Title: INT 97-37 NSF/Tokyo Report: The Department of Cardiovascular Dynamics at the National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute Date: October 24, 1997 The National Science Foundation's offices in Tokyo and in Paris periodically report on developments abroad that are related to the Foundation's mission. These documents present facts for the use of NSF program managers and policy makers; they are not statements of NSF policy. Special Scientific Report #97-31 (September 12, 1997) THE DEPARTMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DYNAMICS AT THE NATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR CENTER RESEARCH INSTITUTE Dr. Robin Shaw, an M.D student in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, prepared the following report. Dr. Shaw was a participant in the 1997 Summer Institute sponsored by NSF/NIH/USDA and the Science and Technology Agency of Japan. Dr. Kenji Sunagawa of the Department of Cardiovascular Dynamics at the National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute (NCVC) in Osaka, Japan, hosted Dr. Shaw. His wife, Julie Higashi, who was also a participant in the program, accompanied Dr. Shaw. Dr. Higashi worked in the Department of Bioengineering at the NCVC. Dr. Shaw can be reached via email at: shaw@epyr2.ebme.cwru.edu * * * * The Department of Cardiovascular Dynamics Dr. Sunagawa is the chairman of the department that consists of about 13 researchers (both M.D.s and Ph.D.s). A central investigative theme in the department is the vascular baroreceptor system which is a major physiologic control mechanism of blood pressure (e.g. elevated blood pressure is sensed by carotid and aortic baroreceptors which causes vaso-relaxation by inhibiting sympathetic nerve output, lowering blood pressure). The approach is both experimental and analytical. Animal surgeries are performed to isolate carotid sinuses and perturb them with predesigned pressure waveforms and to simultaneously record sympathetic nerve output. The mathematical techniques of linear systems analysis are used to describe both "neural" and "peripheral" arcs of the baroreceptor system(s). Some of the researchers are interested in elucidating different components of the baroreceptor system, and others are interested in its modified response in diseased cardiovascular systems. There ! is also more clinically-based research on baroreceptor/autonomic regulation of blood pressure and an electrophysiology group starting within the department that is interested in the mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis in patients with heart failure. The entire department meets twice a week for data presentation and journal club discussions. Members of the Department The investigators within the department are intelligent and extremely hardworking. A majority of them have formal clinical rather than graduate training, but this background does not limit the investigations to a clinical-based approach. All members of the department are competent computer programmers and each writes their own data acquisition and data analysis software. Hardware instrumentation for the experiments are generally custom built, again by the same investigators. Each member of the department is extremely focused, but very willing to be of assistance upon request. Although perhaps awkward at times, everybody can speak competent English. My (our) Experience Julie and I organized projects with our host scientists before our arrival in Japan. We had contacted our hosts initially on the recommendation and through our advisors in Cleveland, and were able to submit our hosts' letters of invitation with our original NSF application. Because the projects were organized beforehand, we were able to read the relevant literature prior to our arrival. Our accommodations were handled by Dr. Sunagawa (I believe it required major effort on his part) and were paid for by JISTEC/STA. Our hosts put us under the direct supervision of one of the members of their departments. Having a focused project allowed us the opportunity to make a real contribution to our group's research (my project is continuing but Julie's ended with a manuscript submission). It is important to emphasize that hard work is a major aspect of time spent at the NCVC. Julie and I averaged at least 15 hour days (leave by 8am, return by 11pm, including the 1 hr commute), with occasional work on weekends. Most staff worked at least Saturdays as well. We joined the other Summer Institute fellows for the weekend at Lake Kawaguchi and Mt. Fuji, but otherwise did not take a vacation and did not do any professional visits outside the institute. The work schedule had its obvious drawbacks. However, the time commitment also facilitated communication with members of the institute and, although we still were given special consideration owing to the fact we were guests, we both felt part of our ! respective teams which contributed greatly to our understanding of research in Japan and the researchers themselves. Osaka is also quite central to major tourist attractions (Nara, Kyoto, and Kobe are close by, Hiroshima is 2 hours away by Shinkansen), so we did do some touring on the weekends. We both feel fortunate at having had the opportunity to be members of the Japanese scientific community. We were treated with generosity and courtesy, yet had a focused set of goals that helped us become functional members of our respective departments. We interacted closely in both professional and social contexts with members of the institute and formed friendships that will last during our professional and personal lives. We ended our time in Japan with the understanding that not only have we added a dimension to our research experience, but we now have a connection to Japan, one that will be revisited many times in the future. ------------------------- (NSF/Tokyo)