Investigator, Assistant Professor Rad Rsch GCMI 1 MO NE, Mass General Research Institute

Assistant Professor of Radiology Harvard Medical School

Assistant Professor of Radiology Harvard Medical School

M.D. Keio University School of Medicine 1997

Ph.D. Keio University Graduate School of Medicine 2004

angiogenesis inducing agents; cancer biology; cerebral blood vessel function; fetal distress; gases; heart rate fetal; image-guided surgery; immunotherapies; infrared rays; lasers; low level light therapy; lymphatic vessels; metabolic diseases; mitochondria; molecular imaging; molecular imaging probe technology; near-infrared imaging; nitric oxide; nitric oxide synthase type iii; pericytes; pharmacokinetics; photobiomodulation; photobiomodulation and cancer immunity; tumor microenvironment; venules

Dr. Satoshi Kashiwagi develops near-infrared imaging and theranostic technologies integrating molecular probe design, tumor biology, immunology, phototherapy, and image-guided intervention. His research focuses on small-molecule near-infrared (NIR) fluorophores and photonic platforms for real-time disease detection, fluorescence-guided surgery, phototherapy, photoimmunotherapy, and vascular or immune modulation. A central laboratory concept is structure-encoded targeting, in which small-molecule structure is engineered to control tissue distribution, cellular uptake, retention, clearance, and optical performance. This strategy moves beyond conventional ligand conjugation by integrating fluorophore chemistry with pharmacology, tumor microenvironment (TME) biology, and surgical usability. Building on foundational first-author work defining nitric oxide biology in tumor vessel maturation, vascular normalization, perfusion, lymphatic clearance, and treatment response, his laboratory extends NIR technologies from visualization to biologically informed therapy. Current programs combine NIR-I/NIR-II imaging, topical/systemic fluorophore delivery, phototheranostic probes, photobiomodulation, and immune modulation to detect disease, guide precision intervention, remodel TME, enhance antitumor immunity, and improve vascular and neurodegenerative clearance.