Soroosh Sanatkhani, PhD

Soroosh Sanatkhani is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, where he leads innovative research on the effects of focused ultrasound on neuromodulation. He utilizes quantitative magnetic resonance imaging to study non-human primates and mice, and is part of a team dedicated to developing non-surgical treatments for brain disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases through targeted drug delivery. His work in Dr. Vincent Ferrera's lab has been instrumental in securing significant funding, including the prestigious BBRF NARSAD Young Investigator Grant for his research on ultrasound-induced neuromodulation in mice.

Dr. Sanatkhani has demonstrated exceptional leadership and financial acumen. As the team lead in Columbia University's Lab-to-Market Bootcamp, he successfully bridged engineering innovation with clinical applications, steering a multidisciplinary team towards the development of a personalized focused ultrasound treatment planning system. His participation in advanced finance discussion groups at Columbia Business School, along with his experience in managing substantial budgets and projects, underscores his multifaceted capabilities.

Dr. Sanatkhani's research integrates computational modeling and advanced image processing techniques to address safety concerns related to ultrasound-induced neuromodulation. His strategic efforts have streamlined MRI protocols, making them more efficient and cost-effective.

Soroosh earned his Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked under the supervision of Dr. Sanjeev Shroff , Distinguished Professor and Interim Dean of Engineering, and Dr. Prahlad Menon, associate professor of bioengineering. During his Ph.D., he was a member of the Cardiovascular Bioengineering Training Program (CBTP) and was awarded the prestigious American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship for his research on stroke risk prediction in atrial fibrillation patients. His work led to the development of a predictive model utilizing hemodynamic data from CT scans and clinical records, enhancing clinical decision-making.

Dr. Sanatkhani's academic journey began in automotive engineering at Iran University of Science & Technology, followed by a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on energy conversion from Sharif University of Technology. His interdisciplinary expertise spans neuroimaging, computational fluid dynamics, and medical device design.

Research Interests

• Quantitative Medical Image Analysis
• Neuroimaging
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Ultrasound
• Computational Modelling
• Medical Imaging
• Computation Fluid Dynamics
• Medical Device Design

Education

• Post doctorate, Neuroscience – Neuroimaging, Columbia University, 2021 - present
• Ph.D., Bioengineering – Bioimaging & Signals, University of Pittsburgh, 2017-2021
• M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering – Energy Conversion, Sharif University of Technology, 2013 - 2016
• B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering – Automotive, Iran University of Science & Technology, 2009 - 2013

Awards and Honors

• (2025 - 2027) Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF) NARSAD Young Investigator Grant
• (2020 - 2021) American Heart Association (AHA) Predoctoral Fellowship
• (2019 - 2020) 2019 Leonard H. Berenfield Fellow in Cardiovascular Bioengineering, Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• (2018 - 2019) 2018 Wes Pickard Fellow, Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• (2018) BMES/EGSO University of Pittsburgh Travel Grant, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• (2017 - 2018) 2017 Leonard H. Berenfield Fellow in Cardiovascular Bioengineering, Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• (2017 - 2018) University of Pittsburgh Scholarship, Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• (2016) 3rd best paper in ICBME, Tehran, Iran
• (2013) Graduated second in undergraduate class, Iran University of Science & Technology, Tehran, Iran

Publications and Presentations

• Liu, D., Munoz, F., Sanatkhani, S., Pouliopoulos, A.N., Konofagou, E.E., Grinband, J., Ferrera, V.P., Alteration of functional connectivity in the cortex and major brain networks of non-human primates following focused ultrasound exposure in the dorsal striatum Brain Stimulation 16, (2023). doi: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.08.003
• Sanatkhani, S., Nedios, S., Menon, P., Saba, S., Jain, S.K., Federspiel, W.J., Shroff, S.G., Subject-Specific Factors Affecting Particle Residence Time Distribution of Left Atrial Appendage in Atrial Fibrillation: A Computational Model-Based Study Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine 10, (2023). doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1070498
• Nedios, S., Sanatkhani, S., Oladosu, M., Seewöster, T., Richter, S. Arya, A. et al., Association of Low-Voltage Areas with the Regional Wall Deformation and the Left Atrial Shape in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Proof of Concept Study IJC Heart & Vasculature 33, (2021). doi: 10.1016/j.ijcha.2021.100730
• Sanatkhani, S., Nedios, S., Menon, P.G., Bollmann, A., Hindricks, G., & Shroff, S.G., Subject-Specific Calculation of Left Atrial Appendage Blood-Borne Particle Residence Time Distribution in Atrial Fibrillation Frontiers in Physiology 12, (2021). doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.633135
• Sanatkhani, S., Nedios, S., Jain, S.K., Saba, S., Menon, P.G., & Shroff, S.G., Abstract 16439: Is Pulmonary Venous Flow Pulsatility a Critical Determinant of Left Atrial Appendage Blood Stasis Risk? Circulation 142, A16439 (2020). doi: 10.1161/circ.142.suppl_3.16439
• Sanatkhani, S. & Menon, P.G., Three-Dimensional Cephalometric Analysis Using Computed Tomographic Imaging. ASME 2018 IMECE 3, V003T004A043 (2018). doi: 10.1115/IMECE2018-88259
• Sanatkhani, S., Menon, P.G., Shroff, S.G. & Nedios, S., Abstract 11255: Thrombus Risk Prediction in Atrial Fibrillation: Hemodynamic Model of Left Atrial Appendage. Circulation 138, A11255-A11255 (2018). doi: 10.1161/circ.138.suppl_1.11255
• Sanatkhani, S., Oladosu, M., Chera, K., Nedios, S. & Menon, P.G., Relating regional characteristics of left atrial shape to presence of scar in patients with atrial fibrillation. SPIE Medical Imaging 10574, 105742N.105741-105742N.105741(2018). doi: 10.1117/12.2293947
• Sanatkhani, S. & Menon, P.G., Generative statistical modeling of left atrial appendage appearance to substantiate clinical paradigms for stroke risk stratification. SPIE Medical Imaging 10574, 105742L.105741-105742L.105747(2018). doi: 10.1117/12.2291568
• Sanatkhani, S. & Menon, P.G., Imaging based Left Atrial Appendage Shape Classification for Stasis Risk Stratification. BMES Annual Meeting (2017).
• Sanatkhani, S. & Menon, P.G., Relating Atrial Appendage Flow Stasis Risk from Computational Fluid Dynamics to Imaging Based Appearance Paradigms for Cardioembolic Risk in Imaging for Patient-Customized Simulations and Systems for Point-of-Care Ultrasound. MICCAI. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 10549. (eds. M.J. Cardoso et al.) 86-93 (Springer International Publishing, Cham; 2017). doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-67552-7_11
• Sanatkhani, S., Finoli, M., Shroff, S.G. & Menon, P.G., Visualization of Patient-specific Hemodynamics in Atrial Fibrillation Using Computational and Experimental Models. 5th International Conference on Computational & Mathematical Biomedical Engineering 1, 432-435 (2017).
• Sanatkhani, S., Shroff, S.G. & Menon, P.G., Personalized design and virtual evaluation of physician-modified stent grafts for juxta-renal abdominal aortic aneurysms. SPIE Medical Imaging 10133, 101332C.101331-101332C.101339(2017). doi: 10.1117/12.2254404
• Sanatkhani, S., Saidi, M.S. & Banazadeh, M.H., Urine concentrating mechanism modelling in rat kidney inner medulla. International Iranian Conference on Biomedical Engineering (ICBME), 111-116 (2016). doi: 10.1109/ICBME.2016.7890940