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Advice for the Next Generation: Minoru Takasato
Cell Stem Cell
Q&A Advice for the Next Generation: Minoru Takasato Pursuing an academic investigator position is challenging, and every scientist’s journey is unique. In this interview series, Cell Stem Cell chats with six newly established professors on how they built a competitive application and their advice for trainees interested in this career path. Here, we seek Dr. Minoru Takasato’s insights. Tell us a little bit about your career path and your lab’s research interests. I began my research career by joining Dr. Ryuichi Nishinakamura’s group at the University of Tokyo as a Ph.D. student, where I studied kidney development using gene knockout mice. After I received my Ph.D. degree, I moved to the University of Queensland in Australia to work with Dr. Melissa Little as a postdoc. Melissa is a developmental biologist focusing on kidney development and at that time, she was seeking a postdoc candidate who had experience in both kidney development and embryonic stem cells to tackle a project focused on directed differentiation of human PSCs toward kidney tissue. In her laboratory, I developed a protocol to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells into intermediate mesoderm that can self-organize into a threedimensional renal structure, called kidney organoids. This study was very well received by the research field, and I was offered a PI position by RIKEN CDB (recently renamed as RIKEN BDR). While these kidney organoids comprise all anticipated renal tissues, they are still far from the real human kidney in terms of their size, tissue complexity, maturity, and functionality. My laboratory endeavors to achieve the ultimate goal of generating both a functional and transplantable three-dimensional kidney and a bladder from hPSCs. We appreciate that basic developmental biology is essential for such regenerative studies; therefore, we are also highly interested in studies of human embryology. In particular, we focus on uncovering the developmental mechanisms of the human mesoderm and kidney. Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently as a trainee? I wish that I had read more papers unrelated to my specific research projects. 688 Cell Stem Cell 24, May 2, 2019
Minoru Takasato RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research
I think that in general, a young trainee’s main role in a laboratory is to perform experiments. Trainees also read papers related to their projects, but in most cases, they are occupied with daily experiments, as that is necessary for timely publication of their papers. However, often the new ideas that lead to a breakthrough are evoked by recognizing a common mechanism in achievements in different research fields. To address an important research question, develop excellent methodologies, and be able to properly interpret the results, knowledge outside of your direct research field is required. We have to remember that the saying ‘‘knowledge is power’’ applies perfectly in driving your research forward.
Do you have any strategies for effective networking that you can offer to graduate or postdoc trainees? Over the last 10 years, social networking services like Facebook and Research Gate have become a powerful tool for instant networking; however, for me, face-to-face networking still seems to help create much more ‘‘effective’’ con-
nections. When I was a graduate or postdoc trainee, my supervisors sometimes brought me to small meetings/ conferences specific to kidney development. Other participants also brought their trainees with them, and so young trainees were able to meet and communicate with each other. Such opportunities were so precious for us to become familiar with each other’s work and make useful connections. Another effective strategy is to work at another laboratory for a certain period of time if this type of personnel exchange can be arranged. In my case, I had the chance to perform research as a visiting scientist in two different collaborators’ laboratories for 3 to 5 months each during a postdoc phase. Each time, I had a great opportunity to build new friendships with other trainees. What is one of the biggest myths or misconceptions about applying for or being a PI that you wish to debunk for trainees potentially interested in this career path? Most people believe that a publication in a high-impact-factor journal like Cell, Nature, or Science will guarantee them a PI position, which I can clearly say is a myth. Of course, the broader impact of your study and its public interest is one of the most important factors during a selection. But from my experience job seeking, I feel that timing is everything. In most recruitment, each institute has already determined specific requirements, like what kind of research expertise and experiences that they want a successful candidate to have. And they will select the applicant who matches that criteria more than the other candidates. Therefore, even after you have published your study in an excellent journal and are ready to seek a PI position, there is no guarantee that a perfectly matched recruitment opportunity will open at the same time. In other words,
Cell Stem Cell
