Yamato Takabe (MY ’26) is a molecular, cellular, and developmental biology major on the pre-med track from Buffalo, New York. His passion for global health originated during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, focusing particularly on health literacy and vaccine hesitancy. He aspires to pursue an MD and PhD to address urgent health issues at the intersection of research and medical practice. At Yale, Yamato works in the Flavell Lab, where he is currently investigating immunotherapy and immunobiology through humanized mouse models. He is a co-moderator of the Asian American Students Alliance, secretary of the Japanese American Students Union, and proud captain of the Pauli Murray intramural soccer team. He is also on the board of Camp Kesem at Yale and writes for the Yale Scientific Magazine. In his free time, he enjoys watching sports, exploring, listening to music, traveling, and driving.