Fujino Laboratory of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences conducts radiation education at Wakayama Shinai Junior and Senior High School

On October 16, 2023, Professor Hideki Fujino and Assistant Professor Shuhei Sakai of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and students from their laboratories conducted an experimental class at Wakayama Shinai Junior High School. Eighty-three students from three classes in the second year of junior high school participated in this experimental class, in which they released a radioactive source from a commercially available reagent that can be used outside of radiation-controlled areas and estimated the radiation using radiation measurement equipment. By actually conducting the experiment, the students deepened their understanding of radiation measurement methods and the properties of the reagents.

Furthermore, on November 6th, we held a lecture at Wakayama Shinai High School. This lecture was aimed at 14 second-year students in the nursing and medical care course, and used teaching materials created by students in the laboratory called "Learn about nuclear medicine diagnosis with 'Karuta'!!" Through the Karuta game, the students learned about radiation therapy (nuclear medicine diagnosis) and deepened their understanding of its importance and role.
In addition, students from the lab gave a lecture on the mechanism by which tritium-treated water is generated at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, including a demonstration (using colored clay to recreate the transformation caused by radiation).

Through these experimental classes and outreach lessons, we were able to provide local junior and senior high school students with an opportunity to deepen their interest and understanding of pharmacology and nuclear medicine from an early stage using teaching materials designed and developed by the students in the laboratory.