Elucidating changes in the mother's brain during pregnancy and childbirth: Opening the path to providing foundational knowledge contributing to obstetric care

Q1. What motivated you to become a researcher?

A1. I was drawn to diverse communities

My direct exposure to the research community during my master's program led me to develop an interest in becoming a researcher myself. In addition to my fascination with the process of scientific inquiry, I was drawn to the diverse and unique personalities of those around me who were passionate about their fields of study. My desire to be part of such a distinctive, stimulating, and motivating community guided me toward a research career.

As a high school student, I was intrigued by science, especially the principles of physics. My curiosity about the composition of the human body and the effects of food on it, combined with my love of food, led me to study in the Department of Agriculture.

After I began studying molecular biology in university, I became fascinated by the fact that the seemingly complex and unpredictable activities of living organisms are actually governed by logical and highly organized intrinsic mechanisms. I was especially drawn to how these mechanisms can be described or modeled using equations and precise calculations, much like in physics.

Q2. What research are you currently working on?

A2. I'm focusing on changes in neural circuits during pregnancy

My current research focuses on changes in the brain and nervous system during pregnancy, childbirth, and lactation. This period is particularly unique in the female lifecycle, as the rapid development of the fetus and the surrounding organs involves significant structural and functional changes. Despite its importance, relatively little research has examined the mechanisms that regulate these changes in the maternal brain.

Recently, it has become clear that neural circuits change significantly during pregnancy. When these changes occur, new proteins are produced and new circuits are constructed. I am attempting to investigate the timing of neural circuit reorganization by visualizing the activity of a protein called ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase), which is involved in information transmission in nervous system cells.

ERK is known to be involved in memory and neural plasticity in the brain. However, its function and activation patterns in live mouse models remain poorly understood. Our research has revealed several distinct patterns of ERK activation in neurons. Our next goal is to determine the specific outcomes associated with each activation pattern.

Q3. What message would you share with aspiring researchers?

A3. Value having simple questions

What appeals to me most about working as a researcher is the ability to directly address questions that arise in everyday life. For instance, social media and magazines are flooded with advice about what is good or bad for mothers' and babies' health, yet many of these claims lack scientific evidence. By collaborating with nurses and midwives and drawing on findings from my research, I hope to provide mothers with reliable, evidence-based information, and help create an environment in which they feel supported and comfortable during childbirth and child-rearing.

While obtaining interesting results is rewarding, I feel an even greater sense of accomplishment when experiments do not go as expected and lead me to analyze the underlying causes and develop a new hypothesis that could explain them.

For those interested in entering the field of research, I encourage cultivating simple and honest curiosity. In a world saturated with information, it is essential to develop the ability needed to distinguish reliable facts from misinformation, often through study and critical thinking. I believe that nurturing the habit of asking "why" and treating science as a way of thinking, rather than simply a collection of knowledge, is fundamental in this field.

(Article: Yasuhiro Hatabe)