Be both a Biomedical Scientist
and an Engineer
The world is waiting forsuch a specialist
Do you want to apply your knowledge to industry

The Ph.D. Program in Humanics cultivatesleaders equipped with doctoral-levelknowledge and skills in the fields of bothbiomedical sciences and physical sciences/engineering/informatics, together with thescientific expertise to achieve integrationor further academic research?

of these fields and the capacity to apply

Whichever path you choose, the most important thing isthem in wider society. The program aims

to know what kind of person

thereby to address challenges to human

you envision being at the end of that journey.
Due to the profound impact of technology on the medical field,
modern treatment cannot exist without technology.
They are becoming one and the same, creating a demand forspecialists who can seamlessly navigate between the fieldsof medicine and technology.

life and health and enables the sustainable
prosperity of all humankind. We will
welcome students who have studied either
biomedical sciences or physical sciences/engineering/informatics, and who arewilling to study the other discipline andfuse them together. People who have

The Ph.D. Program in Humanics at the Universityof Tsukuba is an innovative interdisciplinary programaiming to educate the leaders of this new era.

worked as a physician or an engineer are
also very welcome.

Its unique doctoral-level curriculum is designed to help
students learn the necessary skills,
develop a multi-disciplinary thought process,and fluently communicate across the fields of biomedical
sciences and physical sciences, engineering, and informatics.
With its Double Mentor System, students will be guided by
two world-leading experts
in their respective fields,
eventually serving as a bridge between these disciplines.

Join the program and start yourjourney to become an individual
who helps shape an unimagined andlimitless future.

Masashi Yanagisawa
Program Coordinator,
Ph.D. program in Humanics

3

Ph.D. Program in Humanics outline

5

Special Interview about Humanics

9

Features of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Director/Professor,
International Institute for Integrative
Sleep Medicine(WPI-IIIS),
University of Tsukuba

11 Curriculum of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

13 Student introduction

15 Students’ conversation
17 Admission Information

1

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

2

What is Ph.D. Program in Humanics?

What is Ph.D. Program in Humanics?

Ph.D. Program in Humanics outline

Biomedical science × Science・Engineering・Informatics＝

Social background and installation of the Ph. D. Program in Humanics

What is Humanics?

In order to overcome the life and health challenges of the present and future and for humanity to“Humanics” is an academic field that sheds light on theprosper sustainably, we must constantly incorporate knowledge and technology from different fields into

fundamental principles of physiology and pathology of

those of biomedical science of the moment and keep challenging ourselves to create a new paradigm.

the human and generates new science and technology to

To create a new paradigm by integrating biomedical sciences and different disciplines, it is necessary

achieve a healthy and comfortable life of human beings into develop leaders who can talk with each other using the languages of both fields, understand boththe society.

deeply, and integrate them in order to make it a reality.

In order to nurture the Humanics talents, this program has

For example, da Vinci, a surgical support robot, was developed from the idea of a surgeon entrepreneur

a unique educational system to cultivate students’ “bi-with an engineering background, and the robot suit HAL was inspired and implemented in the real world

disciplinary expertise” in the fields of both biomedical

by an engineer who had studied human physiology. Optogenetics, a leading candidate for the Nobel

sciences and physical sciences/engineering/informatics.

Prize, that manipulates neuronal activity with light was founded by a psychiatrist who was well versed in

In addition, the program is designed to have them

optical technologies and genetic engineering. However, the educational system to develop such leadersacquire “Capability of Problem Discovery”, “Capability ofcapable of integrating biomedical sciences and different disciplines, did not exist in our country.

Breakthrough”, and “Capability of Accomplishment” that

This program is a Ph.D. program that aims to overcome intractable challenges of life and health and toare practically necessary to establish research topics and toensure the sustainable development of humanity, by developing outstanding talents who can create

apply research results to society.

CASE

01

Improvement of cognitive
function and mental health
Development of artificial neural network
devices that can be linked to the brain,
and understanding of sensibility,
motivation, and thoughts, etc.

a qualitatively different paradigm that goes far beyond the common sense of biomedical sciences andphysical sciences/engineering/informatics - that is, ZERO to ONE -.
The program is adopted by MEXT, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology“ WISE Program(Doctoral Program for World-leading Innovative & Smart Education)”.

Humanics Aims for Fusion Research(CASE01, CASE02)“Humanics” aims to promote integrated research that

The WISE Program(Doctoral Program for World-leading innovative & Smart Education)

creates a qualitatively different paradigm that goes far
beyond the common sense of biomedical sciences and

CASE

02
molecular robots

physical sciences/engineering/informatics.

At its core, what propels the WISE Program is each university leveraging its unique strengths andcapabilities. Building upon their heretofore accomplishments in campus reform, these universities carryout systematic collaborations with other universities, research institutions and corporations in and outside
Japan. By establishing integrated master’s-doctoral programs, which over a 5-year period endow theirstudents with a melding of top world-class educational and research prowess, these universities cultivate
the kind of outstanding Ph.D. professional who can pilot forward various sectors of society. Concurrently,
the program propels the establishment of excellent academic hubs capable of sustainably advancing

3

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Future image of students
Researchers creating a new interdisciplinary field
Entrepreneurs who industrialize
complementary technology of human function

human resource development and exchange and of generating new joint research initiatives.

