Beyond visualization of DNA double-strand breaks after radiation exposure

Abstract

Purpose

Radiation science and radiation biology are fields where milestones have been set by numerous woman researchers, as represented by Marie Curie. This shows that it is a research field that is like a model of research diversity in modern society. In this review, I will describe what kind of research activities I have conducted as a Japanese woman researcher in the field of radiation science research. In addition, as a Japanese woman radiobiologist, I will describe the sense of mission I felt after the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident and the research issues we must challenge in the future.

Conclusion

As a Japanese woman researcher, I have felt a bias in gender balance in the field of science in Japan. Also, after the Fukushima nuclear Power Plant accident, I sometimes felt that woman researchers would be more suitable when sharing research results and specialized knowledge with the general public. In recent years, the importance of STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Art-Mathematics) education has been highlighted all over the world, and I believe that the field of radiation science falls exactly into the STEAM education category. STEAM education is for people of all gender. I hope that radiation science research will lead to various younger generations, and that the gender balance of Japanese scientific researchers will increase.

Keywords:

• H2AX; women scientists; radiobiology; DNA damage

Disclosure statement

The author declare that the review was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Asako J. Nakamura

Asako J. Nakamura, PhD, is a Professor at Department of Biological Science, College of Sciences, Ibaraki University, Mito, Japan, and is a CTO of Dinow Co., Ltd., Mito, Japan.