Lectures by world-leading researchers! – Daichi Konno

Aug. 4, 2020

Daichi Konno

Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo
Department of Geriatrics and Gerontology, M.D.

Broad area of brain science/neuroscience
You can learn about the broad area of brain science/neuroscience over the course of 10 months CBS Brain Science Training Program. Topics covered ranged from microscopic ones, such as "synapses" and "dendrites", to macroscopic ones, such as "decision making" and "creating animal models of Alzheimer's disease."

Stimulating lecturers
Lecturers are given by world-leading researchers, mainly RIKEN CBS PIs. It was an excellent opportunity for me to learn directly from authors of papers who I respect and from researchers responsible for great discoveries described in textbooks!

All lectures in English
All lectures, questions, and other communications are in English. English is an essential skill for researchers. It was a good training for me to be exposed to English once a week for three hours. The program also allowed me to learn technical terms related to brain science/neuroscience.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all lectures after March 2020 were given in an online format. In the early lectures held on-site, I had many opportunities to talk about various topics with lecturers, including seeking career advice. I also enjoyed talking with other students about our research and home countries. Arriving at the RIKEN campus a little early and basking in the sunshine by the Hirosawa Pond was my secret pleasure.
After we switched to online lectures, I was able to save more than an hour of commuting time. Some students even spent 4 hours commuting! With online lectures, those who live locally and those in foreign countries can join this program regardless of distance. In the future, it would be best if it was possible to combine the advantages of on-site and online lectures.

Lastly, I’m proud to have participated in this wonderful program. I’d like to thank all lecturers and staff who organized this program under the difficult conditions imposed by the unexpected pandemic. I also thank the good friends I’ve met through this program. I couldn’t have completed the program without the contributions of all the people involved. Thank you everybody, until we meet again!