阿部光司さん　Koji Abe | Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering

Posted on 2022-07-012022-07-01 by bme

I am originally from Yamagata Prefecture. In 2014, I got my degree from the Department of Information and Intelligent Systems in the School of Engineering at Tohoku University (The department is now called the Department of Electrical and Information Physics Engineering). I was a member of the Tohoku University Kendo Club, and I was enjoying my life in Sendai with three main things: school, sports, and ramen. I am currently working on designing and developing ophthalmology-related medical devices at a company’s subsidiary in the UK.

学部の様々な講義を通して医療機器開発に興味を持ち、工学部出身にとって医学の基礎を体系的に学ぶことができる点に魅力を感じたため、医工学研究科への進学を決めました。また、座学だけでなく臨床的な実習も多いカリキュラムも魅力だと感じました。東北大学の中では比較的歴史の浅い研究科ではありますが、既に多くのOBの先輩方がメーカーや医療分野を中心に多方面で活躍されていた点も、安心して進学を決めた理由の1つです。

After hearing about it in several undergraduate classes, I chose to go to the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering because I was interested in medical device development. I also liked the idea of studying the basics of medicine systematically. I was also interested in the curriculum, which has a lot of clinical practice and classroom lectures. The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering at Tohoku University has only been around for a short time. However, many of my older alumni already worked in different fields, primarily manufacturing and medicine. It’s one of the reasons why I chose to go to college myself.

慣性センサ（ジャイロスコープ＋加速度計）を用いた、リハビリテーションのための下肢運動計測および歩行評価手法の構築に関する研究を行っていました。定量的なデータによる適切な歩行評価と臨床現場への応用を目標にしており、小型かつ軽量で、比較的安価な慣性センサを使って、いかに簡便なシステムで精度良く、有用な歩行評価指標を計測するかについて、時には理学療法士の方の意見も参考にしながら研究に励んでいました。

I was researching the construction of a method for measuring lower limb movement and evaluating gait for rehabilitation using inertial sensors (gyroscope + accelerometer). My research aimed to develop an appropriate gait evaluation method using quantitative data and its application to clinical practice. I was working on how to measure accurate and useful gait evaluation indices with a simple system using small, lightweight, and relatively inexpensive inertial sensors, sometimes referring to the opinions of physical therapists.

学生、先生ともに背景や専門分野が多岐に渡る点が特徴だと思います。異分野の講義や実習、研究活動を通して得られる先生方の手厚いサポートは、座学の知識以上に得難い経験であり、多角的な視野を養うのに適した環境だと思います。また、あまり多くはない学生数に対し、外部から入学してくる学生の割合も多い印象があり、高い学習意欲を持って切磋琢磨しつつ、学生同士の交流も深めやすい点も特色だと感じました。

Students and professors at the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering come from various backgrounds and fields of expertise. This is what makes the school special. More valuable than classroom knowledge is the help you get from professors through lectures, hands-on training, and research projects in different areas. I think it’s an excellent place to learn how to see things from other points of view. Even though there aren’t that many students, I get the sense that most come from outside the school. This is a unique thing about the school because it makes it easy for students to talk to each other and compete in a friendly way that makes them want to learn more.

アカデミックや研究機関を除けば、自身の研究内容が就職先で仕事に直結する方はそう多くはないかと思います。改めて大学院生活を振り返ると、大事なのは自身の研究の専門性だけではなく、カリキュラム全体を通じて学ぶ多角的な物事の捉え方や課題解決力、しいては同じ時間を過ごした仲間同士の繋がりであると感じます。将来的に社会で活躍するための基盤を作る環境として、本研究科を選んで後悔したことは、私は一度もありません。