Medical doctors with knowledge ofcybernics and informatics

https://www.jsps.go.jp/j-takuetsu-pro/data/WISEbrochure_en.pdf

Government administrators who can createa novel plan of medical administration

Overcoming intractable diseases bymolecular robots
Development of molecular robots tointervene in cell functions based on theunderstanding of molecular pathogenesis
and to control infectious diseases
and cancer.

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

4Special Interview about Humanics

Special Interview about Humanics

Sp eci a l I ntervi ew a b ou t Hu ma n i cs

Masashi Yanagisawa
Why “Humanics” research now?
What kind of talent does the Ph. D. Program in Humanics seek to develop? Why is Humanics a necessary
academic discipline in the future? Professor Masashi Yanagisawa, the program coordinator of this program anda world leader in sleep research, and Professor Yoshiyuki Sankai, a leading expert in robotics and Cybernics
research in Japan, talked passionately about their own experiences.
Yanagisawa : First, I’ll ask Prof. Sankai:
the biggest selling point of the Ph.D.
Program in Humanics is to cultivate
leaders who can fluently use the “languages” of both biomedical scienceand physical sciences/engineering/informatics.1 That's exactly what Prof. Sankai
is like. You are working on robots right now.
What made you focus on exoskeleton-assisted robots?
Sankai : I always liked robots and the sciences, but I think that my interest in “people”
played an even larger role in shaping my areaof focus. When looking at human life, there aresome that reach an old age before succumbing
to illness, while others die too early from illnesses they were born with. I wanted to createtechnology that improves, expands, and remedies the natural functions of humans acrossthis spectrum of people, and going one stepfurther, I wanted to create robots, cyborgs, andCybernics technologies that support the evolution of medicine, welfare, and what we con-sider daily life, effectively evolving the humanrace. When all is said and done, “people”
are at the center of all of my outputs.2
Yanagisawa : When did you decide to makesuch a robot?
Sankai : Probably by the time I reached junior high school. In fact, I had already been
thinking about wanting to get Ph.D. in bothengineering and medicine.
Yanagisawa : That’s exactly Humanics. You
got a Ph.D. in Tsukuba?
Sankai : At that time, the University of Tsukuba had a large number of faculty members
because the medical science and engineering
departments were newly established. Becauseof that, I luckily had two professors taking careof me. One was a professor of system control /blood purification treatment in a new engineering field, and the other was a professorof human machine / control. My research
involved tactile feedback from a small robotic fingertip touching the stomach wall tofind tumors using master-slave technology.

1. Educational Subjects
in Humanics
In order to carry out, for example,
medical-engineering collaboration,
we need leaders who can have
conversations in the languages ofbiomedical sciences and of engineering, deeply understand both fields,
and create a new paradigm by fusing
them together.

2. What is Humanics?（Fig.1）
A discipline that clarifies the principles of homeostasis of life, the physiology and pathology of the "human"as an individual, and creates newscience and technology that can realize a healthy and comfortable life as a"human" in society.

Yoshiyuki Sankai
Yanagisawa : So you got a degree in medical
engineering, but both mentors were engineering professors. How did you study biology andmedicine?
Sankai : That is a good point, Professor Yanagisawa (laughs). At that time, there was a ruleat the University of Tsukuba that required us
to take lectures from other departments. In
other words, since I was an engineering
student, I had to take classes outsideof engineering, so I chose medicine.3 I
enrolled in courses by Professor Hori, a Professor of Cardiac Surgery, and the Dean ofMedical School, University of Tsukuba.
Yanagisawa : Professor Motokazu Hori alsotaught me when I was a medical student.
Sankai : I was the only engineering student
enrolled in his class. When I was told tocome to the hospital at 7:30 in the morning,
there would be a conference taking place
already. Patient slides came out one after
another, and terms I had never heard before
were being tossed around. When that finished, we would go to each patient. This is
the so-called “Daimyo Procession”.
Yanagisawa : The Professor’s round!
Sankai : When we made our way to thepatients, the professor who found out that I
was an engineering student would always
asked me a lot of difficult questions. He
would ask things like “what is the pore sizeof the artificial kidney membrane now?” so,I always felt a lot of pressure (laughs). But
when we were allowed to observe surgicaloperations, Professor Hori kept me at thefront and explained everything to me one
by one. In a sense, he was doing what Humanics mentors would be doing nowadays.
Yanagisawa : Great.
Sankai : It was very nice to experience these
moments every week in my youth. In retrospect,
it was wonderful to have a culture that accepted different worlds with different approaches
simultaneously. I think the same could be said
for the academic discipline of Humanics.
Yanagisawa : The improvised way you learned
both fields is made commonplace in Humanics.
In the case of Professor Sankai, you may have
happened to take medical classes, but it is not
usually possible for an engineering student to
get into a surgical site and see a clinical “daimyoprocession” and an operating theater. This issomething that even students studying medical
engineering cannot easily experience. There isa strong impact if it can be done as a matter ofcourse. You also touched the language spoken
on the spot.
Sankai : What surprised me was that nobody would explain any of these terms. The
lecture just proceeds with the assumptionthat everyone is following, so I had to study
them on my own. The great thing about
Humanics is that it grants the opportunity
to jump into the frontier of the real world
where you are compelled to keep up.

