Remember your initial motivation to pursue science

Michelle Sue Jann LEE

Obtained a Ph.D. in 2017
Laboratory of Malaria Immunology WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center (IFReC), OU (Coban Lab, moved to Tokyo Univ. in 2020)

I have always been fascinated by how our body protects us from invading pathogens that can cause diseases. Our immune cells communicate with each other and coordinate complex immune responses to activate specific immune effector cells to fight infections. A better understanding of how our immune system is regulated can help us strategically fight diseases. Research is fun and exciting, but is also tough and can sometimes be exhausting. It requires patience, perseverance, hard work, and determination to accomplish great work within a limited time; sometimes it even requires working long hours or at odd hours under stress. Whenever I feel lost, I remind myself of my initial purpose to pursue science to keep myself motivated and focus on the goal. Then hardships all seem to be worth it. I am always excited to attend scientific conferences to present my work and to learn from others. It is especially rewarding when the importance of my work is recognized by other researchers, and when I can help them in their research too. Let’s take one step at a time to make the world a better place through meaningful research.

*She completed her entire Ph.D. program by attending classes in English.