2024 (8th) JSME Women of the Future Award

Winners

Nanopharmaceutical Sciences (at the time of the research)(Biomechanics Laboratory (Nakamura, Sugita, Ujihara, Kaneko Laboratory))
ITO Megumi

Award-winning research

Understanding the evolutionary transition of vertebrate ventricular mechanical properties through multi-hierarchical cardiac analysis of amphibians and reptiles

The structure and function of the vertebrate heart have evolved to adapt to the environment in which the vertebrate lives. In this study, she focused on coming ashore of amphibians as the starting point of the evolution of the vertebrate heart and investigated the impact of changes in habitat on cardiac diastolic function. Using amphibians, the first vertebrates to come ashore, and reptiles, which have further adapted to terrestrial life, she investigated the relationship between the habitat and the mechanical properties and structure of the ventricles. She then discovered that upon coming ashore, the hearts harden due to thickening of the ventricular walls and an increase in collagen, further suggesting that the increase in oxygen concentration that accompanies coming ashore may trigger cardiac hardening.

Future aspirations

I am truly honored to receive such a wonderful award. I owe this award to the support and enthusiastic guidance from Professor Nakamura, Professor Sugita, Associate Professor Ujihara, and Assistant Professor Kaneko, as well as everyone in the Laboratory with whom I am working on research. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all. Encouraged by this award, I will continue to work hard to become an excellent researcher like the other predecessors who have received this award before me.