3. Pre-admission programin Humanics
In collaboration with bachelor's andmaster's programs, applicants in the
medical sciences (6 years system)
who wish to enroll will be given an
opportunity to study physical sciences, engineering and informatics, andapplicants in the physical sciences/engineering/informatics (4 years) will
be provided basic knowledge in medicine, as well as practical training andexercises.
Fig.１
Big data analysis of sleep, optogenetics, Wearable Cyborg HAL, etc. arecreated by the fusion of biomedical
science and physical sciences/engineering /informatics.
Biomedical
Sciences

Physical Sciences/
Engineering/
Informatics

Big data analysis Optogenetics
of sleep

Wearable
Cyborg HAL

Yoshiyuki Sankai

Program coordinator,
Ph. D. Program in Humanics
Director/Professor,
International Institute for Integrative
Sleep Medicine(WPI-IIIS),
University of Tsukuba

Co-Coordinator,
Ph. D. Program in Humanics
Director,
Executive Research Director,
Professor, Faculty of Engineering,
Information and Systems,
R&D Center for Frontiers of
MIRAI in Policy and Technology,
Center for Cybernics Research,
University of Tsukuba

Research field：Neuroscience

Research field：Cybernics

Masashi Yanagisawa

5

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

6

Special Interview about Humanics

Special Interview about Humanics

Sp eci a l I ntervi ew a b ou t Hu ma n i cs

Masashi Yanagisawa

Yoshiyuki Sankai

Becoming a talent who can handle the languages of both medical
sciences and physical sciences/engineering/informatics.
Yanagisawa : Now let's talk about me. Inhigh school, I was a typical STEM student
studying only physics and chemistry. I thenenrolled in the school of medicine at the
University of Tsukuba. When I was the firstyear student, I took the class taught by Professor Kaichiro Yanagisawa (unrelated) ofgenetics, and I realized that modern biology
is very exciting. In the meantime, I had theopportunity to meet with physical scienceand engineering professors, joined a groupof young researchers of mathematical engineering, and was exposed to fields such as
medical informatics and quantitative analysis. In 1985, when I was a sixth-year medical student, I also wrote an original paperon the subject of cell cycle.
Sankai : That's quite early.
Yanagisawa : I came up with a quantitativemodel by myself and performed mathematical simulation of the cell cycle. The experiment was conducted at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in the United States forthree months each in the winter and summerof 1984. The cell cycle was experimentallymeasured by flow cytometry, which wasstate-of-the-art at that time, and simulatedwith the Cray-1.
Sankai : Cray-1, it was a supercomputer ofthe era wasn’t it? It must have been pretty
special to be able to have access to an envi-

7

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

ronment with Cray-1 in your days.
Yanagisawa : I didn't even study for entrance
exam in high school, but there was an award in
my high school that commended me for excellent research in science. I decided to take it witha friend who was strong in software and wemade a personal computer from scratch. Created a simple interpreter programming language
using assembler language.
Sankai : That's amazing.
Yanagisawa : After I entered graduate school,
I became so involved in experimental biology
research that I was far away from actually using quantitative methods. But I’ve always had asense of crisis. This is because, even though wewere doing joint research with the mathematical sciences, we sometimes did not understandeach other. I thought this was very bad. That's
why when I applied for this program
to the MEXT Graduate School of Excellence, I argued that "we should have adouble mentor system." Students werealways assigned to two supervisors toforce them to learn medical biology on
the one hand and physical sciences/engineering/informatics on the other.4
For example, students from engineering will
have direct access to clinical medicine fromthe first year, just like Prof. Sankai. They arestill young and can absorb a lot if exposed. I
think that such an environment will cultivate

outstanding talents.
Sankai : It is nice that we agree that thetarget is “people.” There are a lot of thingsin the natural sciences that exist without thepresence of humans, but “people” cannot be
the target without the existence of humans.
In that sense, Humanics is a place where
this image of people provides a certain directionality while medicine and engineering
can march forward as one.
Yanagisawa : It's just right for the times. WhenI entered graduate school, it was difficult forbiology to generate data anyway, but in the ageof omics, it became relatively easy to get large
amounts of biological data. Biology students in
Humanics are now trying to use mathematics
and informatics as tools. Eventually, I think wewill go one step further from here, which willlead to biological theory and concepts from themathematical side.
Sankai : What is important and at the coreof this interaction is “evolving together”.
Before I got my doctorate in graduate school,
I was actually considering reentering theuniversity to learn medicine from the basics.
Instead, a professor advised me, “why don’t
you try to coordinate with medicine.” Now
that I think about it, I’m very grateful for his
advice as this accelerated my growth beyond
my imagination.I really believe that you,
Professor Yanagisawa, also see Humanics as a

