CAP Profiles

Bio

Bio

Current student at Stanford University School of Medicine. Born in Huntington Beach, CA.

Honors & Awards

  • Future Leader in Science, Sanofi Institut Pasteur Award (2017)
  • U.S. Presidential Champion of Change, The White House, Obama Administration (2016)
  • Chancellor's Award of Distinction, University of California (2016)
  • Highest Achievement in Academic Excellence, University of California (2016)
  • Excellence in Research Distinction, University of California (2016)
  • Academic Scholarship, Anthem Blue Cross (2014)
  • One of 10 "Students Who Will Change the World", University of California (2014)
  • Endowed Research Award, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (2013)

Education & Certifications

  • B.A., University of California at Irvine, Anthropology (2017)

Patents

  • "United States Patent (Provisional) Caloric restriction for improving survival and neurological outcome", University of California, Sep 28, 2019
  • "United States Patent 20170348479 Adhesive system for drug delivery device", Insulet Corporation, Dec 7, 2017

Contact

Research & Scholarship

Current Clinical Interests

  • Medical Translational Research
  • Neurosurgery

Publications

All Publications

  • Recovery from Coma Post-Cardiac Arrest Is Dependent on the Orexin Pathway JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA Kang, Y., Tian, G., Bazrafkan, A., Farahabadi, M. H., Azadian, M., Abbasi, H., Shamaoun, B. E., Steward, O., Akbari, Y. 2017; 34 (19): 2823–32

    Abstract

    Cardiac arrest (CA) affects >550,000 people annually in the United States whereas 80-90% of survivors suffer from a comatose state. Arousal from coma is critical for recovery, but mechanisms of arousal are undefined. Orexin-A, a hypothalamic excitatory neuropeptide, has been linked to arousal deficits in various brain injuries. We investigated the orexinergic system's role in recovery from CA-related neurological impairments, including arousal deficits. Using an asphyxial CA and resuscitation model in rats, we examine neurological recovery post-resuscitation in conjunction with changes in orexin-A levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and orexin-expressing neurons. We also conduct pharmacological inhibition of orexin post-resuscitation. We show that recovery from neurological deficits begins between 4 and 24 h post-resuscitation, with additional recovery by 72 h post-resuscitation. Orexin-A levels in the CSF are lowest during periods of poorest arousal post-resuscitation (4 h) and recover to control levels by 24 h. Immunostaining revealed that the number of orexin-A immunoreactive neurons declined at 4 h post-resuscitation, but increased to near normal levels by 24 h. There were no significant changes in the number of neurons expressing melanin-concentrating hormone, another neuropeptide localized in similar hypothalamus regions. Last, administration of the dual orexin receptor antagonist, suvorexant, during the initial 24 h post-resuscitation, led to sustained neurological deficits. The orexin pathway is critical during early phases of neurological recovery post-CA. Blocking this early action leads to persistent neurological deficits. This is of considerable clinical interest given that suvorexant recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for insomnia treatment.

    View details for DOI 10.1089/neu.2016.4852

    View details for Web of Science ID 000411672700016

    View details for PubMedID 28447885

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC5647501

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