Member Spotlight: Taku Furukawa
What inspired your interest in Hypertension?
As a dual-trained anaesthesiologist and intensive care physician, I have witnessed countless critically ill patients and their families experiencing the most challenging moments in their lives due to cardiovascular complications in the operating theatre and intensive care unit (ICU). Many of these patients had pre-existing comorbidities, with hypertension being the most common. In the ICU, these patients often face cardiovascular collapse, characterised by severe hypotension and myocardial dysfunction, which leads to further injury to vital organs such as the brain and kidneys. Each patient case fuels my drive to find better solutions to mitigate the devastating complications of cardiovascular disease and improve health outcomes for these vulnerable patients. My mission is to unravel the underlying mechanisms of brain and kidney injury arising from heart surgery to deliver superior diagnostics and therapeutics to improve the care I can provide to my patients.
Tell us about your research or initiatives focused on preventing, detecting, and managing high blood pressure and its complications.
As a PhD candidate at the Preclinical Critical Care Unit, The Florey, under the supervision of Professors Yugeesh Lankadeva, Clive May, Rinaldo Bellomo, and Dr. Connie Ow, my research is dedicated to preventing and managing the devastating complications associated with heart surgery in patients suffering from hypertension-related coronary artery and valvular heart diseases.
A significant portion of my work focuses on the impact of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a life-saving technique required during complex heart surgeries. CPB allows surgeons to operate on a still, bloodless heart, making it essential for procedures that would otherwise be impossible. However, CPB also introduces risks of severe complications, especially to vital organs like the brain and kidneys, which are often affected by inflammation, hypoxia, and structural injury during the procedure. These post-surgical complications contribute to prolonged hospitalisations, heightened mortality, and increased long-term health risks, including dementia and chronic kidney disease.
In collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians, I have spent the last 2.5 years refining a unique large-animal model of CPB to study its effects on organ health. Our previous work demonstrated that CPB triggers inflammatory responses in the brain and causes renal medullary hypoxia, but these insights were limited to the immediate period after CPB in the operating theatre. To bridge this critical knowledge gap, I developed an advanced model that extends hemodynamic monitoring up to four weeks after surgery. This approach has allowed us to track the progression of brain and kidney injury over time, providing invaluable insights into the temporal profile of organ injury. By enhancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms driving these complications, we are now able to develop and test novel therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing brain and kidney injuries following heart surgery.
Ultimately, my goal is to improve patient outcomes, reduce the incidence of long-term complications, and enhance the quality of life for survivors of heart surgery.
As a clinician-scientist, I want to deliver better treatment options for critically ill patients and their families during their most challenging moments.
Have you received any awards, grants, or publications for your work related to Hypertension?
Awards
- Best Student Oral Presentation Award from Hypertension Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2023
- Colin Courtice Award for Best Student Presentation from Joint Australian and New Zealand Microcirculation Society/Australian Vascular Biology Society/Australian Atherosclerosis Society Conference 2023
Grants
- National Heart Foundation, Vanguard Grant (Chief Investigator C) (2024-2026)
- Yoshida Scholarship Foundation, Postgraduate Scholarship (2022-2025)
- The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Research Scholarship (2022-current)
Publications
- Furukawa T, Lankadeva Y, Bellomo R The impact of hemoadsorption on antimicrobials. JTransl Crit Care Med. 2024;6:e24-00011.
- Evans RG, Cochrane AD, Hood SG, Marino B, Iguchi N, Bellomo R, McCall PR, Okazaki N, Jufar AH, Miles LF, Furukawa T, Ow CPC, Raman J, May CN, Lankadeva YR. Differential responses of cerebral and renal oxygenation to altered perfusion conditions during experimental cardiopulmonary bypass in sheep. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2024;51.
- Furukawa T, Lankadeva YR, Baldwin IC, Ow PCC, Hood S, May CN, Bellomo R. Vancomycin and gentamicin removal with the HA380 cartridge during experimental hemoadsorption. Blood Purif. 2023;52:880-887
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Outside of my research, I am busy as a father to two wonderful small children (aged 6 and 4 years), with a very understanding wife. My children always amaze me with their creativity and boundless energy. I also like watching soccer and tennis, especially with the intensity and energy of the players at each moment.
Do you have any travel adventures or bucket list destinations you're hoping to experience?
As I’m still new to this beautiful country, I have a long list of destinations in Australia that I want to visit including Tasmania and Wilsons Promontory.
What's the last great book you read, movie you saw, or show you watched?
Every Deep-Drawn Breath by Dr. Wes Ely. This book offers a history of intensive care medicine while emphasising the importance of delivering compassionate care, with heartfelt stories of patients and their families.