot of original work. Unfortunately, this laboratory environment also resulted in some problems because there was very little collaboration, and I did not feel like I received that much feedback and guidance. In spite of this, I continued to work hard to make the most of my experience. I chose to research Blue Carbon, the process of using coastal ecosystems like seaweed beds to sequester carbon, from a policy standpoint because Japan is carrying out a lot of blue carbon projects. I used a recently published paper qualitatively studying projects in the USA, UK, and Australia to guide my work to compare Japanese Blue Carbon to other countries. I was able to conduct three interviews with various organizations conducting blue carbon projects, gather some more data using an email questionnaire, and carry out literature review and document analysis. Through my project, I was able to learn more about Blue Carbon and the related research field as well as learn a bit more about qualitative research methods. Despite the issues I ran into with my lab environment, I was able to gain some valuable research experience. Hopefully, I will be able to continue my project after the end of the program and contribute to the literature! Also, at our final presentation, I won the “best presentation” award! Outside of research, I had a lot of fun hanging out with my fellow UTSIP interns. Although we were mostly doing work in different laboratories, we all made a lot of time to enjoy time with each other. We did a lot of karaoke, explored many different places in Tokyo, and had some fun get-togethers as well. A few of us got yukata and hit the town during the Tanabata Festival, and we actually got filmed for Nippon TV! Most of us stayed in a hotel, but one of us was moved into the International Lodge on the Kashiwa II campus, and one night we all gathered at the common room and had a fun dinner. Since many of the other interns were from India, I was able to try a lot of Indian cuisine with them. Experiencing the culture of other countries was not something I expected from this program, but it was something I thoroughly enjoyed. Connecting to people from many different countries such as India, China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia was such an interesting and enriching experience. We also had a two-day field trip to learn about Hadano City’s groundwater management and see the construction of the Shin-Tomei Expressway. The field trip was a nice break from research, and I learned a lot about engineering and water resources in Japan. I especially enjoyed Hadano City because it aligned closely with the courses that I have been taking for my major related to water resources. Also, since I have been developing an interest in Japanese Mahjong, I used my time in Japan to play a lot as well. I brought my tiles from home and taught many of the other interns how to play. I also played at a mahjong parlor called Bellbird in Shimbashi that is focused on welcoming newer players and foreigners. I actually attended an event there and got to play with some professional players! Overall, I enjoyed many different aspects of Japan and learned a lot about research and my future aspirations within the field. I am grateful to have participated in this internship and I am grateful to Friends of UTokyo for providing me with funding to support my internship. I am still considering what I want to do once I graduate, but in any case, I can say that I hope this will not be my last time in Japan!
Bito Lab in the UTokyo School of Medicine
by Jingren Carl Gu This Summer, under FUTI’s generous support, I spent 7 weeks at the Bito Lab in the UTokyo School of Medicine. I took part in an ongoing project by Dr. Hajime Fujii to design a genetically encoded calcium indicator (GECI). A GECI is a calcium sensitive fluorescent protein that scientists introduce into the brain. When a neuron fires, a flux of calcium enters the cell through voltage-gated calcium channels, and the GECI lights up, signalling to the observer that the neuron was just active. However, not every GECI is the same. Some are like distant stars in a night sky: their lights are dim, but occasionally, they brighten up 10 folds and blink at you under the dark canvas of the horizon. Some are like the full moon: its gentle light showers over the vast terrain, beholding the night with an everlasting glare. Starlight is weak — it cannot be seen clearly like that of the moon. Moonlight is static—- it cannot blink like that of a star. That is the conundrum: scientists need a molecular indicator that is both bright, so they easily stand out under the noisy background of the brain, and shiny, so that when the cell becomes active, there is a dramatic change in brightness that can be easily measured. In other words, Dr. Fujii and I were looking for a GECI that had both brightness and dynamic range –– we were looking for a moon that blinks. The procedure, on the other hand, was much more down to earth. We cultured cells that were randomly expressing GECIs with different mutations and tested their responsiveness. These mutations, through a myriad of molecular interactions, gave each version of the GECI a unique brightness and dynamic range. We looked for precise combinations of mutations that would result in a calcium indicator that had both high brightness and high dynamic range. This was not an easy feat, however, as there were hundreds of thousands of potential combinations! Through each screening, we incubated several hundreds of cell cultures, which expressed several hundred versions of the GECI. We used these as a representative set of the entire set of possibilities. We screened for their brightness and dynamic range and examined the copies that produced the best performance. We then picked out mutations that potentially led to their high performance and fixed these mutations onto the next generation of fluorescent probes, hoping to improve the population’s overall quality in the subsequent round. By the end of the 7 weeks, we have undergone several rounds of screening and examined thousands of candidate GECI mutants. From them, we identified two families of GECIs that consistently met our standards and a few specific variants that had both outstanding brightness and dynamic range. Outside of the lab, I was an avid ramen enthusiast. For countless evenings, after a long day of