Testimonial: a Japanese-French collaboration enabled by GERCA

I am Kensuke Matsushita, a cardiologist at Yokohama City University Medical Center. In 2018, I joined the cardiology team at the University of Strasbourg to pursue scientific research and doctoral studies.

My research interests focus on structural heart disease intervention, takotsubo syndrome, COVID-19-related cardiovascular disease, and the impact of sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors on cardiovascular remodeling. The University Hospital of Strasbourg hosts multiple large registries, enabling researchers to conduct high-quality studies and publish in leading international journals. Additionally, the strong collaboration between the cardiology team and the research laboratory at CRBS (UR 3074, Translational CardioVascular Medicine) provides unique opportunities for outstanding translational research using human samples—a truly rare and valuable feature on a global scale.

Under the supervision of Professors Olivier Morel, Patrick Ohlmann, and Valerie Schini-Kerth, I published more than 50 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Strasbourg in 2022. During my time in Strasbourg, I was honored to receive a scholarship from GERCA, which supported my research activities and enabled my participation in several international scientific conferences, including the annual meetings of the American Heart Association and the European Society of Cardiology.

Even after returning to Japan in 2023, I have continued my engagement with the University of Strasbourg as a professeur conventionné (invited professor) at its Faculty of Medicine.

I deeply appreciate the support provided by the organizers and sponsors of GERCA, which allowed me to achieve my Ph.D. and engage in high-level scientific exchanges. I strongly believe in the importance of preserving these invaluable opportunities and passing them on to the next generation for the advancement of medicine and science.

Sincerely,

Kensuke Matsushita
Senior Lecturer, Division of Cardiology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan
Professeur Conventionné, Faculty of Medicine, University of Strasbourg