On the 16^th of October, we held the 57th Find-Your-Role-Model Session. We invited Dr. Hiroshi Asahara, Professor of Systems Biomedicine in the Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences at TMDU.

After graduating from medical school at Okayama University, Dr. Asahara worked as an orthopedic surgeon. Then, Dr. Asahara went to the USA to engage in research at Harvard Medical School, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Scripps Research Institute. After achieving success in his research career in the USA, Dr. Asahara returned to Japan to become director of the Department of Surgery and Transplantation, at the National Center of Child Health and Development and Director of the Department of Systems Biomedicine at TMDU. In 2011, Dr. Asahara was inaugurated as Professor of Systems Biomedicine. Now, his laboratory is engaging in various cutting-edge research projects.

In this session, Dr. Asahara shared his background, his ongoing research and gave advice to students who desire to be a physician-researcher. His advised students: 1. If you want to be a physician and a researcher, you should participate in advanced graduate studies in the early stages, for example through an MD-PhD degree; and 2. If you are willing to be a researcher, you should persuade yourself that you can’t live without engaging in research and burn your other bridges. Supported by his own career as a physician-researcher, his advice was so accurate that all students were deeply encouraged.