Soroosh Sanatkhani, PhD

Soroosh Sanatkhani is engaged in research aimed at understanding the effects of focused ultrasound on neuromodulation. He accomplishes this by quantifying magnetic resonance images obtained from non-human primates and mice. Under the supervision of Dr. Vincent Ferrera at Columbia Zuckerman Institute, he is part of a team dedicated to utilizing focused ultrasound for targeted drug delivery. This innovative approach holds great promise for the development of non-surgical treatments for various brain disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

As a member of Dr. Ferrera's lab, which is comprised of a team of neuroscientists and engineers, he is committed to investigating the underlying mechanisms of ultrasound-induced neuromodulation. Additionally, he utilizes computational models to address crucial safety concerns related to this method. Through his ongoing research efforts, he aspires to make meaningful contributions towards the advancement of treatments for brain disorders.

Dr. Sanatkhani earned his Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 2021. He was enrolled in Cardiovascular Bioengineering Training Program (CBTP) and was involved in multiple cardiovascular research projects under the supervision of Dr. Sanjeev Shroff, Distinguished Professor and Interim Dean of Engineering, and Dr. Prahlad Menon, adjunct assistant professor of bioengineering.

in 2020, Dr. Sanatkhani received the prestigious American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship award. This enabled him to study hemodynamic indices and appearance-based models of the left atrial appendage (LAA) of the heart to enhance stroke risk prediction in atrial fibrillation (AF). This research ultimately led to the development of a predictive model that uses CT and clinical data to stratify stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation, resulting in improved clinical decision-making.

Sanatkhani began his studies in automotive engineering at Iran University of Science & Technology, Tehran, Iran. He then joined the graduate program in Mechanical Engineering at Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran where he focused on fluid dynamics and energy conversion and their applications in bioengineering. After receiving his master's degree, he was awarded a scholarship to join the Swanson School of Engineering at University of Pittsburgh.

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

• (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