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Chikae is a microbial and ecosystem ecologist whose research focuses on how environmental changes, such as land use and climate change, affect soil microbial communities, which play vital roles in plant growth and health as well as biogeochemical cycling. Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, she earned her Bachelor's, Master's, and Ph.D. degrees from Kyoto University, followed by postdoctoral research at Hokkaido University and Boston University. Outside of research, she enjoys spending time with her children, traveling, hiking, watching stage dramas and musicals, as well as reality shows and documentaries.

Nanette is an ecologist who combines ecosystem- and species-level measurements with isotopic techniques to study tree nutrient acquisition processes and tree-microbial interactions.  She earned her PhD at West Virginia University, followed by a postdoctoral position at Nanyang Technological University before coming to OIST. Her research has spanned the globe, seeking to quantify belowground forest function that drives carbon cycling and forest resilience to global change.  At OIST, she is using cutting-edge molecular techniques to elucidate how mycorrhizosphere communities influence tree productivity in the highly diverse tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Outside of research, she enjoys being a Fellow of the Explorers Club, hiking with her dogs, reading novels and watching movies with action/adventure, and acrylic painting.

As a Research Unit Technician, I manage reagents and research equipment, and provide technical support to help ensure smooth and effective research activities. I was born in Osaka and grew up in Osaka and Hyogo, and moved to Okinawa in 2006. In my free time, I enjoy reading, playing the piano, and scuba diving.
 

Trading one rainy place for another, Yulia graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada before joining OIST as a PhD student. During her bachelor’s degree, she worked on everything from nanoparticles, bumblebees, population dynamics of algae and riparian insect communities in alpine British Columbia. Currently, she is interested in the microbial connections between land and sea as well as the human effects on this continuum. In her spare time, Yulia can be found running down (but not up) the OIST hill and feeding her sourdough starter.

Originally from Toulouse, France, Nicolas recently completed a Master’s degree in ecology and modelling at Paul Sabatier University before joining OIST as an intern. His academic path has taken him from studying insect ecology to exploring microbial ecology. At OIST, his research uses environmental DNA to investigate how bacterial and fungal communities are structured across different tree-associated compartments in contrasting urban green spaces. Outside of research, he enjoys sports, reading, and spending time outdoors.

Lucas is a research intern from the University of Toulouse in France, where he is pursuing a master's degree in biodiversity, ecology, and evolution, specializing in human impacts on ecosystems.
During his internship at OIST, he is studying the relationships between the functional diversity of plant communities dominated by associations with ectomycorrhizal fungi and the control of plant pathogens.
In his free time, he enjoys sports, drawing, and spending time outdoors.
 

I have been in OIST since November 2023 and joined Tatsumi Unit in July 2025 as a Research Unit Administrator. With Chihiro and Makiko, I give administrative support for the unit for smooth operation. 
I was born, grew up in Yokohama and spent almost 20 years in Canada and the US.
During my free time, I enjoy scuba diving to encounter marine creatures and occasionally bouldering.