curriculum that develops people, and medicine
and engineering are really compatible.
Yanagisawa : For example, medicine literally uses engineering as a tool, but in fact,
you will not be able to produce sharp resultsin bioinformatics, for example, unless you
have a truly deep understanding. And there
are extremely few good bioinformaticians inJapan. If you don't understand mathematicalprinciples, you can't be an expert, and thelanguage is quite different in the first place.
It is essential to be able to handle bothworlds of biomedical science and physicalsciences/engineering/informatics.
Sankai : However I think it’s very importantthat you are able to clearly depict the conceptbehind the language in your head, and notjust have a superficial understanding of thelanguage. A high-level understanding of thelanguage should allow you to jump to the nextstage of thought and discussion instantly. Isn't
this Humanics a program born with that inmind? Time is limited, so while we can neverbe sure if we can reach the goals we place
ourselves, Humanics can act as a trigger forsome people who may go all the way. It is
important for Humanics to become a field thatallows for constant growth in a person so thatthey can navigate life in this society.
Yanagisawa : Ph.D. Program in Humanics has

Fig. 2

conducted an entrance examination twice ayear so far, and there were 12 applicants forthe winter exam in 2019. In the 2020 class,
14 students have passed. Enrolled studentsa r e out st a nd i ng, a nd t her e a r e m a ny
international students. This time, we also
did an overseas entrance exam.
Finally, would you like to give a message tostudents who are planning to take Humanics?
Sankai : I have only one message. Whatever
your goal may be, become a pioneer who
enjoys every moment of their journey. You
may encounter many obstacles, but our timein life is limited. I want you to neverforget the wonder and excitement of
exploring new areas in your field.5
Yanagisawa : What I often say to young
people is to study what they think is reallyinteresting. If you don't find it genuinely
interesting yourself, there's no way you can
explain the excitement to others. That's why
in choosing Humanics, I want you to pursue
questions and perspectives that you feel are
truly really interesting. I want you to dosomething that you can boast about, “this isinteresting” not just because someone said,“it would be interesting if you did this.” You
don't have to force others to understand it.
It's more important to keep believing inyourself that this is really interesting.

4. Double mentor system
in Humanics (Fig. 2)
Students earn a Ph.D. degree throughthe “double mentor system”, in which
faculty members from both biomedical sciences and physical sciences/engineering/informatics initiate a research collaboration to provide guidance to students. “Reverse mentor
system” means that students impartknowledge from one field to anotherand act as a bridge between different
research fields. Students will learnbi-disciplinary expertise as well as
communication skills.

5. Career path of
Humanics students (Fig. 2)
・Researchers creating a
new interdisciplinary field
・Entrepreneurs who
industrialize complementary
technology of human function
・Medical doctors with knowledgeof cybernics and informatics
・Government administrators who
can make a novel plan of medical
administration

Example of Humanics research
Biomedical science × physical sciences/engineering/informatics enables doctoral research based on joint research that fuses two fields.

Biomedical science
Neuroscience of Sleep
International Institutefor Integrative Sleep
Medicine
Professor

Masashi Yanagisawa

Spine and Spinal Surgery &Regenerative Medicine
Orthopedic Surgery
Faculty of Medicine
Professor

Masashi Yamazaki

Neurophysiology
Faculty of Medicine
Professor

Physical sciences/Engineering/Infomatics

Humanics research

Next Generation Mobility Technology
R&D Center for Frontiers

Development of technolo-of MIRAI in Policy andgy to monitor arousal andTechnology

cognitive func tion during

Specially Appointed Professor

Isamu Takahara

driving by using IoT

Cybernics
Faculty of Engineering,
Information and Systems
Director of Center for
Cybernics Research
Professor

Kenji Suzuki

Computational Neuroscience
Faculty of Engineering,
Information and Systems

Masayuki

Associate Professor

MatsumotoJun Izawa

Application of wearable
cyborg HAL to CNS disease
and its gait analysis foreach disease

Identify the cerebral neuralcircuits that make decisions, aiming to realize artificial intelligence that makes
decisions using the samemechanism as the brain

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

8

Features of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

FeatureFour features of our Program

Pre-admission program
Double mentor system
Reverse mentor system
Collaboration withoutstanding research institutions

3

FeatureLearning with friends
from all over the world

4

Combination of biomedical sciences and physical sciences/engineering/informatics
The program is supported by a variety of research centers and companies from biomedical sciences
and physical sciences/engineering/informatics

We have curriculums in English so thatyou can earn Ph.D. degree with English
taught classes. Also we have multilingual

Private companies

Research centers

Overseas Universities

be able to meet students from all overCYBERDYNE Inc.