work, I would stand in front of the ramen ticket machine, my mouth watering as the coins fell into the coin slot and the menu items lit up. I also went on many dinner gatherings with my lab mates, through which I learned about where locals go for fulfilling and cheap meals, what life in research is like, and how to navigate Shinjuku’s busy alleyways. One night, when I was walking down the streets of Akihabara, I saw a row of Gashapon machines lined up against the road. To play, you simply insert a coin and turn the handle. After a crackling sound, the machine returns a capsule that contains a random toy inside. Since there are many varieties, whether you get the toy you want is completely up to chance. I thought this resembled my research project, as the mutations in the GECIs were also random, and it took luck to stumble upon an effective mutation out of thousands of possibilities. After hearing this thought, Dr. Fujii objected: “Although luck is involved in each round of screening, after each round, we always look for patterns in the data and use them to improve our odds in the next round. No matter what the result is, our knowledge always grows.” That is what I took away from this experience. You must work diligently and meticulously for a long time to earn a chance to test your luck. Then, no matter if you are lucky or not, you will have learned something, and you will use that knowledge to improve your chances in the next try. Eventually, your chances will accumulate, so much so that when you peek into the microscope, you will really see a moon that blinks.
UTSIP Oshima-Akizuki lab
by Hana Chrenka This summer, I participated in UTSIP Kashiwa, a 7-week international research internship program at the University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences. I worked in the Oshima-Akizuki lab in the Department of Environmental Systems, and worked under the supervision of Akizuki-sensei and Shotaro Seki, my tutor. During my time there, I worked on a project investigating the solvent effect on the reaction of 2-chloroadamantane in hot compressed water/methanol mixtures. This topic was related to my previous experience at my home university in my first year, where we used hot compressed water/methanol mixtures to convert algae into bio-oil. This project, however, used a more focused, chemistry-based approach, allowing me to use more information related to my studies. It is also related to my primary motivation for research, advancement of technological strategies to face global warming, as it investigated an alternative chemical process that can increase resource efficiency. Though my final results were a little bit unexpected, I learned a lot about the research process and found it interesting and fun! My tutor was incredibly helpful and wonderfully nice as he taught me the ropes and met with me throughout my research, along with my supervisor and other lab members who I got to interact with in the lab and in seminars. In addition to research, the program included a field trip to see underground water management in Hadano city and the construction of the Shin-Tomei Highway along with several cultural experiences, including a trip to a local shrine and an educational viewing of kabuki theatre. Outside of scheduled activities in the program, I had a really fun time getting to know the other students in the program! I loved being part of such an international group of peers, and I will for sure cherish all the friendships I made this summer :)
Yale Political Science
by Anna Yorozuya I would like to express my gratitude to the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A. and Friends of UTokyo, Inc. for financially supporting my graduate studies. I started my Ph.D. program in political science in August 2022, after graduating from the University of Tokyo in March. Without the generous financial support by the ITO FOUNDATION U.S.A. and Friends of UTokyo, Inc for moving expenses, I wouldn’t have been able to make this life-changing decision to move to a completely new environment. I’m very grateful for the support. I study comparative politics with a focus on the questions of ethnic diversity, democracy, and decentralization in Eastern Europe, using quantitative methods. These issues are very well researched by the political scientists in the US, which led me to apply to the PhD program. I also expected a rigorous methodological training (at the intersection of economics and statistics) in the coursework, which is a strength of the PhD program in American universities. As this is my first time living in the US, moving to New Haven was an arduous process. I thus greatly appreciated the financial support, which helped me set up my new life amidst the unprecedented depreciation of the yen. In my program, the first two years are spent mostly on the coursework. In the first year, I took the courses for my subfields — comparative politics, political economy, quantitative methods, and formal theory — while developing ideas for my dissertation. By the end of the second year, I will be concentrating my effort on coursework, and on qualifying in the comprehensive exams to complete all the requirements for the master’s degree and advancement to the Ph.D. candidacy. The program also provides me with countless opportunities, from attending guest lectures by notable scholars to conducting research and fieldwork during the summer. Through these invaluable experiences, I have encountered and discovered fascinating research topics that I never imagined would interest me. At Yale, I am surrounded by amazing colleagues, who are also my great friends, and I am always inspired by insightful discussions with them. As we all live in a small town, we have a close relationship with each other, which enriches my life here in New Haven. I am also working as a student coordinator for a workshop, in which distinguished scholars are invited to give a talk – working with the administrative staff and meeting people from different universities have also been helping me to get to know the university culture in the United States. My experience at Yale has been splendid so far – Every single day I notice and learn something new, both academically and personally. I am looking forward to what awaits me in the next five years of this program, and hope to give back to the community that supported my graduate studies.
