MEI Team

In the NTT Research MEI Lab, Ryoma Ishii works on heart-on-a-chip, where he collects electrophysiological data of in vitro heart models which are essential for the development of a Bio Digital Twin. His investigations also include the development of a suitable polymer for the surface of electrodes to measure the electrophysiology of heart models.

Ryoma’s goal is to revolutionize healthcare worldwide through regenerative and preventive medicine. Past projects of note focused on a microfluidic chip for influenza diagnosis in one instance and on chemically defined iPS scaffold for mass-production in another. Later, as a visiting scientist at Harvard University, he researched organ-on-a-chip, which combined a microfluidic chip and a cell analysis system. His process used neurons on the chip to recapitulate the microenvironment of schizophrenia, a potential new platform for drug discovery in that area. Ryoma received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry from the University of Tokyo where his work was recognized with a dean’s award.