After graduating from the Department of School of Science Biological Sciences (Polymer Functions), Yoshizawa entered the Life Science Transdisciplinary Life Science Course. I belong to the Laboratory of Cell Engineering (Uehara Laboratory) and study the relationship between polyploidy (the number of sets of chromosomes that one cell has) and abnormal cell division.

research is interesting

学部生の頃からおもしろいと思えることを仕事にしたいと考えていました。学部は高分子機能学に進学し、講義や実習を通して、「研究職」っておもしろそう、打ち込める仕事になるかも…と感じ博士進学を選びました。

Research starts with asking questions. It is also interesting to unravel mysteries through experiments and discover new things that no one knows. I think the real pleasure of research is to feel that you are at the forefront of your research field and that you are pioneering it.

My specialty is cell biology. Currently, he is working on experiments to observe and culture cells that have been treated with reagents or genetically manipulated with the theme of ``clarification of the cause of cell division abnormalities caused by changes in the number of chromosomes,'' which may lead to new cancer treatments. I'm in. I am thrilled to discover the mechanisms of living organisms with my own hands.

Advice when choosing a laboratory

First of all, how about starting by collecting information on the homepage of each laboratory? In addition, it is better to actually visit as many laboratories as possible. Also, ask your seniors a lot of questions. There are many things that you can't know about the compatibility with the laboratory unless you actually see and hear it yourself. The atmosphere of the lab and how the lab is run differ greatly depending on the field and professor, so please choose the one that best suits you.

In my case, I didn't have anything I wanted to do from the beginning, but I wanted to do basic research. After joining the Uehara lab, I have been studying various things, and the theme of investigating the mechanism that controls cell division is very interesting, and I continue to conduct experiments every day.

On the other hand, I don't think you have to find what you want to do from the beginning. If you can feel the fun of research while studying at the laboratory you are assigned to, you may want to continue.

If you are hesitant about proceeding to a doctoral course

I don't think research work is for everyone. There will be people who can demonstrate their abilities in the private sector, and there will also be people who are a good fit for research institutes. It is also important to analyze your own suitability. If you're even slightly interested in a doctoral course, give it a try. Recently, you can receive a variety of financial support, so it should be a great help when you go on to higher education.

In the future, I would like to gain research experience overseas and continue my research at research institutes such as universities and corporate laboratories to elucidate the mechanisms of life, including cell division.

*Titles, affiliations, and grades are current at the time of the 2022 interview.