Portfolio — MD / MBA Shion Kiguchi
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Shion
Kiguchi

Physician & Strategist

Where medicine meets strategy
— About

4 years of medicine, 4 years of global pharma, now an MBA.

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Trained as a physician in Japan, Shion spent 4 years in Reconstruction & Plastic Surgery before moving into a global pharmaceutical Medical Affairs/R&D role at Pfizer, leading cross-functional clinical trial strategy across dermatology, respiratory, and immunology.

She is currently an MBA candidate at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, building on clinical and pharmaceutical leadership to move into broader healthcare strategy and business roles.

Flip through→
01

Clinical Leadership

Surgical residency and frontline ER leadership across three Japanese hospitals.

02

Medical Affairs

Sole MD product lead bridging R&D, commercial, and clinical stakeholders.

03

Trial Strategy

Directed Phase 1–3 strategy across 7 global trials in immunology and dermatology.

04

Team Leadership

Led 15-person cross-functional teams with zero missed milestones.

— The Journey

From Nara to Berkeley.

Nara Med school, 2019 Chiba Kameda, 2019–21 Tokyo / Kanagawa Residency, 2021–22 Tokyo Pfizer, 2022–26 Berkeley Haas MBA, 2026–28

Clinical practice across three Japanese hospitals, four years in global pharmaceutical R&D, and now business school in California.

— Where I've Worked

Experience

Chapter III

Pfizer Japan

Tokyo, Japan — 2022–2026
Japan Clinical Lead, Inflammatory & Immunology, R&D (2025–2026)

Directed 7 global clinical trials across dermatology and respiratory — from early Phase 1 through pre-submission Phase 3 — with zero missed milestones.

7 Trials 15-Person Teams Zero Missed Milestones
Read the full chapter
  • Sole Medical Affairs secondee to R&D as Japan Clinical Lead, directing 7 global clinical trials in dermatology and respiratory — from early Phase 1 through pre-submission Phase 3 — leading 15-person cross-functional teams through daily execution and issue resolution; zero missed milestones across trials.
  • Directed Phase 1 strategy for 3 pipelines in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus while concurrently leading a Phase 2 trial and Phase 3 site strategy for a first-in-class trispecific antibody spanning two therapeutic areas, including entry into a new asthma/COPD market; advanced the program to full Phase 3 launch.
  • Led Phase 3 planning and cross-functional approval strategy to expand a post-marketed alopecia areata therapy into a new patient population as Medical Affairs product lead, keeping global Medical Affairs and R&D strategy aligned.
  • Partnered with global R&D to analyze a multi-site trial, identified a clinician-vs-company reporting discrepancy, and redesigned the assessment protocol to restore data integrity across all sites in Japan.
Medical Affairs Scientist, Product Education & Medical Strategy, Dermatology Division (2022–2026)

Restructured team execution and led AI adoption for a 40-person division — cutting meeting time 50% while tripling project output.

$7.6M Strategic Plan 500% AI Adoption Tripled Output
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  • Sole product lead and Medical Doctor representative on drug development, providing clinical insight for Phase 2/3 trial design and market strategy alongside R&D and commercial teams as the youngest of 15+ senior stakeholders.
  • Restructured the team operating model to drive ownership and data-driven execution — cut meeting time 50%, tripled project output, and contributed to a $7.6M annual strategic plan.
  • Co-led a 7-person digital transformation initiative with the Tech team, redesigning AI adoption strategy for a 40-person division — driving a 500% increase in AI usage and 1+ hour/person/day in time savings, later presented as Pfizer Japan's case study to global AI leadership.
  • Drove medical launch strategy for a first-in-class drug with $1B+ revenue potential, briefing 30+ sales representatives and leading stakeholder engagement across 5 university formulary committees to accelerate early market adoption.
Chapter II

The University of Tokyo / St. Marianna University Hospital

Tokyo / Kanagawa, Japan — 2021–2022
Senior Resident, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery

Selected as lead surgeon for infant foot reconstruction as the only first-year resident among four, based on technical precision and calm decision-making.

Only 1st-Year Selected 10 Physicians Onboarded
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  • Selected as lead surgeon for infant foot reconstruction — typically reserved for residents with 3+ years of experience — as the only first-year resident among four, based on technical precision, calm decision-making, and emergency management.
  • Identified a patient-safety gap from inconsistent ward documentation; designed and drove full adoption of a new charting system across 10 senior physicians, improving overall inpatient safety compliance.
Chapter I

Kameda Medical Center

Chiba, Japan — 2019–2021
Junior Resident, Surgery Program

Led a 15-person frontline ER team providing emergency care for a population of 110,000, and mentored 25 first-year residents.

110K Population Served 25 Residents Mentored
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  • Led a frontline 15-person ER team during a one-month rotation, managing 8+ ambulances and 20 walk-in cases daily in a high-pressure, resource-limited environment serving a population of 110,000.
  • Mentored 25 first-year junior residents, tailoring guidance to individual needs and supporting their growth into capable physicians.
— Where I Studied

Education

MBA · 2028

University of California, Berkeley — Haas School of Business

Master of Business Administration
MD · 2019

Nara Medical University

Bachelor of Medicine — Kashihara, Nara, Japan
  • Secured Director of Medicine approval to launch the first-ever one-month research internship at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (2016), Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program.
  • Completed a one-month clinical clerkship in rare disease care (cystic fibrosis) at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Imperial College London (2018).
— Beyond The CV

Additional

Certifications & Licensure

Sole Japanese national selected for the King's College London Medicines Development Program, Medical Affairs Certificate. Medical License, Ministry of Health, Labour & Welfare (Japan, 2019) · USMLE Step 1 passed (2019).

Languages

Japanese (native) · English (fluent) — 10+ years living in California and New Jersey, USA.

Violin

Violinist of 25+ years with first-chair experience in orchestras (SD Youth & Nara Junior Orchestra).

Interests

Impressionist art, design, soccer, and dance.