[No. 237] Mariko Ikeda (née Kuzui)

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to "Jukuin Raio." While I feel a bit hesitant to join the ranks of such distinguished seniors, I would be happy if the trajectory of my studies at Keio and my current enjoyable work in cosmetics research could serve as a reference for someone.

Since I was a child, I loved playing with hair, arranging doll's hair, and observing what hairstylists did. During my adolescence, I learned about the work of makeup artists on TV and got excited, thinking, "That's my future!" However, the reality that only a handful of people can make a living as professionals flickered in my mind. Since I was better at science subjects, I changed direction. It was during middle school that I decided, "In that case, I'll go into the side of making cosmetics."

I had a strong desire to "leave Akita" and "go to Tokyo," so I narrowed my university choices to the Tokyo metropolitan area at an early stage. I think the influence of my mother, who is a Keio University alumni and often spoke about the "interesting aspects of Keio," was also significant. In the midst of this, I learned that my high school had a designated school recommendation slot for the Keio Faculty of Science and Technology, and hearing that it was a course where I could pursue chemistry, I decided to aim for it. I successfully secured the slot and took my first step toward my dream.

The first thing I felt after entering was the high level of my classmates gathered from all over the country. My position as a "somewhat honor student" from high school was stripped away in an instant. However, because the Department of Biosciences and Informatics is not large, I was able to spend quality time with my peers, and we overcame assignments, exams, and even romance by helping each other. Memories of Yagami, Hiyoshi, Shibuya, Yokohama... and after school? are also treasures.

I consulted with my professors about wanting to work for a cosmetics company in the future, and I was given the theme of elucidating the mechanism of fat accumulation inhibition by natural compounds. It was a packed program—extracting and separating components from plants and mushrooms, conducting assays on fat cells, and searching for target proteins—but it was a field related to both cosmetics and health foods, and every day was fresh. I feel that the wide range of experimental techniques I acquired at that time became a great strength during my job hunting.

During my job search, I mainly applied for research positions in cosmetics and food, and ultimately joined FANCL CORPORATION. In graduate school, I mainly did research leaning toward health foods, but as a result of strongly expressing my desire to "do basic research on cosmetics," I have been involved in basic research on cosmetics and dermatology to this day. Since the company also has a health food department, I often have lively conversations based on my knowledge from graduate school, and being able to move between both fields is a great stimulus. After joining the company, I have also been in charge of human clinical trial design and data analysis, realizing the difficulty and interest of the work every day.

With more opportunities to visit the Yagami Campus for joint research, I find myself fondly remembering my younger self more often. I was from the countryside and didn't know left from right, but thanks to being blessed with the environment and friends at Keio, I am still able to continue the research I love. Even after entering society, it often serves as a conversation starter when people say, "Oh, you're from Keio," and I once again feel the breadth of the Juku network. I would be happy if this serves as an example for those aiming for research positions or those undecided about their career path that if you act with what you "love" as your axis, a path will open up.

Thank you for reading to the end.

《 Previous Article [No. 236] Daisuke Fujita (Nippon Television Network Corporation)

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