Dr. Katsuko Uno (Louis Pasteur Center for Medical Research)　

“Scientific communication in the age of social media:

Why did a mere immunology researcher come to Fukushima?”

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Dr. Uno has long been involved in research into the relationship between immune function and disease. In addition to his immunology research, he has also been disseminating scientific information in an easy-to-understand manner to the general public.

During the "AIDS Panic" of the 1980s, when the HIV-positive population was viewed as a threat and discrimination against foreigners led to a tragic division of society, he was quick to introduce hospitals that treated foreign patients infected with AIDS, and he also served as an interpreter, coordinating the process and helping to create guidelines.

With the increasing number of foreigners living in Japan today, the development of professional medical interpreters is a major challenge. Most hospitals lack or lack professional interpreters, so patients' family and friends with limited Japanese language skills serve as interpreters. As Dr. Uno pointed out, medical procedures require highly specialized medical terminology and also involve privacy, making professional medical interpreters more essential than family or friends. (Reported by Zhao Furong)