University of California, Irvine

the world with different backgrounds, so

Toyota Motor Corporation

International Institute for Integrative Sleep
Medicine (WPI-IIIS)

you can exchange ideas with each other(R&D Center for Strategic Frontiers inCenter for Cybernics Research

National Taiwan University

staff to support your student life. You will

and cultivate internationality. We have
travel grants to support your domestic/

1

FeaturePre-admission program

Physical Sciences/Engineering/Informatics

Seamless transition to an integrated
education system

This program offers prospective students
an opportunity to have an interdisciplinary
background of the program before enrollment as a pre-admission program in theirundergraduate years, which creates a seam-

University of Bordeaux

National Institute for Materials Science(NIMS,WPI-MANA)

2

Double mentor and reverse mentor systems

Diploma policy ※Students earn Ph.D. degree through the “double mentor system”, in which faculty members

For outstanding human talents

impart knowledge from one field to another and act as a bridge between different research
fields. Students will learn bi-disciplinary expertise as well as communication skills.

Ph.D. in Medical Sciences
Ph.D. in Science
Ph.D. in Engineering

Double and reverse mentoring

Examination

Physical Sciences/Engineering/Informatics※What is the Diploma Policy?
Basic medical science
Clinical medicine

MentorMentorIncluding researchers
in industry

Including researchers
in industry

Basic Medicine
Anatomy,physiology,pathology,
pharmacology,immunology, etc.

In addition to the biomedical sciences, based on
unique and excellent research topics that fuse
the fields of physical sciences / engineering /informatics, high-quality results suitable for the
doctor's degree are obtained and put together
for a thesis. Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, Ph.D. in
Science, or Ph.D. in Engineering will be given toa doctoral dissertation that has been compiled
and meets the required criteria in the final
examination.

Clinical Medicine
Basic knowledge of treatment
and clinical condition of eachorgan,social medicine,
epidemiology, bedside, etc.

Graduate student

Matching from about 100 mentors
https://www.phd-humanics.tsukuba.ac.jp/curriculum/mentor/

Double mentor and reverse mentor systems

1~2nd year

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

National Institute of Advanced Industrial
Science and Technology (AIST)

collaboration to provide guidance to students. “Reverse mentor system” means that students

Qualifying

graduate education.

9

Hitachi, Ltd.

For bi-disciplinary education systemlessly integrated system for transition to

Bachelor

R&D Center for Precision Medicine (PMC)from both biomedical sciences and physical sciences/engineering/informatics initiate a research

Medical Cybernics
Artificial intelligence
Computational biology
Numerical and statisticalanalysis
Biological signal processing
Material organic chemistry
Nano material engineering, etc.

Admission

Biomedical
Sciences

Pre-admission Program

Physical Sciences/Engineering/Informatics

Social Planning)

S’UIMIN Inc.

international researches.

FeatureFeatures of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Features of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Graduate

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

10

Curriculum of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Becoming an outstanding

Extensive curriculum to develop humantalents in the field of Humanics

Ph.D. in Medical Sciences

Ph.D. talent creating

Ph.D. in Science

new industries andPh.D. in Engineeringinterdisciplinary fields basedon Humanics research!

In Ph. D. Program in Humanics, students study basic/clinical medicine or physicalsciences/engineering/informatics through lectures and exercises. With e-learning and

B

PBL, students are specialized in bi-disciplinary research under a double mentor system. In
addition, through taking entrepreneurship education, internships, overseas lab rotation,・Researchers creating a new interdisciplinary fieldetc., we will help students cultivate motivation and negotiation skills to play an active part・Entrepreneurs who industrialize complementary technologyof human functionsin the world.

・Medical doctors with knowledge of cybernics and informatics
・Government administrators who can make a novel plan of
medical administration etc. ……

Students having graduated from a 6th year

Dissertation Defense

course of a university or one with a master's

5th-year-end in the standard

degree may be eligible to apply for a QE evenin the first year if they have sufficient academic

Degree completion requirements

achievements.

□ Having passed QE

The capability to integrate two or more research
fields based on doctoral-level knowledge andBi-disciplinary
Expertise□ Obtaining 45 credits or moreskills in biomedical sciences and one of physicalsciences/engineering/informatics.

□ Research results equivalent to original papers
published in peer-reviewed international

QE

journals□ Achieving the required score of the portfolio

Integrated research

Capability ofunderstanding in
bi-disciplinary
research from amacro-perspective

type achievement evaluationof biomedical sciences
and physical sciences/engineering/

Quality assurance

informatics
QE by the end of the
2nd year

Evaluated for the ability tothrough practices andpropose a research plan in□ International laboratory(1 month)□ Internship (1 month)□ Appropriate Technology

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

achievement

to generate the ZEROevaluation

global trends in biomedical sciences and physicalsciences/engineering/informatics.

Humanics
Competencies

by portfolio-based

Cultivating capability

The capability to understand and explain the

Capability todesign abi-disciplinary
research

The capability to formulate a new paradigm andovercome difficulties by conducting integrated
research through bi-disciplinary expertise.

to ONE task based oninterdisciplinary learnings

Interdisciplinary learning
exercises

11

Curriculum of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Curriculum of Ph.D. Program in Humanics

the area of Humanics

Capability to
produce outcomesfrom abi-disciplinary
research

The capability to execute a bi-disciplinary research
to implement the academic and social impacts of
the integrated researches toward society.

