This Biophysics Week, we're highlighting some of the outstanding members of our Student Chapter program. Today, we'll hear from Takumi Nakahata, a 2nd year Pharmaceutical Engineering major at the Sanyo-Onoda City University Student Chapter.
What inspired you to study biophysics?
I have long been interested in both medical and engineering. When I was a 2nd-year in high school, I had to decide on my field of study for university, and I wanted to pursue both areas, especially neuroengineering. However, I realized that this field requires both biological understanding and engineering approaches, yet there are still few people in Japan who can integrate both perspectives.
Bioengineering, especially neuroengineering, requires physical and quantitative thinking, such as analyzing neural signals. This realization connects me to biophysics, which provides a framework for studying biological systems using physics and mathematics.
What do you think makes the study of biophysics unique?
I think the uniqueness of biophysics is that it enables collaboration across a lot of different fields. For example, in neuroscience, neurons can be studied not only from a medical perspective but also from electrical signals using physical and mathematical frameworks. In addition, it enables us to connect across different scales, from molecular size to neural circuits, providing a more integrated understanding of complex systems. This point, biophysics covers a wide range of both biological and physical perspectives, which I think is a strong point.
What skill have you learned in your studies that you find useful in other aspects of your life?
One important skill I have developed through my studies is the ability to take action and learn though experience. In addition to my coursework, interacting with senior members of my student chapter and participating in an annual meeting helped me realize the importance of actively trying new things rather than overthinking. By taking action, I can reflect on my experiences and improve my approach step by step. This skill is also useful in daily life, as it helps me adapt to new circumstances and continue learning from them.
What is your dream career?
My goal is to became a neuroengineer who can connect research, development, and social implementation. I am eager to learn about Brain-Machine Interface for prosthetics, especially the systems that can restore sensory feedback to the brain. To achieve this, I want to study neural signals in depth and develop technologies that can translate them into practical medical solutions.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my research project in high school. Although the final result was not successful, I learned many important points from the experience. First, I learned the importance of carefully collecting and analyzing data, because meaningful ideas and insights that lead to the next step come from that. Second, I realized that the ability to communicate my work clearly is essential, because research has no impact if it cannot be understood by others. Actually, I did not understand these important points when I did this project, and as a result, it did not go well. However, what I learned from this experience is something I am proud of, and it continues to influence how I approach learning and research.
What advice do you have for someone thinking about studying biophysics?
Biophysics is a very large field, and it can feel overwhelming at first. I think it is important to explore different areas without hesitation in the beginning. At the same time, having a clear direction at some point helps you develop deeper expertise. Balancing exploration and focus is key to making the most of studying biophysics. Since I have just started learning about the field of biophysics, I continue to explore it more and more.