Not every graduate student has an opportunity to have a Nobel Laureate as a mentor and graduate advisor.
For Hideaki Tomita '01, however, his choice of the University of Utah graduate genetics program allowed him to study under Dr. Mario Capecchi, 2007 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his work in mouse gene targeting, a technique that revolutionized biomedical research.
Dr. Capecchi and his research team are pursuing one of biology's most complex questions: What is the genetic basis for neurological disorders? In one of the team's studies, experimental mouse strains groomed themselves excessively, damaging their fur and causing skin wounds. The behavior resembled Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in humans, causing the team to wonder about the exact relationship between genes and brain disorders.
"I wanted to be in the medical field so I would have an opportunity to help people," Hideaki said. "And I was fascinated by neuroscience because the brain is one of the most complex biological systems. . . . Many people in the world have suffered from such neurological disorders as Huntington's disease, Parkinson's, and Bipolar Disorder; the etiology and cure for them must be identified as soon as possible."
Two years of research at Lynchburg College with professor of psychology Dr. Keith Corodimas concentrated on the study of a mouse model of human mental disorders - determining how chemical substances such as marijuana affect the formation of fear-related memory in rats.
"Dr. Corodimas showed me how fun scientific research is. He taught me patience and tenacity - that hard work in life will be fruitful in the end. Because of my research experience with him, I was able to move on to my graduate degree in neuroscience."
Hideaki is very clear about advice he would give to young persons wishing to pursue basic research at the graduate level: "Really ask yourself if getting a Ph.D. and doing research is what you really want to do. It is a long process. . . . Make sure that what you want to study is what you really like so you will be able to enjoy it even if you are in a slump or have a hard time getting your project going."