Integrated Research Humanics is pursing

QE ： Qualifying Examination, a test

In Humanics - that brings together knowledge from various fields to create new science and technology,

to evaluate the ability of proposing a

research born from your ideas may change the future of society and each of us.

research plan in the area of Humanics.
T he te s t p erio d dep ends on the

Humanics research example

degree of achievement (the second
year in the standard)
Orthopedics

Cybernics

Anatomy/embryology

Quantitative
analysis

Neuroscience

Non-linear
opticsInfectious
diseaseCryo EMDream
emotions

AI-based EEG
analysis

Sleep
medicine

Multi omics

Psychologicalshortest
distance

Socialengineering oftransportation

Surgery

Augmented
Reality

VisualneuroscienceArt
techniquesMeta
recognition

Brain
imaging

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

12

Students in Humanics

Students in Humanics

Student introduction

Michelle Jane
Clemeno Genoveso

Shinichi Miyazaki
After working as a medical intern, he entered

International student from the Philippines.

the program. He is currently conducting sleep

She is conducting research on the involvement

research to uncover "why organisms sleep" byof host factors during viral infection, and now

genetic methods in nematodes.

she is enthusiastic about cryo-electron microscopy and single particle analysis of proteins.

8：00

Arrival at the laboratory
Checking the schedule for the day,checking the papers, and preparing
for the experiment if necessary

Attend class(Basic Computational Biology)

11：25

Lunch
(at home or university cafeteria)

12：30

Check emails

I take on challenges without fear.

13：00

Attend Business leader Seminars

I enrolled in this program after transferring fromstudents, such as the travel grant from the firstthe Master’s Program in Frontier Medical Sci-

year of enrollment. Through this support, I par-ence. I have been interested in computer scienceticipated in a summer course at the University

and engineering for a long time. Still, I couldof Edinburgh (UK) and a training course at the

study only medicine and biology in my current

Okinawa Graduate University, both in my firstprogram. However, the Humanics program al-

year. In the future, I will take advantage of thislows me to study medicine, computer science,

support to attend more academic conferences,and engineering altogether.

both domestic and overseas.

When I entered the program, I chose the lab-

After graduation, I plan to continue my research

oratories of molecular virology and structural

as a Postdoc in Japan. It is my way of giving

biology. Moreover, I had the opportunity toback to Japan for the support I received during

learn computer science and engineering throughmy graduate studies. I would be happy to apply

lectures and lab rotation. As an international

what I learned from these two fields to solve

student, I appreciate that all classes are taught

society’s current problems. It may not be easy toin English. I also communicate with my two

understand a new area, but I hope that the newmentors in English. We regularly set meetings

students will be inspired to take on the challeng-and share our ideas. It is always exciting for me

es without fear. Because at the end of the day,to relay and discuss one of my mentors’ views to

no matter how difficult it may get, you will get

the other and vice versa.

through everything as long as you love what you

This program offers excellent support for theare doing.

9：00

Progress report or Journal Club

10：00

Behavior experiments using
nematodes

Even if the learned knowledge did not relate to theresearch at present, it should be useful someday

Move + Lunch

I got a bachelor's degree from University ofIn the future, I would like to become a principal

class (class of analysis method
using spectroscopic analysis, aphysics class)

Tsukuba School of Medicine. I worked as ainvestigator. The double mentor system is advanta-

medical doctor before entering this program. My

geous for achieving my goal because I can learn adesire for continuing basic research grew, andlot from two different researchers is significant.

I decided to enter graduate school. One of theThis program provides us a pleasant environ-most attractive features of this program is active-

ment. Students can concentrate on their researchly promoting fusion research. Recently, fusion

without worrying about daily life because of fullresearch, which creates new things by multiply-

financial support.

ing two different research fields, is mainstream.

Studying new fields with pleasure is essential for

Under Prof. Yu Hayashi, a leading researcher ofa student who wants to enroll in this program.

nematodes, I explore the biological role of sleep

Since students in this program have to learn

using genetics and neuroscience. The second

many things in a different area, we often run into

20：00

mentor is Prof. Hideaki Kano of the Graduate

a wall. Of course, I also frequently have difficul-

Go back home

School of Science and Technology (Professor ofty studying in another research field. However, I

20：30

Dinner (Own cooked food)Kyushu University; visiting professor of Univer-often find that new knowledge is closely relatedsity of Tsukuba). In Kano Lab, my theme is non-to my research later. Now I believe that all of thelinear optics applied for microscopes to identify

experience should be useful, even if it seemedbiomolecules by manipulating laser.

not to link to my research.

Most of the day, I am studying nematode sleep under my

The Kano laboratory several times a week for lab meetings

Poster presentation at the symposium sponsored by division

In Iwasaki lab, we use cryo-electron microscopy to reconstruct

In Kawaguchi lab, I perform most of the biochemical experiments

Through the Humanics travel grant, I was able to join a summer

mentor, Prof. Hayashi.

and experiments to perform nonlinear optical imaging ofof living-cells spectroscopy in the Spectroscopical Society of

the 3D structure of proteins and protein complexes for a deeper

to clarify the molecular mechanism behind the process called

program and visit top-level universities and institutes in thenematodes.

