Yuki Lynn Takahashi Memorial Lecture
Presented by Anne H. Rowley, M.D.
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Yuki Lynn Takahashi(1967–1994)
1999: R. Wayne Alexander, M.D.
2001: J. Charles Jennette, M.D.
2005: Valentin Fuster, M.D.
2008: Jane C. Burns, M.D.
2012: Yoshihiro Onouchi, M.D.
2015: Yoshikazu Nakamura, M.D.
2018: Moshe Arditi, M.D.
2021: Anne H. Rowley, M.D.

Yuki Lynn Takahashi was born to Masato and Marcia Takahashi on December 7, 1967 in Los Angeles, California. She spent her childhood in San Fernando Valley. She attended University of California, Los Angeles, where she
majored in kinesiology – the study of human motion and neuromuscular anatomy and physiology. She acquired herBachelor of Science degree in June 1991. During college years she worked part-time at Los Angeles Sports Medicine (LASM), an orthopedic clinic in Marina Del Ray, and Daniel Freeman Hospital. Upon graduation she acceptedfull-time employment at LASM, where she continued to work until June 1994. She passed the board examinations
for Physical Therapy Assistant.
All her life she enjoyed sports. She played soccer with American Youth Soccer Organization, played volleyballwith high school squads, and coached boysʼ junior varsity squads. As an adult she continued to be involved involleyball games on and off the beach. Yuki also studied Tai Chi, which quickly became one of her favorite activities. Among Yukiʼs other favorite pastimes were writing poetry, playing piano, photography and sewing.
She had a thirst for knowledge and a natural curiosity, which made her adventures. In the summer of 1994
when her older sister, Rumi, finished her tour of duty as a Peace Corps volunteer in Swaziland, Southern Africa,Yuki traveled to Africa to be with her. There, the two sisters shared marvelous experiences for two months travelingin one African country after another. Her diary speaks of beautiful African landscapes and her kind concerns toward
African people she met along the way. Unfortunately, their holidays came to an abrupt and tragic end in a traffic
accident on a remote country road in Tanzania, which killed Yuki instantaneously.
One characteristic of her life from beginning to the end was her love for humanity and her wish to reduce
suffering whenever possible. From her chosen career in physical therapy to her volunteer work with Habitat for
Humanity and homeless people, to her uncanny ability to comfort her friends and family in difficult times; in all
ways Yuki was a unifier and lover of humankind.
Although she had no medical education, she shared her fatherʼs enthusiasm for clinical research in Kawasaki
disease. From 1984 to 1991, she cheerfully volunteered as a coordinator of blind echocardiogram interpretations formany hours as an important part of randomized prospective studies to evaluate efficacy of intravenous gamma
globulin treatments. Her attention to details and her cheerful attitude were appreciated by all the pediatric cardiologists who participated in the two landmark studies.
I know Yuki would be most pleased and honored to have this lecture named in her memory.
Masato Takahashi, M.D.

The 13th International Kawasaki Disease Symposium
Presented on October 30, 2021 in the virtual meeting