Disgraced scientist Haruko Obokata, who was accused of research misconduct after her high-profile work on so-called STAP stem cells was debunked in 2014, says she has received offers from American and German scientists to continue her research.

Obokata was featured in an interview in the latest issue of Fujin Koron, a twice-monthly women's magazine, which hit newsstands Tuesday. The interview, conducted by well-known novelist Jakucho Setouchi, is the first media exposure for Obokata, 32, since she disappeared from the limelight following her dismissal from the government-backed Riken institute in December 2014.

"I have received encouraging letters from researchers overseas I have never met," Obokata told Setouchi. "They say I should leave Japan by all means. It's amazing, but I get letters of invitation from research institutions abroad, including ones in America and Germany."