AI DA Report by Researcher Ishikawa Shoma (Postgraduate Student in Life Science)


Shoma ISHIKAWA
Ph. D Student, Graduate School of Biostudies

Destination:
  • Cluster of Excellence – Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne

Duration of stay: End of November to beginning of December 2017 (2 weeks)

Aims:
  • Building a new research network in German
  • Laying the foundations for a long term research stay

Motivation for AI DA application

At my research center in Kyoto I could show the possibility of expanding the concept of “cell aging” as defense mechanism of cells against cancer. However, in order to verify the universality of this hypothesis a more complex model organism is necessary. Since German researchers made the most outstanding achievements in this field, I was thinking about building my experiments on the bases of their experience.

Therefore, I planned to participate in a conference for Aging Studies, which was held in Cologne on December 2017 to network with researchers from Germany and applied for AIDA.

 

Results

Networking with researchers in Germany at the German Association for Aging Research (DGfA) Conference 2017

I could exchange ideas with many researchers by participating at the German Association for Aging Research (DGfA) Conference 2017 and by presenting a poster showing my research results. I received advice by well-known researchers in the field of cell aging. Furthermore I was able to find a starting point for my future research.

Gaining new skills for my experiments by staying at the CECAC

Having the  interview with the CECAD professor, he readily consented to let me stay the research center for one week. While exchanging ideas with other researchers at his laboratory, I was able to learn new skills for experiments.

Experience of a highly excellence research environment in a foreign country

By working in foreign state-of-the-art research facilities, I now better understand the different styles of research environments between in Japan and abroad. I also learned about work-life-balance of researchers in Germany.

 

Outlook

I want to expand the research network I built in Germany all over Europe and further abroad to contribute the expansion of our understanding of cell aging and the advancement of Aging Studies as a whole.  This short stay gave me new possibilities for future research staying at CECAD as well as the opportunity to reconsider the research environment in Japan and my own strength.     

 

Exchange with researchers at CECAD

One example of an experiement conducted by Mr. Ishikawa (Nerve cells of a nematode worm made visible by florescent markers)


pagetop
Search