Research Fellows
The Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology service at UB Neurosurgery and Kaleida Health is world-renowned for its innovation and advancements in minimally invasive treatments for neurological disorders.
In collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team of scientists at the acclaimed Canon Stroke & Vascular Research Center (CSVRC), the endovascular surgical neuroradiology faculty and fellows conduct “translational” research, which involves the rapid application of treatment breakthroughs in the clinical arena. In addition, the faculty and fellows participate in numerous national clinical trials. Thus, staying at the forefront of technology and treatment.
The research fellows are hand-selected by Dr. Adnan Siddiqui and are active in clinical trials and manuscript publication. They are instrumental liaisons between the Department of Neurosurgery and CSVRC. The fellows provide insight into current clinical practices, imaging interpretation and a wealth of anonymized data.
Andre Monteiro, MD
Research Associate & Postdoctoral Fellow in Endovascular & Cerebrovascular Surgery
Dr. Monteiro obtained his medical degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas in Brazil, where he was born and raised. In 2020, he joined the University at Buffalo, Department of Neurosurgery as a Research Fellow. He provides clinical perspectives and data to various on-going projects at CSVRC. He also helped perform micro-surgery in a pre-clinical stroke model. Andre is a valued collaborator to both CSVRC Principal Investigators and PhD students. He will continue on as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 2022.
Post-Doctoral Researchers
Kerry Poppenberg, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate
Kerry Poppenberg is a postdoctoral neurosurgery researcher, who received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Buffalo. Kerry joined the CSVRC during graduate school with an interest in aneurysm work. Currently, she is working on blood-based aneurysm identification and risk profiling using gene expression. She is performing similar work with stroke detection, identifying risk with blood testing and studying epigenetic mechanisms. Kerry plans to stay in Buffalo, continuing her work in translational research and her involvement in the start-up company “Neurovascular Diagnostics.”
Allison Shields, Ph.D., CNMT
Postdoctoral Associate
Dr. Shields recently concluded her dissertation research under the guidance of Dr. Stephen Rudin, which centered on a novel angiographic technique that enables high-resolution blood flow imaging at 1000 fps. This high-speed angiographic method allows for derivation of detailed velocity distributions in a variety of clinically-relevant applications, such as the assessment of flow before and after placement of flow diverting stents. Further building on quantitative angiographic imaging techniques, her postdoctoral research will focus on the development of 4D angiography, where the primary goal is to obtain both structural and functional information from time-resolved DSA’s. Dr. Shields will further support related research projects under the domain of medical physics, including spectral X-ray imaging and cone beam CT reconstructions.
Kelsey Sommer, PhD
Research Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Dr. Sommer received her Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at the University at Buffalo. Kelsey chose the CSVRC for the appeal of big picture projects, which coincides with her interests in biomedical science and management. She began working here as an undergraduate, and has since then furthered her research to include computational fluid dynamics and theoretical models corresponding to the physiology of coronary arteries. Dr. Sommer's current focus is on optimization of 3D printed, patient specific, neuro-models and combining it with AI to develop a platform for training and device testing.
As medical technology advances, 3D printed vessel models show great promise as models to study our physiology and how conditions such as aneurysms affect our functional abilities. The models are based on fluid dynamics and anatomical designs.
Dr. Kelsey Sommer
Current Graduate Students
Mohammad Mahdi Shiraz Bhurwani
Mohammad Mahdi Shiraz Bhurwani is a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering department, currently seeking a PhD. Mohammad Mahdi attended University of Buffalo for his undergraduate studies, where he found his niche in medical imaging and began working at CSVRC. In his graduate years. he wanted to explore his interest in medicine without becoming a clinician, and he found that medical imaging is an up and coming field that is a hybrid between his two main interests, engineering and medicine. Mohammad is currently working on several projects, one of which he is using artificial intelligence to guide surgeons during intraoperative neurological procedures, as well as to provide guidance for aneurysm treatment and stroke care. He enjoys the research and mentorship at CSVRC and hopes to take his knowledge and experience from the lab to work for a medical imaging company, aiding clinicians in a variety of fields.
The outcome of this project is immediate guidance for neurosurgeons who have to make treatment plans for patients with strokes and aneurysms. The work will provide crucial information that is patient specific and reliable.
Mahdi Bhurwani
Jacob Collins
Jacob Collins is a Buffalo native. He completed undergraduate studies at UB where he received his B.S in Physics with a minor in mathematics. He received an MS in Medical Physics at UB and is currently a PhD candidate, working under the guidance of Dr. Daniel Bednarek. His work focuses on a system to determine the patient eye-lens dose in real-time during fluoroscopic neuro-interventional procedures. To do this, he has developed a machine learning algorithm which predicts patient head geometry from the in-procedure fluoroscopic image. Using the patient geometry, and the exposure and geometric parameters taken from the clinical system, he has further created a deep learning algorithm to predict the eye-lens dose during the procedure. The head geometry and dose prediction algorithms are being integrated into our Dose Tracking System (DTS) to provide physician feedback about patient eye-lens dose in real-time.
Briana Santo
Briana Santo is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences' Computational Cell Biology, Anatomy and Pathology (CCBAP) program. She attended Tulane University for her undergraduate studies, where she received a B.S. in Biological Chemistry. Her research at the CSVRC involves investigation of acute ischemic stroke thrombus histopathology. More specifically, computational analysis of thrombus organization as well as detection and characterization of platelet-neutrophil-NET interactions in thrombi.
Jonathan Troville
Scattered-Radiation Display System (SDS)
Scattered-Radiation Display System (SDS)
Jonathan Troville is a PhD Candidate in Medical Physics with a research concentration on radiation safety and dose management. He received a dual B.S. degree in physics and mathematics from Purdue University and an M.S. degree in physics at the Air Force Research Laboratory where he developed simulations of carbon nanotube synthesis in a catalytic chemical vapor deposition reactor. Jonathan’s research focus at the CSVRC has been on the development of the Scattered-Radiation Display System (SDS), which provides real-time feedback of scatter-related dose to staff members involved with fluoroscopically-guided interventional procedures, as well as virtual-reality radiation-safety training. Jonathan has applied both deep learning and Monte-Carlo simulations for software design and enhancement. In recent work, Jonathan has quantified scatter cross-talk in biplane High-Speed Angiography neuro-interventional procedures using Monte-Carlo simulations. After graduation, Jonathan plans to continue his research, academic, and clinical training in a Medical Physics Residency program.
Scattered-Radiation Display System (SDS)
Scattered-Radiation Display System (SDS)
Scattered-Radiation Display System (SDS)
The SDS utilizes human recognition and the depth sensing capabilities of a Kinect camera to provide staff dose management through individualized real-time feedback in the interventional procedure room and staff radiation safety training in a virtual reality world. The SDS has recently been featured as Image Wisely’s RSNA Dose Exhibit of the Month, given its promise for improving radiation safety practice in FGI procedures.
Sricharan Veeturi
Sricharan Veeturi is a graduate student in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, who is looking to acquire his PhD. He obtained an undergraduate degree in India from the Visvesvaraya Technological Institute and his Masters from University at Buffalo. He chose his lab placement as a result of his exposure to the hemodynamics program during his time as a masters student, which motivated him to work toward his PhD. Currently, he is working on non-invasive image-based biomarkers to improve risk stratification for intracranial aneurysms. He is using radiomics and machine learning in developing risk stratification models. His career plans include working in the research and development division of an organization in order to generate a positive impact on the medical field.
