[No. 53] Aki Shimada

My six years at university—four as an undergraduate and two in the master's program—seemed long but went by very quickly. Looking back on those six years, I feel they were incredibly fulfilling, filled with acquiring a wide range of knowledge not only in chemistry and biology but also in fields like psychology and ethics, as well as extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and travel. While my university life was enjoyable and fulfilling, it was not without its difficult times. However, thanks to the help of my friends from the Faculty of Science and Technology, friends from the humanities I met through lectures and clubs, and my senior classmates, I was able to overcome those hardships. My time at Keio University has become a precious and unforgettable experience, especially in terms of the friendships I made and the personal growth I achieved by overcoming challenges.

After advancing to the Department of Biosciences and Informatics, I struggled with choosing a laboratory in my third year. As I spoke with professors and senior students in various labs, I heard about Professor Sato's research on "selection technology from libraries" and "gene therapy." I chose the Sato Laboratory because I became interested in these fields and also because the lab had a great atmosphere. Considering I would be spending three years of my student life in the lab, I'm glad I chose it carefully.

In the laboratory, I conducted research on the theme of "Searching for Inhibitors of Influenza Virus Infection." Everything was new to me, from cell culture experiments to handling viruses, and I was a bit bewildered at first, but I found joy in conducting experiments with my own hands. Unlike student lab work, research involves elucidating things that are not yet known, so there were many days of struggle when I couldn't get the results I wanted. There were times when I couldn't get good results and felt like giving up, but with the support of thorough discussions with my professor and encouragement from my seniors and peers, I was able to graduate successfully. Looking back now, if I had obtained results immediately without any failures, my life in the laboratory might have felt unfulfilling.

In the lab, we had not only experiments but also events like a summer training camp. Perhaps because many of us were sports enthusiasts, we would play sports like badminton and dodgeball, sweating in a hot gym in the middle of summer, and then have a barbecue. I used muscles I didn't normally use in my daily lab life to their fullest, so I suffered from muscle soreness the next day, but now it's a fond memory.

Summer training camp in 2004 (Tateshina Sanso)

After entering graduate school, I finally started to think about my career. Since I was conducting basic research in the lab, I pondered many questions: Is basic research in a university lab different from that in a company? What kind of work is product development research, which applies basic research to products? Which is better suited for me, basic research or product development? It was then that I heard about an internship program that allowed me to experience working at a company for about a month, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to participate and assess my own aptitude. In addition to the internship, Keio University alumni were employed in all sorts of fields, which created an environment conducive to job hunting. I was able to visit alumni (OB/OG) to hear directly from those working in industries I was interested in, allowing me to conduct my job search without any regrets.

I joined Kao Corporation and am currently involved in the product development of whitening cosmetics. In cosmetics development, we use technology to uniformly mix water and oil, which do not normally mix, using amphiphilic compounds like surfactants. While the biological knowledge I acquired as a student is not directly applied in my daily work, it is extremely helpful in understanding the analysis of mechanisms, such as how skin "spots" are formed.

Furthermore, there are many Keio University graduates at Kao Corporation, which I find very reassuring. Social gatherings for Keio University alumni are also held, and perhaps this deep bond from university is one of the distinctive features of Keio University.