Japan.

understanding of their functions and interactions.

phase separation.

United Kingdom.

11：30
12：15

15：00

Visualization of internal moleculesand structures of nematodes bymulti-modal nonlinear opticalimaging (experiment at Kano Lab)

17：00

Move

17：30

Experiment DNA work andbehavior experiment Tomorrow's
experiment preparation

19：30

13

8：40

Return home (dinner at home)

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

15：00

17：00

18：00

21：30

Experiment in Iwasaki laboratory(Structural Biology)/
Consultation with Iwasaki Sensei

Go back to Kawaguchi laboratory(Infection Biology)
Kawaguchi laboratory seminar

Programming practice

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

14

Students in Humanics

Students in Humanics

Students’ conversation

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

CROSS TALK

Michelle Jane Clemeno Genoveso

Seioh Ezaki

Shinya Nakata

Research area：Infectious disease/cryo-electron microscopy

Research Area：Orthopedic Surgery/Cybernics

Research Area：Sleep medicine/Bioinformatics

Mentors：Faculty of Medicine Prof. Kawaguchi Atsushi

Mentors：Faculty of Medicine Prof. Yamazaki Masashi

Mentors：International Institute for Sleep Medical Science

Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics Prof. Iwasaki Kenji

Faculty of Engineering, Information and Systems

Prof. Yanagisawa Masashi

Prof. Suzuki Kenji

Faculty of Medicine Prof. Ozaki Haruka

Learning from different fields opens up new possibilities.
Seioh: I was studying robotics and medicine before entering this program, so it wasvery natural to move to Humanics where
I could study two fields, but Michelle also
moved from another program right? How
did you know about Humanics?
Michelle: I was taught by my supervisor.
I was introduced to the Humanics Degree
Program when I was thinking about going from a master's program to a doctoral
program. I thought that this program will
be a great opportunity to meet not only researchers from my field but also experts inengineering and computer science.
Shinya: I also felt fascinated to be able
to learn not only one field but also otherfields. I was thinking of getting a Ph.D.
from the beginning, and wanted to learn
as much as possible when I was a graduate
student. But I think engineering and informatics would have been difficult to study
without entering Humanics.
Michelle: Shinya, when is your happiest
moment?

15

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

Shinya: After all, I enjoy taking classes inother fields. It would be a good time to get
together with Humanics members. I get a
lot of stimulation from my classmates. The
research content is different.
Seioh: The good thing was we have chanceto spend a time together in classes andsummer programs with other Humanics
students, so that we could understand eachother well. I also liked QE. I was glad toreceive many comments from professors in
different field.
Michelle: The students can build greatcamaraderie because aside from taking
classes together, they also participate inseminars, workshops and even out of thecountry summer programs. As Ezaki said,
the QE was challenging for us because weare the first batch however, we did our best
to set a good example for the next batchesof Humanics students.
Shinya: Before I entered Humanics, I
couldn't imagine much about collaborative
research with a different field, but I gradu-

ally became able to imagine while taking
classes or visiting other laboratories.
Seioh: I loved the AI class. Basic mathematics and physics were taught in the class.
What especially impressed me was, theprofessor gave us lot discussion chances
during the class from philosophical perspectives. Thinking about "what is intelligence?" and "what is AI" from fundamental view was a totally new experience.
Michelle: Before entering Humanics, I
thought that engineering and informatics
serve as powerful tools for solving problems in medical science. However, through
Humanics I realized that the fusion of thesefields (medical science, engineering andinformatics) creates a brand new disciplinethat offers more efficient solutions to thechallenges in the society.
Seioh: You used the Travel Grant, right?
I also joined the summer program at the
University of Edinburgh and was inspiredby the overseas research facilities. After
experiencing academic discussions andpresentations during the summer seminar,
I got a confidence of presenting about
my research. Then, I attended a numberof conferences overseas. You will get theopportunities to participate in your firstexperience without hesitation, so your motivation for research will increase.
Shinya: That's right. The hurdles to participate in overseas conferences are quite
high unlike in Japan, so I am grateful forthe student travel grant. I intend to use
it when attending overseas conferences.
Furthermore, Humanic's economic support
does not need to be repaid. When research
gets busy, I don't have time to work parttime. By the way, what do you do to improve your skills?
Seioh: I participate in workshops and lectures voluntarily to learn the techniques
required for own research. In the medical-engineering collaboration field, it isoften difficult to completely follow up thetrends only with literature. The workshops
allow us to meet teachers who are active in
foremost line in various fields, so exchanging contacts will increase our chances to
get new knowledge. I think it's also a valu-

