IHPBA Early Career Research Seed Grant Awardee 2025-2026

The IHPBA Early Career Group Leadership Council are delighted to announce the 2025-2026 Early Career Research Seed Grant Awardee is Dr Aya Maekawa from the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan. 

Dr Aya Maekawa, MD, PhD, is a HepatoPancreatoBiliar (HPB) surgeon and clinical researcher affiliated with the University of Padova, Italy, and the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan. She completed her medical degree and PhD at the Institute of Science Tokyo, where her doctoral research focused on metastatic biology in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. She subsequently received surgical training in HPB surgery at the Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR, gaining extensive experience in complex pancreatic and liver procedures and developing a strong commitment to improving outcomes in pancreatic cancer. 

Dr. Maekawa’s research focuses on recurrence patterns, treatment strategies, and oncological outcomes following curative-intent resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. She leads the POCÉMON studies, a series of international multicenter initiatives investigating early recurrence and real-world management after pancreatectomy. She also coordinates the CLIP Study, an international benchmark project on combined liver–pancreas resections and is involved in early collaborative efforts on IPMN research, further expanding her global network in pancreatic diseases. 

Her fellowship at the University of Padova provides access to a high-volume pancreatic surgical program and strong mentorship from Dr. Giovanni Marchegiani and Dr. Giampaolo Perri, enables her to develop high-quality clinical research 

The IHPBA Early Career Research Grant will allow Dr. Maekawa to expand international collaboration, strengthen the POCÉMON platform, and generate high-quality real-world evidence to guide individualised treatment strategies, supporting her development as an independent investigator in global HPB research. 

Research Project  

To read Dr Aya Maekawa’s research project please visit here 

With Thanks 

The Early Career Research Seed Grant is made possible due to the generous support of the IHPBA Foundation 

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Published on Wednesday 3rd December 2025