Our PhD student, Nakama (D3), spent three weeks (June 1–19) in Professor Takashi Aoi’s laboratory at Kobe University through the AMED HK2-MIRAI Three-University (Hiroshima University–Kobe University–Kumamoto University) Short-Term Laboratory Exchange Program, where he received hands-on training in experimental techniques.

At the end of his stay, he gave a presentation on the progress of his research, which was also attended online by Motozono-sensei. The members of the Aoi Laboratory kindly organized a warm farewell party for him, making the end of his visit especially memorable.

As a major research achievement during this stay, he successfully generated a new type of immune cell-derived iPS cell, making the visit highly productive and rewarding. We also feel that this experience helped him grow tremendously as a young researcher.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Aoi-sensei, Koyanagi-sensei, Matsuoka-san, and all the members of the Aoi Laboratory for their generous support and hospitality. We also sincerely thank everyone involved in the AMED HK2-MIRAI Program for providing this valuable opportunity to establish new collaborative research.