I lost my grandfather to severe subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) when I entered medical school—an experience that inspired my career in neurosurgery. In Japan, I completed residencies in neurosurgery and neuroendovascular surgery, treating many patients with SAH. Despite the best possible care, some patients still had poor outcomes, and others died before reaching the hospital. These experiences underscored the need to uncover the mechanisms of aneurysm rupture and develop preventive therapies. In 2023, I joined the Hashimoto Lab at the Barrow Neurological Institute, where I conduct translational research with mouse models of intracranial aneurysm and SAH. This environment, together with support from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation (BAF), is helping me pursue my long-term goal of developing pharmacological strategies to prevent aneurysm rupture.

Please tell us your background, where you are from, schooling, etc.

I was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido—a city renowned for its natural beauty in northern Japan. After earning my M.D. from Sapporo Medical University, I trained at leading institutions, including Saitama Medical University International Medical Center and the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, to gain expertise in neurosurgery and neuroendovascular therapy. Japan has one of the world’s highest incidences of SAH, which further motivated my work. I later earned a Ph.D. through in-vitro vascular research before moving to the Barrow Neurological Institute, where I now employ Dr. Hashimoto’s mouse aneurysm model. The highly collaborative U.S. research environment has greatly enriched my experience.

What led you to become involved with brain aneurysm research?

Current preventive treatments for unruptured intracranial aneurysms—surgical clipping and endovascular therapy—carry non-negligible risks. Clarifying the mechanisms of aneurysm rupture and developing pharmacological prevention are therefore critical. My long-term goal as a physician-scientist is to establish drug-based prevention, reducing the need for surgery and eliminating the suffering caused by SAH.

In the simplest terms, what is the purpose of your project?

The purpose of this project is to determine whether blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint axis prevents aneurysm rupture.

In the simplest terms, what do you hope will change through your research findings?

There is an unmet need for the pharmacological prevention of aneurysm rupture in our aging society. Currently, no established treatment exists for cellular senescence and its related vascular diseases. The results of this study will provide a foundation for future clinical trials using immunotherapy to prevent aneurysm rupture and will elucidate the potential mechanisms linking aging and aneurysm rupture.

Why is the funding you are receiving through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation so important?

SAH has a high mortality rate, yet receives far less research funding than conditions such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. Few foundations support early-career investigators in this field. The BAF grant is therefore vital, enabling young researchers like me to tackle challenging questions in brain aneurysm research and reach our long-term goals.