When she is not busy at the lab or studying as a graduate student at the , Ruth Taketa enjoys learning about and participating in cultural events.
She joined the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce Cherry Blossom Festival in Hawaiʻi—the longest running ethnic festival in the state that perpetuates Japanese culture while enriching the lives of young women in Hawaiʻi.
Taketa is a graduate research assistant with Robert Nichols, professor of , and was involved in his recent discovery of a potential new approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease.
“What we hope for is to provide a better understanding of the disease in order to prevent and treat the neurodegenerative disorder,” she said.
Taketa, a Roosevelt High School and 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补 graduate, was named a 65th Cherry Blossom Festival Hawaiʻi Princess in 2017. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in cell and molecular biology at 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补 and is one of the many examples of the various talents and faces that make up 糖心Vlog官方 惭ā苍辞补 and its medical school.
—By Deborah Manog Dimaya