Moemi Kawashima

Moemi Kawashima is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology at the Leibniz-HKI.

You studied engineering for your Bachelor’s in Japan. What led you to this field?

Actually, I wanted to study informatics. But in Japan, it’s very competitive to get into university. I didn’t get a place in informatics, so I ended up in engineering – though in Japan, “engineering” is very broad and in my case, it was more like applied physics.

“I am characterizing a protein in the plasma membrane of a mold called Aspergillus nidulans. The protein is conserved in many organisms but nobody knows its exact function – and that is what I am trying to find out.”

What originally brought you to Germany and your current research path?

I first came to Jena during the last semester of my bachelor’s program for a research internship in a physics group at the university. I was fascinated by the international environment and the photonics research in Jena. My plan was actually to return to Japan for my master’s, but then I cancelled it last minute and decided to do it here instead – a Master in Medical Photonics with a focus on physical chemistry.

How did you shift from physical chemistry to microbiology then?

I worked with Raman spectroscopy, studying the chemical interactions between viruses and bacteria, but I had no biological background. I could look at the spectra but didn’t know how to interpret them biologically. That’s when I decided to learn more about the biological side of things to understand the whole story a bit more, and now I’m working in microbiology.

What do you find most fascinating about your current research?

My topic is hard to explain to my friends and family because it’s very fundamental cell biology, not something relatable like infection biology. But I really like that I’m doing something to gain new knowledge that no one knows yet. That’s really cool.

You also worked in industry before your PhD. What was that like?

I worked in clinical trials for medical devices. But I missed being creative and doing research myself. I was also in Japan and really missed the international environment, so I quickly decided to return to Germany.

Are there big differences between academic life in Japan and Germany?

Yes. In Japan, you have to pay tuition to do a PhD and there is no salary. Also, the academic environment is quite hierarchical. Here, education is practically free, and I can discuss more openly with my boss. I enjoy that a lot.

Has anything surprised you in your research so far?

It’s not directly connected to my research, but I’m positively surprised to have made a good friend through a conference. He is a PhD student with a similar topic to mine and we regularly talk about research and academic life in general. I didn’t expect such an encounter in my PhD journey and am very glad about it.

Do you have a role model in science?

Yes, Professor Silvana Botti. I worked in her physics group during my internship in Jena. She has three children, and her husband is also a professor in the same field. As a female researcher I find her career path extremely inspiring.

What is something you wish people understood better about women in science?

I don’t think it’s women who are disadvantaged – I think it’s mothers. The situation for women isn’t that bad until they become mothers, although there is some progress. We really need to work together to overcome that.

Moving away from science, what do you like to do in your free time?

I have two cats, Molly and Nala. My husband and I didn’t name them as in fact, they belonged to my husband’s friends. They moved to Wales and we took their apartment. So actually, the cats kind of adopted us, so to say. (laughs) I used to play volleyball and practice Japanese drumming back home, but I had to stop when I came to Germany. I go swimming and to the gym sometimes. Other than that I enjoy spending time with friends. A PhD is a bit less frustrating when you have friends to go through it with.

“I really like that I’m doing something to gain new knowledge that no one knows yet. That’s really cool.”

You grew up in London and Tokyo. How was coming from such big cities to such a small one for you, and what do you miss most about Japan?

I was really surprised by how small Jena is. But I liked it, because, well – it is fun to live in big cities, but things are expensive and you always have an information overload wherever you go. Here, my life is more peaceful.

What I miss most is my family. And maybe the food, especially fish. But I sometimes try to cook Japanese food at home as my husband enjoys it too.

Is there anything we can learn from Japanese people?

I think it is just a different perspective, I cannot say which culture is better or worse. In Japan, you are taught to always put the other person first. It is all about being respectful to each other. The German society is more individualistic, and direct in speech. I needed some time to get used to this but now I can appreciate the honesty and pragmatism of German people.

If you could ask your childhood self who or what you wanted to become, what would the answer be?

As a child, I wanted to own an ice cream van, so I could make dairy-free ice cream for my sister who is allergic to dairy. One of the things I did not want to become was a researcher, so I guess my childhood self would be surprised to see me now.