Neuro Global International Joint Graduate Program,
Tohoku University

Graduate School of Medicine
Sara Ebrahimiazar

I learnt about the Neuro Global Program (NGP) when I was a master’s student in Tohoku University. I had already decided by that time that I wanted to pursue my studies in a field related to brain sciences, so this was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the PhD programs and laboratories related to neurosciences at Tohoku University. Additionally, I found the NGP curriculum quite engaging, which consisted of many seminars and lectures conducted in English from various guest researchers across the world. These lectures covered a wide range of research fields, such as molecular and cellular, genetics, animal experiments, and clinical research all focused on the brain. These seminars could compensate the lack of useful English classes offered by the PhD program at Tohoku university to some extent, and additionally, expose me to diverse research perspectives beyond my experience in Japan

I was accepted into the NGP program on April 2019, from the second year of my master’s course when I was a student at the Department of Molecular Pharmacology. I had the great opportunity to attend the academic English course, one of the most beneficial experiences provided by NGP. This course taught me how to effectively communicate and discuss my research at an academic level. As a result, I am now able to confidently engage with other experts. The academic English course also offered crucial insights on academic writing in English, enhancing my ability to draft my thesis and manuscripts in a scientific journal style.

For my PhD, I entered the Department of Developmental Neuroscience under the supervision of Prof. Noriko Osumi, who I connected with through my interactions during NGP lectures. My transition from my master’s lab to the PhD lab was a risky and demanding task. During my NGP examination interview, this was the main focus of discussion, as I needed to explain about the change in my research plan and how I could link the two projects. It was a difficult interview but I managed to pass and start my doctoral journey in the field of developmental neuroscience, focusing on the neurodevelopmental disorder, the fragile X syndrome (FXS).

With the support of the NGP fundings, I presented my research achievements in top international conferences from neuroscience societies around the world. The NGP has been instrumental in supporting my research through an international network and academic resources. I am especially grateful for the financial support, which made it possible for me to present my research at the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS Forum 2024) in Vienna, Austria. The NGP covered registration, VISA acquisition, and travel expenses, enabling me to participate in this significant event and gain experience in public speaking. I also prepared for the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience (ISDN 2022) conference, which I could not attend due to VISA issues related with covid19. However, NGP still fully covered all the expenses for the travel preparations and VISA application procedures. The reliable financial support could ease the economic burden, allowing me to focus on my research and experiments.
Unfortunately, I was not able to use the study abroad plan provided by NGP. I encourage you to use this chance as early as possible. However, during my trip for attending FENS forum 2024, I connected with Prof. Valter Tucci from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Italy, who had previously gave an NGP lecture and served as a thesis evaluator for another NGP student. I presented my research to Prof. Tucci in a poster session and discussed my new data with him. His insights on genomic imprinting, a key aspect of my project, provided valuable feedback, prompting me to plan complementary experiments. This interaction refined the foundation of my study and offered new ideas. Later, Prof. Tucci visited our lab at Tohoku University for an extended period of time, which provided further opportunities for me to have discussions with him and receive guidance to further progress my project and write my PhD dissertation.
Currently, I am a postdoctoral fellow at the same lab as my PhD from April 2025, and will continue to be involved in the same project. I feel highly confident in my skills as a researcher and I believe that I can dive deep into scientific problems and tackle them one by one, as long as there is right amount of support. I hope that I can continue to utilize my knowledge and skills, develop more, and make an impact in the world through my research.