Q&A you are not required to have the best track record among the applicants, but you do need to be the best-matched candidate for the position. It is important to always prepare yourself for recruitment calls. Do you have any advice for preparing for a chalk talk or for making your application stand out? A successful presentation includes not only telling a logical story, but also convincing examiners why your story is compelling. Thus, while research quality is important, presentation skills are equally essential for job hunting. In order to develop this skill, it is important to attend and carefully listen to other researchers’ presentations. In your presentation, it is important to effectively explain the question that your research addresses and why the audience should care. Reviewing your own project objectively and critically will help you drill down and create a compelling introduction for your audience. To get such critical reviews about whether the presentation is interesting to a broader audience, I recommend practicing your presentation in front of friends in other laboratories. In contrast, laboratory members can advise you about more of the details related to your project. If your presentation can convince examiners that your research is more meaningful than others’ work, then your application will stand out. And if it is permitted, I suggest that you practice presenting in as many conferences and symposia as possible, because you can then obtain audience feedback to continue to improve your presentation. You have several research experiences working in labs in different countries. Are there any lessons you learned from these international research experiences, and what advice do you have for trainees considering this route to make the best out of these opportunities? I spent 5 years as a Masters and Doctoral course student in Japan, followed by 7 years in Australia as a postdoc. I also
spent 3 months in the Netherlands as a visiting researcher. The biggest advantage of working abroad during my trainee phase was the extensive networking opportunities, especially with researchers at an age similar to mine. After I became a PI, I realized the importance of networking for establishing good collaborations and gathering useful information about my research field. The more friends you make in the early phases of being a researcher, the easier it will be to survive in competitive research fields. Experiences abroad also strengthen your mental toughness. Establishing a new life in a strange place is fraught with stressful situations that you cannot overcome without becoming mentally tough. However, once you become settled and your research project progresses, everything that you experienced abroad provides you with significant advantages over your competitors who stay in their home countries. And additionally, if you are born in a country where English is not an official language, moving to English-speaking countries provides you with a great opportunity to practice using English for networking. Have you started any de novo collaborations as a new PI, and do you have any advice for how new PIs can set up and maintain a good collaboration? Since my expertise is the directed differentiation of stem cells to kidney organoids, which can be leveraged for disease modeling, drug toxicity screening, and regenerative medicine, I have started several productive collaborations. I currently work together with researchers who specialize in pediatric nephrology and bioengineering, as well as a pharmaceutical company. In most cases, we got to know each other at small symposiums or research seminars with fewer than 100 participants. These mini-events allow us to spend enough time in discussions, which help facilitate new collaborations. Since becoming a PI, I have participated in or have been invited to these small events almost once or twice a month. In terms of maintaining a good collaboration, I think that one important factor is
the physical distance between laboratories, because that truly affects the frequency of communications. If you can find a good collaborator in the same institute as you, that proximity can help facilitate the most productive collaboration. Do you have any advice for establishing a good work/life balance as a trainee and now as an early stage PI? During the trainee phase, I think that it is very important to start building a good track record as a productive researcher, because that is critical to move on to the next phase. Hard work is an essential part of this process toward establishing a successful research career. However, it is important to consider that around age 30, big changes occur in people’s lives, particularly marriage, pregnancy, and child-rearing, which are equally important and time consuming. To continue to work efficiently in a laboratory during this period, it is clearly necessary to be hyper-focused on your goals, but teamwork can go a long way in helping trainees survive and thrive. In many laboratories, one research project is carried out by more than one person, typically a dual partnership of a postdoc and a student/assistant. I personally like this ‘‘master and apprentice’’ approach rather than one trainee’s sole ownership of a project. This dual partnership fosters a relationship that builds trust and enables frequent discussions, and it can make a project easier and more successful. A partner can also have an objective point of view and this strategy can prevent misleading interpretations of the data. But in the case of seeking a work/life balance, this partnership allows one member to support the other member and vice versa during times of need. This concept of mutual help is also applicable to your private life. It is essential to take good care of your family, who will also provide you with the necessary mental and physical support that will productively impact your research activity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2019.04.009