Harvard Summer School Report
by Miu Yamazaki 【Basic Information of the two courses that I took】 A：Politics and Governance in the Global South Course Description: This course introduces students to politics and the political economy of development in low- income countries. What are the main political and governance challenges low-income countries face and what are the best prospects for addressing them? How do political and institutional constraints, like poor accountability, frail institutions, and weak rule of law, impact how global south countries provide the public goods and policies their citizens demand? How does a country’s income level influence politics and governance, and how is it influenced by them in turn? Drawing on both theoretical and empirical social science research, this course explores these questions by blending theory and case studies drawn primarily from Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. Main themes to be covered include state and institutional strength, political representation, and accountability, as well as more specific areas of governance and democratic practice such as public goods provision, corruption, international development aid, civil society and activism, gender, diversity and inequality, and managing public crises. Class Meetings: Tuesdays, Thursdays, June 20-August 4, 8:30am-11:30am Class size: 12 students Format: On campus B：Globalization and Global Justice Course Description: This course provides an opportunity to discuss diverse theories of globalization and global justice via perspectives from sociology, economics, political science, anthropology, geography, history, and the emerging literature from civil society. The course considers research on issues such as democracy, trade, technology, poverty, ecology, culture, diversity, and the search for identity. Class Meetings: Mondays, Wednesdays, June 21-August 4, 8:30am-11:30am Class size: approximately 30 students Format: On campus or Online 【Teaching Methods and Level】 A：Politics and Governance in the Global South The lecture style was like a seminar, so class was mainly delivered by discussion among students. Even though the readings were mainly about Politics, all students including high schoolers had so much knowledge and every class was stimulating and intense. I needed to be very active and express my own opinions without hesitation, which was completely different from the classes that I had been taking in University of Tokyo. The final goal of the course was to learn how to do Research Design. As a final paper, I had to submit “Final Prospectus”, which includes my own research question, literature review, methodology (IV, DV), Hypothesis and self-review. I asked some advice from Teaching Assistant and tried to brush up my research design. I had to read numerous amounts of readings to finish the 10 pages long final assignment, which was quite hard, but I got to learn logical thinking and how to process a lot of readings effectively. The class was very diverse. We had high schoolers, lawyers, undergraduates and graduates from various countries. Therefore, we could see political issues from various perspectives and ask examples of each country. This kind of discussion is what I can’t experience in Japan. B：Globalization and Global Justice The professor explained various perspectives about controversial topics such as “Adam Smith’s theory and Keynes’s theory”, then Students were asked to choose one opinion and to write the reason of supporting that opinion in one paragraph immediately in a short period of time. After that, we were asked to discuss with students who had different opinions freely. The discussion in the class was so fun because I got to know how people from various backgrounds and majors see the society differently. The best thing of the discussion was that no one blamed or criticized anyone’s opinion, and we could discuss in a productive way. I got to learn active learning because the professor never appointed student, so we had to be very active and raise hands to make the most of the class. One thing I realized was that people tend to undervalue their own countries because it is easier for them to find downsides of their home countries. I had to read few chapters from books and summarize them before every class. It was tiring but it made the classes more effective for me. It was also required to do group presentation twice and write essay twice. 【Impression of the courses】 Both two courses were completely beyond my expectations. I felt that seven week is the best length for summer program because you can build a relationship, which lasts even after the program ends and immerse yourself to a new abroad environment. I can confirm that these seven weeks that I spent in Harvard would be the most fulfilling time in my life. All classes were diverse and stimulating, daily conversation was fun. Everything was worth challenging. My learning objectives were to gain more knowledge about Politics and to exchange opinions with people from all over the world. These goals were achieved through courses and through daily conversations. I learned basic knowledge about globalization and political issues in the global south and how to discuss in a logical and convincing way. 