Dr. Tadashi Shinozuka says that his interdisciplinary speciality is concerned with the prevention and management of health problems associated with travel.
Many people are aware of the risks associated with long-flight travel. Long-distance travelers are urged to heed warnings to guard against "economy-class syndrome." Shinozuka said, "Economy-class flying is not the only hazard. Thrombosis also occurs after sitting in cramped conditions on long car, bus and train journeys. But there are special circumstances associated with air travel."
The son of a medical school professor, Shinozuka is a graduate of the Chiba University School of Medicine. He continued his surgical training at the Red Cross Medical Center, then crossed the ocean to enter the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. There he worked on anesthesia and research in a unit for seriously ill patients, where his concern was mostly with brain resuscitation. "It is possible to some extent to resuscitate the brain in accident or stroke victims," he said, but emphasizes that, for there to be any hope for an afflicted person, time in getting effective help is of the essence.