On Thursday, May 24th, we held the 5th "Meet the FResHU" role model discussion.
The role model we spoke to today was Yuko Okamatsu, a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine.
As a way to introduce the topic, she spoke about how she arrived at her current research theme of brown adipose tissue, and the choices and strategies she made at key junctures. She spoke about how she has approached her research with the choice and strategy of gaining experience so that she can do anything, but on the other hand, she shared her experience of balancing research and childcare, saying that although she chose to have children, it wasn't always smooth sailing due to a lack of strategy. I was also impressed by her story of how she was saved when she was about to give up on the present because she was thinking too much about the future, by the words of a senior female researcher: "The important thing now is not to give up. If you give up, it's over."
The Q&A session was lively, and there was a particularly high level of interest in the topic of "balancing work and childcare." Participants also seemed to strongly agree with the statement that "we need role models who are one step ahead of us." Many participants commented that the session was very helpful and that they wished they could have talked more.
Thank you very much, Professor Okamatsu and all the participants.
The Women Researchers Support Office is planning to hold monthly discussion meetings until October. The next meeting is scheduled for June 25th! Please join us.