【Building Relationships】 The professors and teaching assistants of both courses were very kind and supportive. As for the Globalization and Global Justice course, the professor and students had lunch together after the final class. At lunch, I could ask him about my future career. Professors of both courses told me that I can contact them anytime I want. I made a lot of friends not only in classes but also at dorms, so I could meet students who study academic areas that I’m not familiar with. The friendships I built during the program will be my life-long ones. The dining hall in the dorm was my favorite place. That’s because every time I had meal there, I could talk with new students or friends. In the dining hall, discussions about politics or culture among students from different countries started naturally, which never happens in my university. We’re still keep in touch through SNS and I strongly hope we’ll meet each other one day in the future career. 【Social Aspects】 There was a strong support from
UTSIP Mayumi Laboratory
by Lucien Tsai After successfully completing the UTSIP Kashiwa for the summer of 2023, I look back to the experiences that I have gained inside and outside of the research environment. The experiences from my participation in UTSIP further developed myself as a person and a researcher. During the program, I worked at the Mayumi Laboratory led by Associate Professor Koichi Mayumi with a focus on polymer science. In particular, I worked with the laboratory’s postdoctoral researcher, Dr. Lester Geonzon, to design the synthesis of highly stretchable and tough hydrogels based on a polysaccharide extracted from seaweed by introducing chemical crosslinks. After an initial screening of different concentrations and improvements to the overall synthesis procedure, the resulting gels had mechanical properties that surpassed the traditional weak gel without chemical crosslinks. In addition, the properties of the gel can be further tuned by changing the concentrations of the chemical crosslinker and polymer. Another focus of my project was to understand the changes in the polymer network under deformation. To achieve this, small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering experiments were conducted. By analyzing the scattering patterns, I concluded that the strain-induced orientation of the hydrogel’s helical aggregates was the primary toughening mechanism in addition to a decrease in chain-to-chain distance with larger strains. Although the final presentation was the main conclusion to the program, I enjoyed the time in the lab the most- the curious adventures with the unknown (although often paired with very repetitive motions at times). As a fourth year undergraduate with a focus on materials science, this research experience was important to me as a means to further explore the unfamiliar techniques in the field. In particular, I was impressed by the sophisticated X-ray scattering technique and the many properties that can be inferred on many size scales. I enjoyed my interactions with the members of the Mayumi Laboratory including the other UTSIP student whether through intellectual conversations in the lab or casual talks in the cafeteria. Outside of the research environment, I was excited by the opportunity to explore Japan and its culture through this program. For the entire seven week duration, I was fascinated by new sites around the Tokyo area using the very accessible train system. The program also led field trips to Fukushima and famous sites such as the National Theatre in Tokyo. Overall, these outings allowed me to experience Japanese culture and be impressed by the modern aspects in parallel with nature and tradition. Being a fan of anime and aniscon, I enjoyed the chance to go to the ReoNa concert for her “HUMAN” tour that can only be attended in Japan. For more outdoor activities, I climbed Mt. Tsukuba and Mt. Fuji. Although the weather was not the best for scenic views, I had a nice experience at each: Mt. Tsukuba has a nice restaurant at the top, while Mt. Fuji has many unique shops at the bottom. Ultimately, I am grateful for this experience and the many things that I have learned throughout the program. As a person, I learned to appreciate the coexistence between nature and the anthropomorphic and the importance of strength, beauty, and practice as discovered from my interactions with different people in different environments. As a researcher, I realized the significance of global scientific efforts and the importance of making scientific discoveries practical and accessible.
