This year’s International Student Research Forum (ISRF 2009) was held at Griffith University's Gold Coast campus from Sunday Nov. 22 through Nov. 26. This forum gives graduate students from Japan, China, the USA and Australia an opportunity to meet each other, present their research and learn from the research presentations of other students, and also provides student leaders with experience in organizing and chairing of the sessions.

　Although expanded and renamed, this forum is a direct descendent of the GUCAS-UT Student Forum in IMSUT, which was hosted at the University of Tokyo's Shirokanedai campus in October 2005. The core member institutions now include Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS), the University of Tokyo, spearheaded by the Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and Griffith University (GU), the fastest growing university in Australia. The scientific sessions took place on Nov. 23 and 24, following an opening session, in which faculty heads of the visiting delegations provided brief words of greeting. Prof. Hiroshi Kiyono, vice dean of IMSUT, spoke these words on behalf of the University of Tokyo. From among many student applicants, the 5 students chosen on the basis of their scientific achievements and motivation to represent the University of Tokyo were Mr. Ryo Hatano (D2), Ms. Hanako Morikawa (D2), Mr. Yoshiaki Tanaka (D2), Mr. Kohsuke Yamazaki (D3) and Dr. YingBing Deng (D4).

　Although the main focus of the meeting was biomedical, a few presentations fell in the realm of ecology, and one fascinating talk even covered a gene that inhibits male-male courtship behavior in fruit flies. In addition, since it was the first time for Griffith University to host, several of their faculty gave short overview talks about their research. Their achievements included development of influenza virus inhibitors (Prof. Mark von Itzstein), isolation of pluripotent stem cells from adult rat nose tissue (Prof. Alan Mackay-Sim) and analysis of why drugs that work in the laboratory to reduce heart tissue damage when blood flow is resumed following a myocardial infarction are unsuccessful in the clinic (Prof. John Headrick).

　Aside from the scientific sessions, there were visits to two research institutes of Griffith University, and activities to cultivate personal ties and cultural appreciation. Two of the most noteworthy among these were an welcoming barbecue with Australian aborigine dancers and a visit to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where it was possible to hand-feed  kangaroos, and have one’s photograph taken cuddling a koala. Student travel expenses were covered by the IMSUT/RCAST Global COE Program.