Translational Medicine Post-Docs Visit Japan
From back center, Jonathan Thon, Yvonne Chekaluk, Izabela Malinowska and Douglas Medvetz (front right) visited Kitasato University in Japan this summer. |
For a week this summer, a group of three postdocs and one PhD student in Translational Medicine visited Kitasato University in Japan through an exchange program designed to bring scientists from all research areas and levels of training together to share research and ideas.
“The research interests at Kitasato University are innovative and fascinating,” said Yvonne Chekaluk. “Science today takes multiple disciplines to work together in order to pursue and understand disease. I saw that relationship between the schools of science at Kitasato University, and it was a pleasure to see how well they worked together.”
The visit to Japan was part of an exchange program established by Professor Yasutaka Ohta, who worked at BWH before moving to Japan and becoming a professor at Kitasato University. Ohta has arranged for graduate students to attend meetings and visit labs at BWH each year. This visit of BWH postdocs to Japan was the first.
“I was impressed with the high level of the laboratories we saw and the very professional scientific presentations we heard,” said Izabela Malinowska. “In just five days, I was able to meet great Japanese researchers and learn about Japanese culture and nature. The visit widened my horizons and let me see beyond my own research projects.”
The visit included time for the post-docs to learn about Japanese customs, like tea ceremonies, and visiting Tokyo.
“Japan is a beautiful and inviting country and culture,” said Chekaluk. “My week stay in Japan is a memory that will last a lifetime.”
The BWH visitors brought wristbands with the words “Hope for Japan” for the students at Kitasato University. |