We have been holding a series of events called “Find-Your-Role-Model” Session to provide students with opportunities to interact with TMDU alumni and worldwide leaders in healthcare sciences. Through this roundtable-type, relaxed atmosphere event, we hope students will be able to find their role models to help facilitate their career development toward becoming future global leaders.

We are pleased to invite Professor Takashi Satoh from the Department of Immunology, TMDU. After completing the Graduate School of Medicine’s doctoral course at Osaka University in 2010, he did research on macrophages (discovering key factors for macrophage differentiation into each subtype, and novel disorder specific macrophages) at the Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Division of Host Defense, Immunology Frontier Research Center at Osaka University. His research attracted worldwide attention, and he was appointed as a professor in the Department of Immunology at a very young age. Currently, he is active in research on the diversity of immune cells including macrophages, elucidation of cross-talk between immune and non-immune cells, relevance to human diseases, and basic applied research on innate immunity. As a top immunologist, he has received numerous awards, such as the “Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science & Technology Young Scientist Award” in 2017 and the “Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Prize” in 2020.

Everyone is welcome to join us in a hearty discussion.

Topics

1) Personal Background and Vision

His career background, triggers that led him to be a researcher, his decisions at multiple career crossroads, role models, and his vision/ mission for future

2) Current Research Activities

Current research activities, overview of disease-specific macrophages, crosstalk to non-immune cells, application to human diseases, and joint research with pharmaceutical companies

3) Mindset

What he keeps in mind when doing research, How he overcomes difficulties and failures in research

4) Advice for Students/ Healthcare Professionals

Significance of undergraduate basic research experience, what students who aim to be a physician-scientist should acquire when they are in university, research mindsets that those who work in a clinical setting should also acquire