Risako Shirane, MD, MSc
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Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
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Titles
Assistant Professor
Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health
Biography
Dr. Shirane is a board-certified neurologist and headache specialist. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto and Master's Science degree in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK prior to completing her medical degree at Kobe University School of Medicine in Japan. She worked as a clinical fellow at the US Naval Hospital in Yokosuka, Japan before moving to the US to complete a medical intern year and neurology residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel/West in New York City. She was appointed and served as chief resident in her final year of residency. She furthered her neurology training through subspecialty fellowship in headache medicine at Yale before joining the Department of Neurology as faculty. She is passionate about caring for patients living with headache disorders and is actively engaged in advocacy efforts to shed light on the impact headache disorders have on our society. Until recently, Dr. Shirane served on the editorial board of Headache, the official journal of the American Headache Society, as Assistant Editor. She currently serves as a committee member for the Global Campaign Against Headache, a global collaborative partnership between the World Health Organization, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions tasked to improve health care for those with headache worldwide.
Appointments
Neurology
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- All Institutions
- Neurology
- Primary Care Neurology and Headache Medicine
- Yale Medicine
- Yale New Haven Health System
Education & Training
- Headache Fellow
- Yale School of Medicine (2023)
- Neurology Resident
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai West) (2022)
- Medicine Intern
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Mount Sinai Beth Israel) (2019)
- MD
- Kobe University School of Medicine (2017)
- MSc
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Public Health (2010)
- BSc (Hon)
- University of Toronto, Global Health (2009)
Research
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Overview
Public Health Interests
Research at a Glance
Publications Timeline
Publications
Featured Publications
Neuromodulation for prevention and treatment of headache disorders
touchREVIEWS in Neurology. 2022;18(2):103–8Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsHeadache Horizons: The Study and Use of Psychedelics in Cluster Headache
Practical Neurology. 2023; 22(6): 64-67.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCounting the cost: How migraine shapes lives and economies
Shirane R, Cohen F. Counting the cost: How migraine shapes lives and economies. Headache The Journal Of Head And Face Pain 2025, 65: 905-906. PMID: 40211783, DOI: 10.1111/head.14941.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetric
2026
International Headache Week 2026: March 15-21
Steiner T, Adarmouch L, Berring-Uldum A, Gil-Gouveia R, Jensen R, Shirane R, Husøy A. International Headache Week 2026: March 15-21. The Journal Of Headache And Pain 2026, 27: 69. PMID: 41792622, PMCID: PMC12964833, DOI: 10.1186/s10194-026-02314-1.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsWHO’s Global status report on neurology: mixed messages for people with headache disorders
Steiner T, Adarmouch L, Berring-Uldum A, Gil-Gouveia R, Jensen R, Shirane R, Husøy A. WHO’s Global status report on neurology: mixed messages for people with headache disorders. The Journal Of Headache And Pain 2026, 27: 37. PMID: 41645057, PMCID: PMC12879461, DOI: 10.1186/s10194-026-02281-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConcepts
2025
Rising together: Building the next generation of reviewers in headache medicine
Cheng N, Shirane R, Olson P. Rising together: Building the next generation of reviewers in headache medicine. Headache The Journal Of Head And Face Pain 2025, 66: 330-331. PMID: 41395652, DOI: 10.1111/head.70022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAltmetric
2022
Neuromodulation for Prevention and Treatment of Headache Disorders
Shirane R, Kim E, Riveros D, Sheikh H. Neuromodulation for Prevention and Treatment of Headache Disorders. TouchREVIEWS In Neurology 2022, 18: 103. DOI: 10.17925/usn.2022.18.2.103.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTrigeminal nerve stimulationNerve stimulationHeadache disordersPreventive treatment of migrainePreventive treatmentTreatment of headache disordersRemote electrical neuromodulationCentral pain pathwaysOccipital nerve stimulationSphenopalatine ganglion stimulationPrimary headache disordersTreatment of migraineVagus nerve stimulationPain pathwaysConcept of neurostimulationTreatment modalitiesGanglion stimulationElectrical neuromodulationCaloric vestibular stimulationNeuromodulationStimulationNeuromodulation techniquesTranscranial magnetic stimulationModalities
2021
Atypical presentation of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) with facial diplegia and retained reflexes associated with COVID-19 infection
Jain P, Shirane R. Atypical presentation of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) with facial diplegia and retained reflexes associated with COVID-19 infection. 2021 DOI: 10.26226/morressier.60780408dc2fa1af56246901.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAtypical Presentation of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) with Facial Diplegia and Retained Reflexes associated with COVID-19 Infection (4182)
Jain P, Shirane R, Pyburn D. Atypical Presentation of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) with Facial Diplegia and Retained Reflexes associated with COVID-19 Infection (4182). Neurology 2021, 96 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.96.15_supplement.4182.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitations
2020
Cultural Disparities in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Decision Making in Patients with Parkinson Disease (PD)
Shirane R. Cultural Disparities in Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Decision Making in Patients with Parkinson Disease (PD). 2020 DOI: 10.26226/morressier.5ebc4ac6ffea6f735881a48c.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConcepts
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity American Academy of Neurology
07/01/2019 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMemberactivity American Headache Society
07/01/2020 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMemberactivity International Headache Society
2022 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsMemberactivity The Global Campaign Committee
2025 - PresentAdvisory BoardsCommittee MemberDetailsLifting The BurdenLifting The Burden is a UK-based non-governmental organization (NGO) tasked to lead and direct the Global Campaign Against Headache, in Official Relations with the World Health Organization (WHO). The Global Campaign Against Headache is a collaboration between the WHO, NGOs, academic institutions and individuals worldwide, with the essential goal to bring better health care to people with headache, thereby reducing the burden of headache worldwide. https://www.l-t-b.org/go/about_lifting_the_burdenactivity Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain
07/01/2023 - 06/30/2025Journal ServiceEarly-Career Mentored Editorial Board Member
Honors
honor Alpha Omega Alpha
05/01/2021Other AwardIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Clinical Care
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Overview
Risako Shirane, MD, MSc, is a board-certified neurologist and headache specialist. She focuses on helping people with recurring or chronic headaches using a variety of approaches to find relief and improve their quality of life.
As an assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Shirane teaches medical students, neurology residents, and fellows. She also advocates for better understanding of headache disorders to expand access to effective treatments. In addition to patient care, Dr. Shirane currently serves on the editorial board of Headache, the official journal of the American Headache Society, as assistant editor.
Dr. Shirane completed her medical training at Kobe University School of Medicine in Japan, followed by a neurology residency at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She then completed a fellowship in headache medicine at Yale School of Medicine.
Clinical Specialties
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Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.