Tell us about the research you are currently doing at BRI.

Parkinson's disease and autism spectrum disorder are the key focus of my research. I analyze a gene whose function is not yet understood. This gene may be related to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and I repeat steadily basic molecular biology experiments. As for autism research, I'm looking for ways in which the characteristics of zebrafish can help us to understand the mechanisms of autism.

Why made you do your research at BRI?

When I first came to Brain Research Institute, I was a medical student of Niigata University. It was as part of the research basic training course. It has been a fulfilling two-month, I have a lot of respect for the graduate mentor who supervised me in my training even now. I completed the medical school and started a career as a pediatrician. When I made a decision to deepen my knowledge of the nervous system among other pediatric diseases, I was given the chance to do research at BRI where I am now.

What would you like to say to people who are thinking about graduate programs at BRI?

Each department at BRI has its own area of expertise. As I do my research at BRI, I realize that it's not only brain functions and neurological diseases that BRI targets. There are research themes that go beyond the realm of the nervous system. Even if the entrance is the brain and nerve, we can explore the root of life phenomena. In the research life, there are times where things are not going as smoothly as I might had hoped for. But the inspiring scientific environment allows me to feel the essence of research that I am trying to reveal something that no one else yet to know, and that is absolutely invaluable.