Prof. Dr. Miki Ebisuya
Even as a child, Prof. Dr. Miki Ebisuya was fascinated by animals. In high school, she came across the book “Elephant Time, Mouse Time” by Tatsuo Motokawa. It explores the relationship between an animal’s size and its biological time. However, it did not address the molecular mechanisms behind this relationship. “[…] I remember thinking, ‘I’d love to solve this mystery someday.’” During her studies, she also discovered her fascination with formulating and testing hypotheses. The decision to pursue a career in science therefore felt very natural to Ebisuya.
Around the time she decided to pursue a scientific career, stem cell research was gaining momentum. Ebisuya thought, “This might be the perfect time to take on the Elephant Time, Mouse Time question”.
At TUD’s Physics of Life Cluster of Excellence, she and her group are investigating what determines the pace of biological development. Every animal follows its own unique timeline, yet the mechanisms underlying these species-specific timeframes remain largely unknown. “To explore this mystery, our group creates embryo-like tissues from stem cells and compares how biological time unfolds across species.” A distinctive feature of her research is the “stem cell zoo”, which includes not only human and mouse stem cells but also stem cells from monkeys, cows, rabbits, and rhinos.
For her research, Prof. Dr. Ebisuya received the Japanese Prize for Excellent Young Female Researchers in 2019 and an ERC Consolidator Grant in 2020. In 2023, she received the Humboldt Professorship, Germany’s most highly endowed international research award.
“Research can be tough and rarely goes as planned, but it also brings moments of incredible joy and excitement.”
Prof. Dr. Ebisuya therefore advises young woman scientists at the start of their academic careers to “[…] freely and confidently choose the path that brings you happiness.” Understanding yourself and knowing where your priorities lie makes it easier to deal with challenges. “So if you feel drawn to this path, I encourage you to go for it without overthinking.”
“As a woman and an Asian, I’m considered a minority in the German research community.” However, she does not perceive this as a burden in her current work environment, but rather as a result of the work of earlier pioneers. She sees it as her task and obligation to shape a diverse path for future generations in science. “At the same time, I am deeply concerned about the growing global trend of rejecting diversity and fueling social division.” Prof. Dr. Ebisuya therefore advocates recognizing existing progress in social and academic systems and addressing remaining challenges constructively.