Remembering Aoki-sensei
I have never felt more honored than in the presence of Prof. Shigeki Aoki. His departure leaves a profound void in my life, one I will try to fill by emulating his generosity and scientific curiosity.
I have never felt more honored than in the presence of Prof. Shigeki Aoki. I mean this in two ways: I was honored to be in the company of an intellectual giant who ranged effortlessly from MRI, to Japanese culture, to oenology; and I was also honored by him, with attention, affection and a generosity of spirit that made every interaction feel personal and meaningful.
Aoki-sensei recognized my work just as I was starting my career as an assistant professor at Montreal Polytechnique. Together with Prof. Masaaki Hori they invited me to talk about the g-ratio at the Japanese Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine in 2015, and it was the first time I felt that my research may have a global impact. It was also the first time I had tried shochu, a smooth Japanese distilled spirit that sealed my bond with Aoki-sensei. Once he found out I liked shochu, he ordered four different kinds (rice, barley, potato, and black sesame) and we tasted each one in three ways: neat, iced and hot. Twelve drinks and a Tokyo earthqake later1, I had met a mentor and a friend for life.