Professor Yuko Kitagawa, MD, PhD, FACS, is a distinguished surgical oncologist from Japan and Professor of Surgery at Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo. He is internationally recognized for his pioneering contributions to gastrointestinal and esophageal cancer surgery, sentinel node navigation surgery, and multidisciplinary cancer care. Professor Kitagawa has authored more than 1,000 scientific publications and has served in numerous leadership roles, including Executive Vice-President for Medical Care at Keio University and Director General of Keio University Hospital. He is widely regarded as one of the world's leading authorities in esophageal cancer treatment and translational surgical oncology.