When she is not busy at the lab or studying as a graduate student at the , Ruth Taketa enjoys learning about and participating in cultural events.
She joined the Honolulu Japanese Junior Chamber of Commerce Cherry Blossom Festival in Â鶹´«Ã½—the longest running ethnic festival in the state that perpetuates Japanese culture while enriching the lives of young women in Â鶹´«Ã½.
Taketa is a graduate research assistant with Robert Nichols, professor of , and was involved in his recent discovery of a potential new approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease.
“What we hope for is to provide a better understanding of the disease in order to prevent and treat the neurodegenerative disorder,” she said.
Taketa, a Roosevelt High School and UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ graduate, was named a 65th Cherry Blossom Festival Â鶹´«Ã½ Princess in 2017. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in cell and molecular biology at UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ and is one of the many examples of the various talents and faces that make up UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ and its medical school.
—By Deborah Manog Dimaya