Columbia University’s School of Social Work
by Akari Takahashi My first year at Columbia’s School of Social Work has come to a close. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Hsun Kwei & Aiko Takizawa Chou and Friends of UTokyo, Inc. for your continuous support in making this dream of mine come to life. In this first year, I have acquired various knowledge ranging from clinical social work skills to skills of organizing communities towards a more humane world. None of this learning would have been possible without your support, and I am endlessly thankful. In my study of liberation psychology in this program, I have learned that consciousness arises from material realities, and hence, changing material realities is the necessary and primary condition for promoting mental wellbeing. Therefore, social workers must administer clinical therapy techniques alongside fighting for improved material conditions of people. While I believe that fighting oppression is the primary aspect of solving the essence of the issue of many mental health struggles, I also think preserving ourselves and our health is the secondary aspect to this and is important in order to be able to keep resisting oppression and maintaining wellbeing as we fight for a better world. At the School of Social Work, I have been able to acquire theoretical knowledge and practical experience with clinical and organizing skills to balance both the clinical and the advocacy work. In my social work practice class, I have learned clinical skills such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and art therapy by presenting and discussing client cases from our internships. In my advocacy class, I have learned the necessity of investigating day-to-day struggles of working class people in order to involve the community in anti-imperialist movements. I have had the opportunity to put clinical skills into practice at my internship as a school social worker at a middle/high school in Harlem, where I work with students through their mental health and interpersonal struggles. I also have had the opportunity to practice and hone my organizing skills in student and community advocacy against gentrification of the Morningside and Harlem neighborhoods. Through these organizing efforts, I have gotten the chance to meet community organizers who have been involved in liberation struggles since the 60s, and I have gained invaluable knowledge from working with them. In this academic year, I have also been lucky to meet wonderful people from my cohort and faculty members who have enhanced my learning experience here. Through classes, organizing, and extracurricular projects, I have been able to connect with those who also have overlapping interests in bridging social work with social justice. Together, we have organized study groups, teach-ins, and newsletters that focus on social injustices and how to fight against them. Outside of school, I have enjoyed spending time with my peers through cooking, exploring the city, and going to karaoke among many other activities that New York City has to offer. While I feel bittersweet as this first year and my time at the first internship comes to a close, my vision for the second year is sparked with excitement as I prepare for my second internship at Japanese American Social Services, an organization which supports Japanese and Japanese American seniors and families in New York City. Through this experience, I plan to learn how to adapt and add to the skills I learn at the School of Social Work in serving clients of different cultural and economic backgrounds in hopes of working in the field of social work in Japan.
Exchange program at the University of California, San Diego
by Tamon Suehiro >What this is My final report about the exchange program at the University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego). >Who I am I am a senior at UTokyo, majoring in aerospace engineering and specializing in electric propulsion called Hall Thruster. Despite my major, I have an interest in mathematical physics. >Academic life In my first semester, I focused primarily on space engineering courses, while also taking physics and mathematics classes. The teaching style here is quite different from that at Tokyo University, with each subject being taught several times a week, which leads to a much faster pace of learning. Additionally, the assignments were frequent and often challenging, especially in physics and mathematics, where I had to apply theoretical knowledge to solve complex problems. Despite the intensity, I found the space engineering assignments generally more manageable, thanks to my previous experience in the field. The tasks mainly tested my ability to apply knowledge in a practical way rather than the ability to understand theories and principles. The challenge was primarily the time required to complete them. Overall, the semester helped me refine my problem-solving abilities, giving me a deeper appreciation for both the engineering and theoretical aspects of my studies. Since the winter semester, I have not been able to enroll in most of the aerospace-related courses, especially the labs and practical courses due to limited class capacity. Even after directly negotiating with the professors, it was still impossible to register for these courses, which was very disappointing. Additionally, since I had already studied abroad during my fourth year of undergraduate studies and had taken many aerospace engineering courses at the University of Tokyo, I decided to give up on taking more engineering courses. Instead, I took this opportunity to revisit and study physics and mathematics once again. These are the courses I took in the winter and spring semesters. 1. Quantum Field Theory 2: Renormalization and 1-loop calculation 2. Quantum Field Theory 3: Advanced things, like spontaneous symmetry breaking, gauge field, topology, and anomalies. 3. General Relativity 2: Post Newtonian approx., gravitational wave and differential geometry 4. General Relativity 3: Symmetries in GR, Singularity theorem, and black holes 5. The Mathematics of Finance: Mathematical theory of trading stocks, bonds, currency, and mortgages. 