Clips from the Discussion
This summary was created by Ayane Miura
Why did you decide to become a scientist?
I think the fact that my family members were researchers made me want to become one too. Actually my father used to study food functionality as I do now. But I have not-so-great memories as well - he made me drink fish oil, one cup a day, when he heard drinking fish oil makes children smarter. He also made me eat the snack he worked on that was supposed to prevent cavities - and it gave me 13 bad teeth (LOL). Like so, food and science were so close to me since young age and I've always had aspiration to become a researcher.
What do you like about being a researcher?
I find it very enjoyable to find out "why" things work the way they do. Why leaves fall, why the moon changes its looks day by day...I always enjoy finding out the mechanisms of nature. Also, collaborating with many other people makes it even better. For example, someone might extract lipids while someone else might analyze the sample, and someone else might think about how they can apply the results to our products. I find myself enjoying what I do every day, especially when I work with people from different fields of study, or even completely different fields.
Have you had any struggles?
Well, If I were to give you one, it'd be the difficulty when you just can't get the results you want no matter how many times you try. It happens always, and if you ask me whether it's a struggle, I'd answer yes. But research and experiments are so rewarding, and they always point out what to improve for the next time. So my struggles are always accompanied with fun and joy. On top of that, I had a great mentor with whom I could motivate each other during difficult times, so I'll always be grateful for having such luck.
What's it like to work at a company as a researcher?
Generally, researchers can work at university, goverment-owned laboratories, and companies. I chose to work at a company because I thought it'd be the best place wherer I can release my research accomplishments to society and help as many people as possible. I do understand some people choose to work at colleges for more flexible choices of research topics, but I believe it's also possible at companies too. Personally, I like to work on all things that I find interesting, and I'm very satisfied being at a company.
We've had an in-person tour at Pharma Foods Ltd.co, where Dr. Kim works as a researcher! Check out the registration page below to learn more about the event!