Meet Suguru Takagi of The University of Tokyo (Japan). A PhD student in Akinao Nose's lab, Suguru visits CSHL for the first time to attend the 2017 Neurobiology of Drosophila meeting where he presented a poster. 

What are your research interests? What are you working on?
My research interest is to elucidate the neural-circuit mechanisms that enable an animal to respond adaptively to a given sensory cue. I take advantage of cutting-edge toolkits to tackle this problem in collaboration with various experts in the field.

Was there something specific about the Neurobiology of Drosophila meeting that drew you to apply?
A number of people from our lab have attended the Neurobiology of Drosophila meeting and I have always heard that this meeting is wonderful. In addition, it is very inspiring to have the opportunity to actually talk with the speakers and presenters who I had only previously known from publications. 

What is your key takeaway from the meeting?
My key takeaway is the importance of cross-disciplinary interactions. The experience of gaining new perspectives during the many in-depth discussions I had regarding my work and my fellow attendees' work is fascinating.

How many CSHL meetings have you attended?
This is my first time attending a CSHL meeting, and it has been amazing so far!

If someone curious in attending a future iteration of the Neurobiology of Drosophila meeting asked you for feedback or advice on it, what would you tell him/her?
Just attend and join in on the meeting. It is a great opportunity to get some inspiration from all of those who work in this field.

What do you like most about your time at CSHL?
The site is calm and cozy; with the beach being my favorite. I envy those who work here with nice scenery and facilities.

Thank you to Suguru for being this week's featured visitor. To meet other featured scientists - and discover the wide range of science that takes part in a CSHL meeting or course – go here.