Photo: From L to R: Dr. Ritsu Kosuge, Ms. Yukako Nakano, Dr. Ian Pike, and Dr. Kazuko Okamura during Dr. Pike’s 2019 fellowship in Japan.

Dr. Ian Pike has received a BRIDGE fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

He will be working in Kashiwanoha, Chiba during the month of February 2023. During his time in Japan, Dr. Pike will collaborate to develop key messages for parents for a public campaign on booster seat safety. Booster seat use in Japan among young children is less common.

Dr. Pike will work with investigators at the National Research Institute for Police Science. They will collaborate with experts in road safety, child safety, and child development together with members of the Japan Automobile Association. Their work will utilize evidence and best practices on booster seat safety, review current use and installation practices of booster seats in Japan, conduct focus groups with parents, and engage an expert panel review on the creation of key messages.

The JSPS funds scholarships and fellowships for new and experienced scientists around the world to work with Japanese researchers. This fellowship is a continuation of the work Dr. Pike began with JSPS in 2019.

“I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for granting me this fellowship,” said Dr. Pike. “I look forward to working with new and existing associates on an important safety issue, and am thrilled to be collaborating again with my colleagues  at the National Research Institute for Police Science.”