LEADERSHIP
Education & Operations
IAFS is an educational academy for facial surgery co-founded by Watanabe and Imai. Watanabe designs and delivers the educational content, while Imai manages the secretariat and operations. Together they create an environment supporting continued learning and practice for surgeons working in facial surgery.
Co-Founder / Faculty Chair & Director of Education
Yorikatsu Watanabe
Co-Founder / Faculty Chair & Director of Education
He oversees IAFS’s educational philosophy, curriculum, materials, and practical instruction. With “Practice through STEPs” at its core, he develops programs that help learners understand, repeat, and reproduce basic techniques progressively. Through lectures, surgical video commentary, hands-on instruction, and assessment, he leads education emphasizing safety and practical relevance.
Responsibilities
- Educational policy and curriculum development
- Organizing basic techniques into STEPs and supervising learning materials
- Lectures, video commentary, and hands-on instruction
- Coordinating educational content with faculty
- Learning goals, assessment criteria, and educational improvement
Co-Founder / Director of Operations & Head of Secretariat
Shoichi Imai
Co-Founder / Director of Operations
He oversees the IAFS secretariat and course operations, including applications, scheduling, venues, materials and training equipment, and coordination with faculty and institutions. He creates an environment where participants can focus on learning and works with the education lead to ensure smooth, ongoing academy operations.
Responsibilities
- Applications and participant support
- Scheduling, venues, and training equipment
- Coordination with faculty, partner institutions, and supporting companies
- Surgical observation and networking events
- Distribution of materials, administration, and post-course follow-up
