Lab member Chen Wang receives Ph.D. and starts her scientific career

Dr. Chen Wang from Takahashi Lab successfully obtained her doctorate degree after a fruitful research period of 6 years at Okayama University. Having presented 10 papers and 5 conference presentations, she has started her illustrious career as a postdoctoral researcher at the prestigious Fudan University in China.

As a physician in the cardiovascular department, I was always busy managing and curing patients at the hospital. It was quite difficult for me to contemplate about the potential mechanisms underlying various cardiovascular diseases in depth. Fortunately, Okayama University provided an ideal platform for me to do so as a student from 2014.

Through almost 6 years of study and research, I have acquired a broad and strong experience in the fields of cell biology and pathophysiology under the supervision of Professor Takahashi. Most importantly, my strong interest and enthusiasm in the scientific research is like a burning flame, which would keep me invested in the basic research in future.

Ischemic heart disease seems like a “time bomb,” which severely threatens the human life and development of the society. As cardiovascular system has complex vascular chamber structure and shows species-specific differences between animals and human, traditional two-dimensional cell culture and animal models cannot completely present the real dynamic microenvironment of the human cardiovascular system. Therefore, it is of vital importance to construct a biomimetic ischemic heart disease model for clinical disease research as well as for the development of specific drugs for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

I came across a novel technique, “organ-on-a-chip,” in Professor Takahashi’s team during the doctoral tenure, and became interested in this excellent research avenue. Hence, as a postdoctoral researcher, I am currently focusing on constructing a highly controllable “ischemic heart disease model organ-on-a-chip” that closely mimics real pathophysiological condition using microfluidic technology and co-culture of various cells in Yanjun Liu’s lab at Fudan University.

I hope that my research would yield a top-level design for an “organ-on-a-chip” model in the field of cardiovascular diseases, giving me an advantage in terms of exploring the underlying disease mechanisms.

Chen Wang

“It is wonderful to see that a student like Chen Wang, who has learned the fun and wonders of science, got a good position and has become a professional researcher. I would like to continue to contribute to the development of science and medicine through future collaborations with her,” said Ken Takahashi, Research Associate Professor at Okayama University.

Related: Lab member Chen Wang received the 1st Poster prize in IC-LYMS2019
Related: MEXT-sponsored research student joined cardiovascular physiology lab

* * *

Takahashi Lab at Okayama University uses principles of physiology, cellular and molecular biology, and biophysics. The purpose of the lab is to develop science and medicine by unveiling the mechanisms of diseases through collaborations with scientists, epidemiologists, and corporate alliances. The alliance includes Harvard University, Boston University, Texas A&M University, and PD Aerospace, Ltd.