6. Flight Simulation Techniques: Implementation of the motion simulation of the atmospheric flight vehicles. In the QFT3 course, I had the opportunity to give a lecture-style presentation on a topic of interest. I chose to focus on “Calculation of Anomaly by Fujikawa’s Method,” a subject that formulates an important aspect of quantum field theory called quantum anomalies and calculate them. >Extra-Curricular Activities At UCSD, I had the opportunity to organize and participate in a self-directed mathematics study group with several math students I met during my time there. The format of the seminar was informal yet structured: we would gather regularly and choose one member to present on a topic, either on a rotating basis or with a designated speaker for each session. Each presentation followed a lecture-style format, where the presenter would explain the topic in depth while the rest of us engaged with questions and discussions. The subjects we chose to explore were very abstract, covering Galois theory, differential geometry, and category theory. These topics were selected not only because they are fundamental in higher mathematics, but also because they presented us with intellectual challenges that pushed our understanding to new levels. Initially, my motivation for joining and co-leading this seminar was purely driven by a personal interest in mathematics. I have always been fascinated by the elegance and complexity of mathematical structures, and I saw this as a chance to deepen my knowledge alongside like-minded peers. However, as I progressed in my studies—particularly in physics—I began to recognize the profound connections between these abstract mathematical concepts and physical theories. Realizing the connections between mathematics and physics broadened my understanding of both fields and accelerated my enthusiasm for them. This experience has become a defining part of my academic journey, motivating me to further explore the intersections of physics and mathematics. >Life at UC San Diego – Sport I participated in judo practice at UCSD Recreation, and in addition, I attended a dojo(道場) in the suburbs of San Diego. I have been practicing judo for about ten years, throughout middle school, high school, and college. Being able to continue this practice in a foreign country has been a fantastic experience. As you may know, judo is a traditional Japanese martial art, and it’s impressive to see how it has spread and gained popularity in the United States. When I make friends through Japanese martial arts, it’s a moment when I feel glad that I continued with judo. It has not only provided me with physical training but has also allowed me to connect with others and share a piece of my culture, reinforcing the value of my judo journey. – Food As mentioned in my interim report, San Diego is home to a wealth of delicious food. Because San Diego is near Mexico, tacos and burritos are so good. Tacos el Gordo my “Numero Uno” of my life!! Here are my best foods. – Travel During spring break, I had the opportunity to visit Washington, DC, and New York City. While San Diego is a big city, these two cities are truly in a class of their own. Washington, DC, being the capital of the United States, is rich in history and politics, while New York City stands out as a global financial and cultural center. My time there was incredibly rewarding. Whenever I travel to a new city, I make it a point to visit museums, however, there were so many museums to explore that I couldn’t possibly see them all during my visit. I found myself wishing I had stayed a bit longer to take more time to expose myself to the great arts. This is one of the highlights of my trip. >Challenge living in the US
International Research Center for Neurointelligence, Takeuchi Lab
by Kyle Stevenson My time at the University of Tokyo this summer was one of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever had. Everyone at the lab I was working in was very welcoming and I felt right at home. On my last day the members of my lab even had a going-away party for me. My postdoc, Dina, was especially helpful and was a central part of why my experience was so positive. She was very patient with getting me up to speed on the proper procedures and getting used to the equipment, and I had many insightful conversations with her regarding her career path and advice on improving my work in the lab. Regarding my work in the lab, my responsibilities naturally grew as time went on, but in the first few weeks I mainly did culture medium exchanges as well as reseeding the cells after they had propagated to a certain point. This didn’t take too long and was a good starting task for me which Dina talked me through very well. It built on the little prior experience I already had with lab work while letting me learn new techniques as well. As time passed, I transitioned into doing more staining, and I also helped with taking pictures of our stained cells. We used THUNDER imaging software to help take the images, and I gained good experience practicing immunostaining. This is mostly what the extent of my work was, although towards the very end we did do a bit with cell samples frozen in liquid nitrogen that we then used a slicing machine to take thin samples of which was interesting. I was very excited by what I was able to accomplish in my time at the lab, as the results we were able to get were really impressive and are likely going to be published. With all the resources I had, this summer was an amazing opportunity for me to get real-world experience working on research that greatly interested me. Not only was I able to get a lot of hands-on experience working in a research lab for the first time, but Dina also set me up with a couple other IRCN researchers in different labs to talk to them about their work for a bit as well. As such, I was able to be exposed to a wide variety of research work and see what topics particularly interested me. Dina was doing some work writing for a chapter for a book on the side during my time in Tokyo, and she taught me a bit about how the research publication process works as well. Altogether, this program has been a great chance for me to be exposed to a wide range of knowledge in the research world, and my work this summer has even helped me secure a spot working in a lab here at Harvard for this semester, where I am working in a lab that has me using the immunostaining skills I gained this summer to do imaging on kidney organoids. Ultimately, words can not fully express how amazing my experience this summer was, and without the support of FUTI I would not have been able to take advantage of such a unique and exciting opportunity. I was able to work on extremely interesting things in the lab as well as explore Tokyo all while being immersed in Japanese culture. As someone with Japanese ancestry, that aspect was something I particularly enjoyed. I have nothing but the highest praises for this program, and all of my peers at Harvard have seemed quite amazed at all I was able to accomplish this summer. I am very grateful to FUTI for giving me the financial support I needed to be able to spend my summer in Japan. I will absolutely be encouraging my peers here to visit and spend time in Japan in the future, and I hope that I personally will be able to some day return as well, maybe even back to the University of Tokyo!