Erika Ito’s path from music to medicine to global recognition in health leadership

When Erika Ito (MBA/MPH ’26) steps onto the global stage, whether as a violinist or a health care leader, she does so with the passion of a changemaker. She is an even more compelling presence after last week, when she was named one of the “Leaders of Tomorrow” at the prestigious St. Gallen Symposium in Switzerland, joining an elite group of young professionals tackling the world’s most complex challenges.

Originally from Japan, Ito is currently pursuing a dual MBA/MPH degree at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Carey Business School. Her journey into medicine and global health leadership began unconventionally: through music.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Ito—then just 13 years old—performed in charity concerts to support affected communities. Over the years, those performances, including one at UNESCO in Paris, helped raise a considerable amount of funding for disaster recovery and social causes. The experience shaped her deeply.

“Through the violin, I learned that healing people has many languages,” Ito says. “That’s where my interest in medicine and public health began.”

Resilient public health for the vulnerable

Now, with more than six years of research experience and clinical training under her belt, Ito is exploring the intersection of health care, business, and climate change in emerging countries. Her award-winning essay for the St. Gallen Symposium highlighted the need to integrate indigenous knowledge with digital innovation to build resilient, context-specific public health systems in vulnerable regions.

Ito’s vision for the future is expansive and collaborative.

“This honor gives me the opportunity to work with global leaders to drive systemic change,” she explains. “Transformative progress requires collaboration across disciplines and borders.”

Before coming to Johns Hopkins, Ito completed her medical training in Japan and worked as a resident doctor at Toranomon Hospital and Tohoku University Hospital, both renowned for their prestigious residency programs. Her early clinical experiences and international public health research, including studies on dementia-related quality of life, solidified her belief that science alone isn't enough. Real impact requires strategic, scalable solutions backed by business acumen. That belief led her to Carey Business School.

“Carey fosters an environment of impact,” Ito says. “The combination of innovation and business is the ideal environment for developing the leadership qualities and technical expertise needed to create transformative solutions in the field.”

Grounded in purpose

Ito credits Carey faculty and peers for helping her prepare for high-profile engagements like the St. Gallen Symposium, and said she pushed herself to overcome her fear of public speaking by participating in Carey events like Beet Week and Stoop Storytelling.

In addition to her dual degree program, Ito is also a competitive athlete, accomplished musician, and hobby baker. She came in second in her age category at the 2024 Baltimore Running Festival, and tenth overall. She is also a competitive Alpine skier, the assistant concertmaster of the Johns Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, and a member of that organization’s board.

Despite her packed schedule, Ito remains grounded in purpose.

“My ultimate goal is to contribute to making people’s lives better and healthier, whether they’re dealing with disease or simply striving for a better quality of life.”

After graduation in 2026, Ito plans to lead transformative projects that reimagine health care delivery around the world. With a holistic approach that draws from clinical medicine, public health, business strategy, and the arts, she hopes to help build a future where care is as compassionate as it is effective.