Japanese Clinician-Researcher’s Journey to Improve Outcomes for Cardiac Arrest Patients
Dr Haruka Matsumoto joined the Group from the Saiseikai Utsunomiya Hospital in Japan.
Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) International Research Fellow Dr Haruka Matsumoto is an Intensive Care Specialist who joined the Group from Hokkaido in Japan earlier this year. Before joining CCRG, Haruka worked in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine at Saiseikai Utsunomiya Hospital in Japan, as a clinician with a strong focus on ECMO.
“In Japan, I was not directly involved in research, but I wanted to lend my clinical skills and gain experience in research to help improve outcomes, especially for ECMO patients. At my hospital in Japan, we do about 100 ECMO runs each year,” Haruka reflects.
“Since relocating to Australia and joining CCRG, I have observed and been a part of many fascinating studies, such as pulsatile ECMO and heart transplantation. CCRG’s facilities and their preclinical models are world class, so I am very fortunate to have this exposure early in my research career.”
Haruka was introduced to CCRG by colleague and former International Research Fellow Dr Keibun Liu, who led the landmark hydrogen gas study, investigating the use of the gas as a therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
“Keibun had great success in the preliminary phases of this research. We are now hoping to expand on this by examining ways to continuously administer hydrogen during ECMO for periods beyond 48 hours,” said Haruka.
Cardiac arrest and its potential neurological consequences are also central to Haruka’s work, with as many as 80% of patients entering a coma following an arrest.
“I believe one of our greatest challenges is how to improve neurological recovery from cardiac arrest and ECMO, to ensure patients not only survive, but enjoy a good quality of life after critical illness.
“This is one of CCRG’s guiding principles and I am proud to be here and contribute to this in any way I can.”
Outside the lab, Dr Matsumoto and his family are embracing life in Brisbane. “There are four of us here and we are all enjoying our priceless time here.”
