Dr. Kensuke Takada, Associate Professor  (Division of Vaccinology for Clinical Development) gave a lecture at Hakodate Chubu High School on October 11, 2024, entitled “Why do vaccines work? – The mechanism of the immune system that remembers pathogens”.

“Academic Fantasista” is a project in which Hokkaido University researchers convey cutting-edge knowledge to high school students and others through on-site lectures and field experiences. It has been carried out continuously since 2012 with the cooperation of the Hokkaido Shimbun Press as part of the ” Science and Technology Dialogue with the Public ” project promoted by the Cabinet Office.

In order to encourage students to think about how vaccines protect the body, the class introduced Hokkaido University’s efforts to prepare for the next pandemic, focusing on the basic principle of “immune memory.” In the post-class questionnaire, many students responded that they had become more interested in related research fields.