Donor Story:
Both Kanji and “Susie” Shirley L. Nakatsu were raised in modest households; their parents had limited financial means and thus discussions about opportunities related to basic education and postsecondary studies was not a common topic. Both families also had limited financial means to pay for post-secondary education. Thus, it wasn’t until the end of undergraduate studies that further graduate education, potentially leading to a career in academia, became a recognizable option. Kanji’s academic career has provided their family with opportunities and a standard of living far beyond their wildest dreams as young children. The Nakatsu’s would like to provide undergraduate students with a summer employment experience that helps offset educational costs and also opportunity to consider a career that is built upon graduate education, such as academia or research. Summer experiences working in an academic laboratory studying the interactions of chemicals (drugs) with biological systems is intended to help students with career decisions.
About the fund:
Established in December 2018 by Dr. Kanji Nakatsu and “Susie” Shirley L. Nakatsu to provide annual funding for one or two studentships for undergraduate or medical students to undertake research endeavours in the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, or its equivalent successor. Preference will be given to students studying or doing research in the area of pharmacology or toxicology, after their second or third year of their bachelor’s degree or first year of M.D. studies.