Cell Stem Cell 24, May 2, 2019 689
Q&A Advice for the Next Generation: Minoru Takasato Pursuing an academic investigator position is challenging, and every scientist’s journey is unique. In this interview series, Cell Stem Cell chats with six newly established professors on how they built a competitive application and their advice for trainees interested in this career path. Here, we seek Dr. Minoru Takasato’s insights. Tell us a little bit about your career path and your lab’s research interests. I began my research career by joining Dr. Ryuichi Nishinakamura’s group at the University of Tokyo as a Ph.D. student, where I studied kidney development using gene knockout mice. After I received my Ph.D. degree, I moved to the University of Queensland in Australia to work with Dr. Melissa Little as a postdoc. Melissa is a developmental biologist focusing on kidney development and at that time, she was seeking a postdoc candidate who had experience in both kidney development and embryonic stem cells to tackle a project focused on directed differentiation of human PSCs toward kidney tissue. In her laboratory, I developed a protocol to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells into intermediate mesoderm that can self-organize into a threedimensional renal structure, called kidney organoids. This study was very well received by the research field, and I was offered a PI position by RIKEN CDB (recently renamed as RIKEN BDR). While these kidney organoids comprise all anticipated renal tissues, they are still far from the real human kidney in terms of their size, tissue complexity, maturity, and functionality. My laboratory endeavors to achieve the ultimate goal of generating both a functional and transplantable three-dimensional kidney and a bladder from hPSCs. We appreciate that basic developmental biology is essential for such regenerative studies; therefore, we are also highly interested in studies of human embryology. In particular, we focus on uncovering the developmental mechanisms of the human mesoderm and kidney. Knowing what you know now, what would you have done differently as a trainee? I wish that I had read more papers unrelated to my specific research projects. 688 Cell Stem Cell 24, May 2, 2019
Minoru Takasato RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research
I think that in general, a young trainee’s main role in a laboratory is to perform experiments. Trainees also read papers related to their projects, but in most cases, they are occupied with daily experiments, as that is necessary for timely publication of their papers. However, often the new ideas that lead to a breakthrough are evoked by recognizing a common mechanism in achievements in different research fields. To address an important research question, develop excellent methodologies, and be able to properly interpret the results, knowledge outside of your direct research field is required. We have to remember that the saying ‘‘knowledge is power’’ applies perfectly in driving your research forward.
Do you have any strategies for effective networking that you can offer to graduate or postdoc trainees? Over the last 10 years, social networking services like Facebook and Research Gate have become a powerful tool for instant networking; however, for me, face-to-face networking still seems to help create much more ‘‘effective’’ con-
nections. When I was a graduate or postdoc trainee, my supervisors sometimes brought me to small meetings/ conferences specific to kidney development. Other participants also brought their trainees with them, and so young trainees were able to meet and communicate with each other. Such opportunities were so precious for us to become familiar with each other’s work and make useful connections. Another effective strategy is to work at another laboratory for a certain period of time if this type of personnel exchange can be arranged. In my case, I had the chance to perform research as a visiting scientist in two different collaborators’ laboratories for 3 to 5 months each during a postdoc phase. Each time, I had a great opportunity to build new friendships with other trainees. What is one of the biggest myths or misconceptions about applying for or being a PI that you wish to debunk for trainees potentially interested in this career path? Most people believe that a publication in a high-impact-factor journal like Cell, Nature, or Science will guarantee them a PI position, which I can clearly say is a myth. Of course, the broader impact of your study and its public interest is one of the most important factors during a selection. But from my experience job seeking, I feel that timing is everything. In most recruitment, each institute has already determined specific requirements, like what kind of research expertise and experiences that they want a successful candidate to have. And they will select the applicant who matches that criteria more than the other candidates. Therefore, even after you have published your study in an excellent journal and are ready to seek a PI position, there is no guarantee that a perfectly matched recruitment opportunity will open at the same time. In other words,
Cell Stem Cell
