Farewell Dr Kei Sato
Earlier this month, we said farewell to one of our longest serving CCRG Research Fellows, Dr Kei Sato, as he and his family return to Japan after four years. We sat down with Dr Sato to reflect on his time with CCRG.
Dr Sato (right) with CCRG colleague, Dr Nchafatso Obonyo, serving Strawberry Sundaes at the Royal Queensland Exhibition (Ekka) 2022
Dr Sato (left) with Dr Keibun Liu at the CRIKEY Conference Dinner March 9, 2023. Gold Coast, Australia.
What was your role at CCRG?
Well, in Japan I was working as a cardiologist, specialising in cardio ultrasound. I joined The University of Queensland’s PhD Program and CCRG in 2019 to investigate heart function by ultrasound in all of CCRG’s preclinical studies.
What projects did you work on at CCRG?
I was fortunate to be ‘hands on’ in many CCRG preclinical studies, including The Living Heart Project, ARDS studies, and our work on cardiogenic shock. Due to CCRG’s unique location within the grounds of Australia’s leading cardiothoracic hospital, I was also able to start two clinical studies to evaluate heart function in critical care patients at The Prince Charles Hospital and St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital.
In your opinion, what is the greatest recent development in critical care?
I truly believe that The Living Heart Project has achieved some amazing results. Our team successfully extended the ex-vivo heart preservation time from four to eight hours, so now there is no donor heart anywhere in Australia or New Zealand that cannot be used for logistical reasons. This represents the first major development in this field in many decades.
“I hope our findings will increase the chances patients with severe heart failure have of receiving a transplant, and I am so proud to have played a small part in that.”
What impact do you hope your research will have on the lives of critically ill patients and their doctors?
My major research goal is to find a non-invasive ultrasound parameter for heart assessments that can currently only be obtained via invasive methods. Evidentially, I hope my work will support clinicians during bedside decision making.
The focus of most of your research is on cardiovascular medicine. Why is research in this area so important?
Quite simply because the mortality of patients with serious cardiac illnesses remains devastatingly high, even after technological development including mechanical life support. More can be done in this area to support critically ill patients and save lives.
And finally, what impact has working with CCRG had on your career?
It is no exaggeration to say that working with CCRG has profoundly changed my career.
I came to Australia with a lot of experience as a clinician, but also with a lot of questions that I never seemed to have time to investigate. I also didn’t know how to start formulating hypotheses to help me answer all these questions. CCRG supported me holistically to learn how to devise research questions, apply for grants, how to analyse data, how to get the results published as academic papers, etc. I would never have been able to achieve all of this in Japan, while still working as a clinician. The experience through my PhD projects has inspired me to pursue further research positions and work as a clinician-researcher.
Early-career researchers should consider studying with CCRG if they want to learn how to conduct their own research in an immersive and supportive environment. All the supervisors and colleagues will help you start or progress your research career, and I believe that these colleagues will quickly become some of the most treasured people in your life.
“I am extremely grateful to CCRG which has become like a family to me. Through good times and bad, they have always been there for me. Whenever I felt devastated by any issues, they cheered me up. We have celebrated countless birthdays, welcome and farewell parties, and great work done together. Our strong bond has helped me overcome the challenges of being a foreigner living in Brisbane.”
CCRG Fellows programme
Learn more about unique ways to advance your research career with the Critical Care Research Group. From Estonia to Kenya, Italy to Japan, our Fellows come from all corners of the globe with enthusiasm, dedication, and integrity as we look at ways to advance clinical understanding of critical illness.
Interested in joining us? Read more and apply below.