Meet Princess Martey, the chair who brought our 10th Anniversary Symposium together
She chaired the committee behind our 10th Anniversary Symposium, welcomed us in Nagasaki, and spends her days in the lab studying a virus that makes young children sick. Meet Princess Martey.
By GSU-Japan
When GSU-Japan celebrated ten years with its 10th Anniversary Symposium on 8 August 2026, one person sat at the centre of it all. Princess Martey chaired the Organizing Committee, bringing together a team of students, educators and friends of the union from across Japan to plan the biggest day in our calendar.
Who she is
Princess is a Ghanaian PhD student at Nagasaki University, with a background in Global Health and Medicine. Two things drive her work: a passion for public health and a deep love for children. She wants her research to improve health outcomes and make a real difference in people's lives.
She found her way to GSU-Japan the way many of us do: through the Ghanaian student community in Japan. Before long, she was not just a member but one of the people holding the community together.
Chairing our 10th Anniversary Symposium
A symposium of this size does not happen by itself. As Chair, Princess led the Organizing Committee through months of planning, working tirelessly alongside her team to turn ideas into a programme, a venue and a day that our members and guests will remember. The success of our tenth anniversary celebration owes a great deal to her leadership.
Welcoming us in Nagasaki
Princess also organized GSU-Japan's visit to our members in Nagasaki. When the team arrived, she and Ayishetu Mwinima Sumabe welcomed everyone with a plate of waakye they had prepared themselves. For Ghanaians far from home, few welcomes say more.
Research that protects children
In the lab, Princess studies respiratory syncytial virus, known as RSV. It is one of the main causes of breathing illnesses in young children, and it sends many babies to hospital every year.
Some young children are protected from RSV with monoclonal antibodies: medicines that help the body block the virus. But viruses change over time. Princess's research looks at the genetic diversity of RSV variants and asks whether some of them could escape the protection these antibodies give. Her answers can help keep that protection working for the children who need it.
Looking ahead
Princess hopes to build a career in biomedical research and industry, turning scientific knowledge into practical solutions that benefit society, and especially children. Alongside her science, she wants to keep supporting the Ghanaian community and to strengthen the connections between Ghana and Japan.
Thank you, Princess, for chairing our tenth anniversary, for opening Nagasaki to us, and for everything you give to our community. Medaase!