able opportunity to explain our researchand get their advice.
Michelle: I try to take full advantage of
all learning opportunities. I participated inseveral cryo-electron microscopy training
workshops and practiced programming toenhance my skills. In parallel, I also try to
carry out several biochemical experiments.
But the most important thing for me is tohave regular discussion with my mentors.
Shinya: That's very important. I'm in the labof my deputy mentor teacher right now, participating in bioinformatics-related journal
clubs and reading circles to learn the mathnecessary to use informatics, and spendingtime there is very exciting and fun I do. It
may be great to focus on your interests.
Seioh: I think it is difficult for anyone totry to raise the two specialized fields studied in Humanics to the same level. Rather
than understanding the specialty from thebasics, we have to consider how can we
grasp the big flow and relate them to our
specialty? If we can see that, I think thateveryone can play an active role in our required place.
Shinya: This is one of the things I want you

to keep in mind when learning Humanics.
What is Michelle's future dream?
Michelle: I want to be a bridge between
medical science, engineering and computerscience. I would like to be able to workwith medical scientists and engineers andsmoothly share ideas with them. What is
Seioh's dream?
Seioh: I want to create a society where
people can stay healthy and live longer,
without visiting hospitals too much. I want
to explore new ways of embodiment as well.
From now on, not only engineering technology for treating diseases but also appliedscience that expands human perception andbody functions will be pursued, so I am
looking forward to its evolution.
Shinya: I don't know yet whether it's academia or industry, but in the future I want
to work as a researcher. I think that new
discoveries and flexible ideas come from awide range of knowledge, so I want to gaina variety of knowledge through Humanics.
Seioh: Humanics has a lot to learn, so I
think we can still grow s lot. I am looking
forward to meeting everyone in the future.
Michelle: Then we will discuss again!

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

16Admission Information

Admission Information

Admission Information

Admission Information
Ideal candidate
We will welcome students who have studied either biomedical sciences or physicalsciences/engineering/informatics, and who are willing to study the other discipline and fusethem together. People who have worked as a physician or an engineer are also very welcome.

Number of Students to be Admitted and Language

Annual schedule of entrance examination
We have the entrance examination twice a year,
one in late August and the other in late January or early February.
Entrance examination held in August
Enrollment in April

4

5

6

□ Number of Students to be Admitted

Approximately 15 (Total number of students enrolled in spring, fall and working individuals)

Application
guideline opens

78

Entrance examination held in January
Enrollment in April or October

9

10

Application
periodEntrance
examination□ Degree

11

12
Application
periodApplication
guideline opens

1

2

Entrance
examination

Announcement of
examination results

Either a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, Ph.D. in Science, Ph.D.in Engineering

3

Announcement of
examination results□ Language used in Examination

English (responses in Japanese is acceptable)□ Entrance exam information

Application steps

For the latest information, please see the website.

https://www.phd-humanics.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/admission

STEP

1 Contact the two desired mentors

After confirming the research field of each faculty mentors, contact
two desired mentors by e-mail and ask for a permission. Choose one

Various Supports (as of May 2022)

mentor from biomedical sciences, and also choose another mentor

Students of Ph.D. Program in Humanics, judged as excellent in studies/researches, are financially supported
so that they can concentrate on the studies and researches.
Equivalent to Master's program
Before passing Qualifying Examination
・Financial supports according to their research contribution based on TA, RA, and Reverse
Mentor work
・TA/RA support equivalent to half tuition
Financial Supports

from physical sciences/engineering/informatics. Decide which mentor
is your main mentor.

STEP

The following submissions are required.

・Research plan (about 1000 words in English)
・It is necessary to submit a TOEIC official certificate or a scorecard for TOEFL test takers.

・Education and Research Support Expenses (planned for 160,000 to 180,000 yen/month)
・Tuition: Full exemption
Amount of the above supports will be decided based on results of entrance examination,
outcome of participation in programs and research, results of Qualifying Examination, operating
expenses of the program, and other factors. In addition, students who are judged as excellent inacademic achievement by the university’s regulations are eligible for tuition fee exemption as
described above.

Support foroverseas studies& research
activities

Student dormitory

17

Ph.D. Program in Humanics(web entry)

・Applicant information

Equivalent to Doctoral program
After passing Qualifying Examination

Program will support for expenses related to overseas studies & research activities, such as joint
research and presentations at international conferences, conducted by students on their own
initiative at universities and research institutions overseas. Amount of the support is decided
based on the Travel Grant application and the operating expenses of the program (planned for up
to 300,000 yen/year for domestic or 400,000 yen/year if it includes overseas activities).

2 Application

Ph.D.Program in Humanics
Mentors list
https://www.phd-humanics.
tsukuba.ac.jp/en/mentor/

・Desired mentors; one from biomedical sciences, another fromphysical sciences/engineering/informatics.
・Recommendation letter from the dean of your department or your supervisor
・Examination fee
For details, please refer to the application guidelines.

STEP

3 Admission

Oral examination I concerns (1)knowledge in biomedical sciences,physical sciences, engineeringand informatics, (2)ability to adapt two different fields of study, and (3)linguistic proficiency.
Oral examination Ⅱ concerns your research project proposal upon admission and career plan.

Student dormitory has been established to offer students excellent study environment alongwith the opportunity to experience autonomous civic life.
For further information regarding room, equipment and monthly rent, please refer to thewebsite below.
http://www.tsukuba.ac.jp/en/students/campus-life/accommodation

Ph.D. Program in Humanics

18