Skip to main content

About RIKEN BRC

Engaging in Research Aimed at Developing Innovative Therapies through Regenerative Medicine

We interviewed 12 staff members who are demonstrating their strengths in their respective fields while valuing their individual lifestyles, and at the same time pursuing cooperation with other departments.

This time, we are speaking with Yun-Hsuan Chang, a trainee on the iPS Cell Advanced Characterization and Development Team.

Regenerative medicine has the potential to improve the treatment of intractable diseases that are difficult to treat with existing therapies. We interviewed Chang, who is engaged in this research, about her motivation to become a researcher and her experiences at RIKEN BRC as a trainee.

photo:Yun-Hsuan Chang_1

An interest in research that was deepened through natural phenomena and plants

When I was a child, I loved to go camping and fishing with my family. On camping trips, I sometimes saw natural phenomena and unusual animals or plants that I could not normally see. On those occasions, my parents encouraged me to go to the library to look for and research these things related to what I had seen.

I particularly remember about apples. We ate different kinds of apples and I sowed the seeds of each kind in planters to observe how they grow and whether there were any differences among the seeds. I also remember making different cakes and breads with my parents for Mother’s Day. The way the dough rises differs according to the ingredients, and I kept an eye on the time it took. Looking back on it now, I probably felt as if I was doing experiments. Through these experiences, I came to realize that in the future I would like to become a researcher, investigate unexplained phenomena, and discover new facts.

In addition, it was the work of American writer Jodi Picoult that gave me new insights into medicine and inspired me to think about it further. When I was in elementary school, I first read her novel, My Sister’s Keeper, which was made into a movie. In this book, as well as in a later novel, Handle with Care, which particularly impressed me, the author consistently addresses controversial social issues and aspects of human life as themes for her works.

As I read her books, which focus on patients with specific diseases and attempt to examine the family and ethical issues that surround them, I began to think about how the innovative treatments that are currently being developed can be used to help patients while minimizing social and ethical issues.

Joining RIKEN BRC to follow the path she wanted to pursue in the medical research field

photo:Yun-Hsuan Chang_2

At a university in Taiwan, where I intended to become a researcher, I studied microorganisms. Gradually, I became interested in learning about human diseases more. So I studied about diabetes as my research theme for my master’s degree.

When I participated in a two-week research experience program at the University of Tsukuba, which was collaborating with my university in Taiwan, I had the opportunity to learn more about medical research fields in Japan. I was so attracted to regenerative medicine that I applied to join Prof. Osamu Ohneda’s laboratory as a Ph.D. student at the University of Tsukuba’s Humanics Degree Program.

Then I learned about RIKEN BRC when I was in my third year of the doctoral program at the University of Tsukuba. Since the professors of the Humanics Degree Program knew Prof. Yohei Hayashi (at the time), the leader of the iPS Cell Advanced Characterization and Development team, very well, I decided to join RIKEN BRC as a trainee and then a postdoc researcher.

Broadening knowledge and experience both inside and outside the team and conducting research

The iPS Cell Advanced Characterization and Development Team analyzes the characteristics of disease-specific iPS cells deposited by research institutes from around the country, evaluates their quality, and develops new engineered iPS cell lines. By using iPS cells that are directly generated from patient-derived cells, we work hard on research to develop new therapies that have not been achieved before.

Everybody in our laboratory, including the team leader and all the staff are kind and friendly. We always talk together while working, so if any problems come up in my experiments, I can consult with them immediately. Both the team leader and my other colleagues are kind enough to share their experiences with me and to work with me to come up with solutions.

RIKEN BRC also runs several events that provide opportunities for us to interact with people from outside the laboratory. So far, I have participated in student roundtable discussions in the Wakate BRC Conference (WBC). Through these networking events, I have been able to talk with people from other laboratories and learn more about RIKEN BRC.

photo:Yun-Hsuan Chang_3

In addition, in our laboratory, the team leader encourages us to participate in symposiums and conferences both in Japan and abroad and provides us with support for this purpose. A symposium on regenerative medicine held in Okinawa in 2023 that I attended with my other members of this laboratory gave me a valuable opportunity to present my research in front of other researchers in this field. I also gained new knowledge that will help me to improve my research outcomes.

I think that RIKEN BRC is a very favorable research environment with sufficient amounts of cell materials and advanced equipment to allow us to proceed smoothly with our research work. Currently, we are researching and developing innovative therapies using regenerative medicine. In the future, I would like to contribute to developing new clinical treatments for patients who suffer from intractable diseases through my research.

Profile

  1. Yun-Hsuan Chang
  2. Student Trainee, iPS Cell Advanced Characterization and Development Team (at time of interview)
  3. After studying at a university in Taiwan and participating in the University of Tsukuba’s Humanics Degree Program, she joined RIKEN BRC in 2022 and is scheduled to work under the Special Postdoctoral Researcher (SPDR) Program from FY2024. Currently, she is a member of the Laboratory for Developmental Genetics at RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences.

Release date : Feb 27, 2025