Yoshio Otaki, M.D., Ph.D.

  • Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Yoshio Otaki graduated from Kobe University School of Medicine in 1993. He completed five years of training in Japan, and then worked at Kobe Children’s Hospital — one of the best hospitals in Japan —between 1998 and 2002. Dr. Otaki moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 2002 to follow his interest in research regarding the development of ventricular assist devices or total artificial hearts. There he worked as a clinical fellow in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic and Rainbow Children’s Hospital. Dr. Otaki was a pediatric heart surgeon at Wake Forest University between 2010 and early 2022.

Outside of work, Dr. Otaki is the father of one daughter. He enjoys running marathons and ultramarathons. He completed running marathons in all 50 states in 2015. He has finished 96 marathons and 41 ultramarathons, including 15 100-mile races.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • M.D., 1993, Kobe University School of Medicine
    • Ph.D., 2001, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine

  • Residency

    • General and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kobe University Hospital, Kobe, Japan, 1994
    • General and Vascular Surgery, Awaji Hospital, Sumoto, Japan, 1995
    • Cardiovascular Surgery, Hyogo Brain and Heart Center, Himeji, Japan, 1996

  • Fellowship

    • Cardiovascular Surgery, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan, 1998
    • Biomedical Engineering, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, 2005
    • Cardiothoracic Surgery, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, 2008
    • Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospitals of Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, 2009

  • Certifications

    • Japanese Board of Thoracic Surgery, 1998
    • Japanese Board of General Surgery, 1997

Memberships and associations:

  • Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS)
  • American Society for Artificial Internal Organs
  • Southern Thoracic Surgical Association (STSA)
  • Congenital Heart Surgeon's Society (CHSS)
  • American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS)

Publications

Elsevier pure profile

Publications