Takami Harano ’25

Takami has taken numerous natural science courses and did her summer internship at a neurobiology wet lab focusing on dopamine release mechanisms in 2023 to learn about how the brain functions on a molecular level. Her other passion for languages and cultures had led her to take courses in the Korean language, Chinese literature, and East Asian writing systems. She is currently a research assistant at Chen Lab which focuses on how cultural and familial factors impact children & adolescents’ mental health. She is hoping to look into cortisol levels as a biomarker to better assess stress levels perceived by the Asian-American population. Integrating her passion for cultural sensitivity and mental health, she is interested in learning more about how the environment (e.g. toxicants, climate, living conditions, and cultural norms) affects people’s emotional health, especially developmentally for children and adolescents. She aspires to advocate for mental health literacy globally and investigate the environmental risk factors that aggravate stress levels/cognitive decline.

Outside of research, she plans for numerous cultural events as the Co-President of the Japan Club. She also loves learning new languages (she has native proficiency in Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, limited proficiency in Korean, and hoping to pick up French).