Q&A you are not required to have the best track record among the applicants, but you do need to be the best-matched candidate for the position. It is important to always prepare yourself for recruitment calls. Do you have any advice for preparing for a chalk talk or for making your application stand out? A successful presentation includes not only telling a logical story, but also convincing examiners why your story is compelling. Thus, while research quality is important, presentation skills are equally essential for job hunting. In order to develop this skill, it is important to attend and carefully listen to other researchers’ presentations. In your presentation, it is important to effectively explain the question that your research addresses and why the audience should care. Reviewing your own project objectively and critically will help you drill down and create a compelling introduction for your audience. To get such critical reviews about whether the presentation is interesting to a broader audience, I recommend practicing your presentation in front of friends in other laboratories. In contrast, laboratory members can advise you about more of the details related to your project. If your presentation can convince examiners that your research is more meaningful than others’ work, then your application will stand out. And if it is permitted, I suggest that you practice presenting in as many conferences and symposia as possible, because you can then obtain audience feedback to continue to improve your presentation. You have several research experiences working in labs in different countries. Are there any lessons you learned from these international research experiences, and what advice do you have for trainees considering this route to make the best out of these opportunities? I spent 5 years as a Masters and Doctoral course student in Japan, followed by 7 years in Australia as a postdoc. I also
spent 3 months in the Netherlands as a visiting researcher. The biggest advantage of working abroad during my trainee phase was the extensive networking opportunities, especially with researchers at an age similar to mine. After I became a PI, I realized the importance of networking for establishing good collaborations and gathering useful information about my research field. The more friends you make in the early phases of being a researcher, the easier it will be to survive in competitive research fields. Experiences abroad also strengthen your mental toughness. Establishing a new life in a strange place is fraught with stressful situations that you cannot overcome without becoming mentally tough. However, once you become settled and your research project progresses, everything that you experienced abroad provides you with significant advantages over your competitors who stay in their home countries. And additionally, if you are born in a country where English is not an official language, moving to English-speaking countries provides you with a great opportunity to practice using English for networking. Have you started any de novo collaborations as a new PI, and do you have any advice for how new PIs can set up and maintain a good collaboration? Since my expertise is the directed differentiation of stem cells to kidney organoids, which can be leveraged for disease modeling, drug toxicity screening, and regenerative medicine, I have started several productive collaborations. I currently work together with researchers who specialize in pediatric nephrology and bioengineering, as well as a pharmaceutical company. In most cases, we got to know each other at small symposiums or research seminars with fewer than 100 participants. These mini-events allow us to spend enough time in discussions, which help facilitate new collaborations. Since becoming a PI, I have participated in or have been invited to these small events almost once or twice a month. In terms of maintaining a good collaboration, I think that one important factor is
the physical distance between laboratories, because that truly affects the frequency of communications. If you can find a good collaborator in the same institute as you, that proximity can help facilitate the most productive collaboration. Do you have any advice for establishing a good work/life balance as a trainee and now as an early stage PI? During the trainee phase, I think that it is very important to start building a good track record as a productive researcher, because that is critical to move on to the next phase. Hard work is an essential part of this process toward establishing a successful research career. However, it is important to consider that around age 30, big changes occur in people’s lives, particularly marriage, pregnancy, and child-rearing, which are equally important and time consuming. To continue to work efficiently in a laboratory during this period, it is clearly necessary to be hyper-focused on your goals, but teamwork can go a long way in helping trainees survive and thrive. In many laboratories, one research project is carried out by more than one person, typically a dual partnership of a postdoc and a student/assistant. I personally like this ‘‘master and apprentice’’ approach rather than one trainee’s sole ownership of a project. This dual partnership fosters a relationship that builds trust and enables frequent discussions, and it can make a project easier and more successful. A partner can also have an objective point of view and this strategy can prevent misleading interpretations of the data. But in the case of seeking a work/life balance, this partnership allows one member to support the other member and vice versa during times of need. This concept of mutual help is also applicable to your private life. It is essential to take good care of your family, who will also provide you with the necessary mental and physical support that will productively impact your research activity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2019.04.009
Cell Stem Cell 24, May 2, 2019 689