Introducing a new Long-Term Internship Student of Bio2Q / Fulbright Fellow.

We are delighted to welcome Mr. Zehao Wu as a new Long-Term Research Internship Student of Bio2Q / Fulbright Fellow.

“Hello everyone!

I’m Zehao Wu, and I’m thrilled to join Bio2Q as a Fulbright Fellow in the Honda Lab to explore how microbes impact immunity. My interest in immunology actually started somewhere far from the lab. Growing up in China, I never had food allergies, but I developed an avocado allergy after moving to the U.S. When I asked why, my father, a scientist, explained the cross-talk between the immune system and the environment. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by the profound interplay between environmental microbes and our health. As an undergraduate at Princeton University, I pursued that fascination by exploring how exposure to natural microbes and pathogens affects lab mouse immune function.

My undergraduate training is grounded in studying how the broader environment shapes immune phenotypes. What I haven’t yet explored is how those phenotypes came about and the specific means by which microbes drive such dramatic effects. That curiosity drew me to Bio2Q. Using metabolite analysis and sequencing, I aim to elucidate how natural microbes modulate immunity and whether we can leverage these mechanisms to improve the accuracy of preclinical research and, in turn, the safety of clinical trials.

Moreover, I’m excited for all of the opportunities Bio2Q and the Honda lab offer: the open seminars, the Keio WPI-Bio2Q International Symposium, lab meetings, and spontaneous conversations that could lead to incredible insights.

Outside of the lab, I enjoy cooking stir-fry with whatever’s on hand, snapping photos of my daily life for my photo journal, and trying my best to catch my breath while jogging. In Japan, I can’t wait to learn to cook nabemono, join the Keio Camera Club, and explore the countless wards of Tokyo during my runs.

Finally, I’m grateful to the Japan-U.S. Educational Commission (Fulbright Japan) for their support and the opportunity of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and to the Bio2Q staff, who have guided me through the onboarding with unfailing patience and kindness. I also want to thank the Honda Lab and Dr. Kenya Honda for accepting me as a long-term research intern. I’m thankful to everyone for making this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity possible.”