He received his medical degree from Niigata University School of Medicine, Niigata City, Japan. He was awarded the Ph.D. degree in Gastroenterology and Endocrinology from Yokohama City University, Yokohama City, Japan and did post-doctoral training at the University of California, Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. He completed general surgery training at the University of California, San Diego, CA and a Surgical Oncology fellowship at Virginia Commonwealth University, MCV Campus, Richmond, VA. His BIRCWH research project explores the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the novel lipid mediator, sphingosine-1-phosphate in the regulation of cell growth, motility, prevention of apoptosis, angiogenesis and its role in breast cancer.