Dr. Hideaki Kaneda graduated from University of Tokyo, School of Medicine in 1991. He completed internship and residency in internal medicine there and at Social Insurance Chuo General Hospital. He received his fellowship training in cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiology at Cardiovascular Institute in Japan and Shonan Kamakura General Hospital. He also attended University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Medicine and received the degree of Doctor of Medical Science in 2001. He has been a postdoctoral fellow in cardiology at Stanford University from 2000. The focus of his research is the role of intravascular ultrasound for catheter-based brachytherapy.
Dr. Shinjou Sonoda received M.D. from University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan in 1991 and was trained as a junior/senior resident of internal medicine for six years. He was promoted to an assistant professor of the 2nd Dept. of Internal Medicine at University of Occupational and Environmental Health in 1997 and to a vice-director of the Cardiology section at Moji Rosai Hospital following the next year. In 2001, he joined the Center for Research in Cardiovascular Interventions at Stanford University as a postdoctoral research fellow. He has been studying the coronary circulation using Doppler flow wire and pressure wire in patients with ischemic heart disease, and his present research interest includes the mechanism of acute coronary syndrome, especially assessed by IVUS-based tissue characterization technique.
Brian K. Courtney completed undergraduate studies in Computer Engineering at the University of Waterloo, Canada in 1997 with an interest in applying his engineering skills to the medical field. After working for a electrophysiology device manufacturer for over a year, he shifted his focus to imaging and research in the area of cardiovascular pathology and interventions. Since entering StanfordŐs Electrical Engineering program in 1998, Brian has developed software, methods and devices for the purposes of minimally invasive tissue characterization based on intravascular ultrasound. Having graduated with a MasterŐs in June of 2000, and entered the Stanford M.D. program later that same year, his involvement and broad interest in vascular diagnostics and interventions enables him to make continued contributions to our research efforts. He has early experience in the design, development and assessment of medical technologies.
Dr. Junya Ako graduated from University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 1991. He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Mitsui Memorial Hospital in 1996. He continued his career as a cardiologist in University of Tokyo Hospital. In November 2001, he moved to Stanford University as a research fellow, where he participated in the IVUS analysis of sirolimus-eluting stents. His research interests include prevention of in-stent restenosis and analysis of drug-eluting stents.
Dr. Yoshihisa Shimada received M.D. from Osaka City University School of Medicine, Japan in 1995. After 2 years of clinical training in pneumology, anesthesiology, and cardiology at Yodogawa Christian Hospital and Kameda General Hospital, he worked at Tsukazaki Memorial Hospital for 5 years as a staff of cardiology, where he felt attracted to IVUS, and joined CRCI as a postdoctoral fellow from Dec 2002. His main research interests include the mechanism of coronary artery disease progression, and the outcome of treated coronary artery.
Dr. Atsushi Hirohata graduated and received his M.D.degree from Okayama University School of Medicine, Japan in 1996. After the training of general internal medicine for first two years , he had special training of interventional cardiology for three years at Cardiovascular center Sakakibara hospital in Okayama. He had many experiences of interventional therapy then and has an intimate knowledge not only IVUS, but also Coronary flow and Fractional flow reserve. He has just started his research as a postdoctoral fellow of CRCI.from December 2002. He has much interest in Drug Elute Stent and estimate vulnerable coronary plaque and has strong will to learn.

Dr. Hiroshi Yamaguchi received his M.D. from Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Kumamoto, Japan in 1979 and was trained in interventional cardiology under Dr. M.Nobuyoshi at Kokura Memorial Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan from 1982 to 1985. He has worked as a director of interventional cardiology at nanpuh hospital in Kagoshima since 1995 and experienced more than 3,000 cases of PTCA. He has been a visiting scholar in cardiology at Stanford University from January 2003. The focus of his research is the IVUS analysis of Drug-Eluting Stent.