How long have you been working in sPHENIX and at what institution?
I have been with the sPHENIX collaboration since fall 2024 as a postdoc at RIKEN.
What is the focus of your work on the sPHENIX experiment? What is the title of your Ph.D. or tentative title?
I focus on INTT detector operations as well as long-range two-particle correlation measurements in proton–proton collisions.
My Ph.D. thesis was titled “Measurement of long-range two-particle correlations and the pseudorapidity dependence of elliptic flow in p–Pb collisions at √s_NN = 5.02 TeV.”
Where did you grow up and what is your educational background before your current position?
I grew up in Kawasaki, a city near Tokyo, Japan. I began studying physics as an undergraduate at Sophia University, and later entered the University of Tokyo, where I worked on SOI pixel detector development during my master’s studies and completed my Ph.D. with the ALICE experiment.
Awards or biggest talk highlight?
One of my biggest highlights was presenting my work on two-particle correlations at the Quark Matter 2019 conference in Wuhan, China, as a representative of the ALICE collaboration.
How did you decide to go into heavy ion or spin research?
I originally studied theory as an undergraduate, but through programs such as summer schools and graduate-school guidance sessions, I became interested in experimental research, particularly in high-energy heavy-ion collisions, which led me to pursue this field in graduate school.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I enjoy trying good food and cooking. I also like traveling on my own, and when I have time, I enjoy visiting shows and museums in New York.
Fun fact?
I don’t have any special talents or funny stories to share, but I enjoy going out for drinks and watching anime. I’m always happy to share those.