Introduction Takenori Inomata., MD., Ph.D., MBA candidate

I am a medical doctor from Japan who also holds a Ph.D. in medicine; I specialize in ophthalmology. Before coming to the US for a Harvard Medical School research project, I worked as an ophthalmologist at Juntendo University Hospital, one of Japan’s top medical facilities. Founded in 1838, Juntendo University is one of the nation’s oldest private medical schools. Our Department of Ophthalmology is known for its introduction of refractive surgery and establishment and maintenance of a national eye bank. Our group averages about 6,000 eye surgeries annually. In Japan, I am involved in clinical practice, research and education. I work with patients directly and teach medical students as an assistant professor.

Since September 2012, I have been doing research at the Harvard Medical School’s Schepens Eye Research Institute. I am sponsored by two competitive overseas grants from 1) Bausch & Lomb, Japan and 2) the Japan Eye Bank Association. My current major research area is corneal transplantation immunology. I study regulatory T cells to suppress the T cell function in corneal transplant, which can cause rejection. My research involves corneal transplantation in mice, which is difficult because of the subjects’ small size. However, this delicate work has improved my surgical technique for operating on human eyes.

My medical career has led to my keen interest in hospital management. I want to improve my management skills through earning an MBA, both for managing our department when I return to Japan and to improve my financial knowledge to confront the increasing costs of delivering medical services. Moreover, I want to apply my MBA knowledge to an organization I helped start called “Young Ophthalmologist Updating Seminar” (YOUS), which creates professional networking and knowledge sharing opportunities.

Outside work, I love tennis, which I started playing 19 years ago and continue to play once or twice a week in Boston. I was good enough to be selected to the All Japan University Tournament in 2006, where I earned high marks for my strong backhand. In addition, I have regular blogs on study abroad topics, fine dining, and MBA. I am also a film buff and support the work of film makers I know personally, like Hikaru Kinouchi, whose film won Best Cinematography Award at the Boston International Film Festival 2013.