“I lost my best friend to brain cancer eight years ago. It was one of the toughest periods of my life. Because of that, I shifted from being an economics major to studying biotechnology. Unlike other cancers, it’s extremely difficult to treat brain tumor with chemotherapy because our brain is protected by the blood brain barrier. So it’s almost hopeless. And that’s why it drove me to become a researcher. I’m from Uzbekistan and I’m here in Japan to work on my master’s degree. I know it’s too late for my friend, but maybe there’s a chance I can help others in the future if I can further research in this field.”