Hello! I’m An-Chi, a senior at ASIJ leading the iGEM team this year. I identify myself as a Taiwanese American, having spent seven years living in the US. I am passionate about molecular biology, but hold interests in the humanities as well. In my free time, I enjoy reading and baking with friends and family. iGEM for me was an opportunity to take on a research project with a group of like-minded individuals and experience science outside of a classroom setting.
Hi! I’m Hikaru, a senior at ASIJ. I identify myself as Japanese-American having both American parents and living in Japan my whole life. I am very interested in biochemistry, biotechnology, and molecular biology. When I’m not busy with school and other activities, I enjoy swimming, travelling, eating, and hanging out with friends and family. Being a part of iGEM has helped further my continued interest in biochemistry as well as giving me the opportunity to learn new techniques and work with others in a collaborative team.
Hey, I am Ria, a senior at ASIJ. I identify myself as an Indian, having spent my life living in five countries all over Asia. I am interested in molecular biology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis, drawing and painting, and public speaking. Joining iGem has been a life-changing experience for me. Being able to work with like minded individuals has allowed me to further my interests in research as well as build teamwork skills.
Hi! I’m Isla, a senior at ASIJ. I identify myself as British/Japanese, although I grew up in Beijing and have lived in 3 different countries since. I am interested in biology and veterinary science and hope to pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian in the future. In my free time, I usually like to cook, play the ukulele, hangout with my dog and sleep. I joined iGem because it gave me the opportunity to learn not only from research, but also my peers. Being a part of this team further confirmed my interests in science through hands-on, real life experiences.
Hey! I’m Erika, a senior at ASIJ. I’m Chinese/Taiwanese American, but I’ve lived in Japan for more than half my life. I’m interested in chemistry and biochemistry and hope to go into research in the future. In my free time I really like taking showers, eating chocolate, and watching tastemade videos without actually making them. iGem was appealing to me because it was a departure from a typical classroom environment and enabled me to explore my interests at a higher level. Being able to participate in this has helped me further my interest and excitement for what I hope to do in the future.
Hi, I’m Maya and I am a Senior at ASIJ. Despite being born and raised in Japan, I identify as an Israeli. When I am not at school, I like debating, performing in plays and writing. Even though I didn’t have much scientific experience before I had joined the iGEM, I thought that joining the iGEM team would be a perfect way to broaden my experience as a researcher and as a student on an issue which has significant real life implications.
Hi, I’m Natasha and I’m currently a senior at ASIJ. Even though I am Japanese-Malaysian, I grew up in Singapore. I love eating, dancing, programming and building robots, and playing my clarinet. I also love listening to music from the 30s, 40s, and 60s! Being part of this team has enabled me to explore bioengineering and research, as well as discover whether it is something I want to pursue in college.
Hi! I’m Everett, a junior at ASIJ. I’m Chinese-American, but I’ve lived in Tokyo for the vast majority of my life. Initially I helped with the website, but because of scheduling problems, I shifted my focus to the mathematics modeling section. Aptly, I am very interested in mathematics. I also love music. In my free time (which I don’t really have much of, but hey, c’est la vie), I like to play piano and, now-and-then, the occasional video game. I joined iGEM because it was a perfect opportunity to contribute to society with something I’m interested in.
Hello! My name is Tara, and I’m an ASIJ student from Finland. I’ve lived in Taipei and Helsinki before moving to Tokyo. I enjoy listening to and playing jazz music, and I love to drawing during my free time. I joined iGEM after I realized that I was interested in biology, wanted to gain more experience working in the lab, and because I believe in the importance of our project. I mainly contribute to the team by working in the lab and reaching out to people either to share their stories or to spread awareness.
My name is Marina Takehana and I am 16, coming from Honolulu, Hawaii and Tokyo, Japan. I love playing volleyball and snowboarding. I mainly helped to research and design the experiment for this year, and because I was on the iGEM team last year, I took on a role to help the new members transition into the project. iGEM has allowed for me to explore my love of biology and healthcare and apply it greater world issues, like how we targeted Colorectal Cancer this year.
Hi, I’m Athena. I was mainly in charge of the community outreach of our project which included communicating with the Japanese police and Red Cross Japan. I enjoy biology, so I decided to take part in iGEM. I also have a very strong passion for American history. In my free time, I rewatch Singin’ In The Rain multiple times.
Hi, I’m Alex, and I’m a junior at ASIJ. I am Japanese, and have lived in Tokyo for over 7 years now! I joined iGEM because I wanted to apply my knowledge of computer science, and challenge myself by working with a new programming language. Outside of school, I enjoy drawing and animating.
Hi! I am Yukina, a senior at ASIJ. I am Japanese, and have lived in Luxembourg and Mexico, but I have lived in Japan for over half of my life. I enjoy playing softball and tennis, watching baseball, as well as playing the clarinet. I am interested in biochemistry and pharmacology, and being a part of the iGEM team has given me the opportunity to explore my interests in depth and gain more experience and skills working in the lab.
Hello!! My name is Sarah and I am currently a senior at ASIJ. My entire life has been spent in Tokyo, but I also have a mix of an American background in me. Although I love biochemistry, my other interests include cooking, music (specifically violin), and cheerleading (Go ASIJ!) I joined the iGEM team to gain a deeper understanding of field I want to enter, and it really helped me strike an interest in becoming a researcher.
Hello! I’m Rika Nakane and I am a senior at ASIJ! I’ve lived in Osaka or Tokyo for most of my life but I also lived in Chicago for four years which really influenced how I am now. I love playing the violin & viola, doodling, taking naps, and watching dance videos although I cannot dance. I joined IGEM because of my interests in biology and chemistry. This spring and summer, I enjoyed learning and working with people who have similar interests.
Our instructor/advisor and a current biology teacher at ASIJ.
