Healthcare Heroes: Chander Sadasivan

“When I entered college, I originally had my sights set on mechanical engineering. One day, while flipping through an encyclopedia in the university library, I saw an entry for a flagellum, a thin, tail-like structure that bacteria and other microorganisms use to swim. I was stunned to see the complexity of this mechanism that nature had built. That was my ah-ha moment. I admit, I couldn’t foresee at age 19 how far the application of my engineering skills would take me in solving biological or medical problems through complex model design. I just knew that biomedical engineering might be a better fit for me.? At the time, I received a lot of push back from friends and family back in India. They had been supportive of mechanical engineering as a career path, but the field of biomedical engineering was in its infancy, and they didn’t think a career in that field would go anywhere. Some even told me my career would be wasted. But I’ve learned in life that when you really want to accomplish something, you have to tune out even the most well-meaning naysayers and follow your instincts. So, I pushed forward, and I’m glad I did.

My research at Stony Brook is on interventional radiology medical devices. These are image guided devices using modalities such as fluoroscopy, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that physicians use to diagnose and treat patients. My focus is on neuro brain interventional surgery. I study blood flow dynamics in the brain, which is another way of saying that I study the movement of blood through the vessels from the arteries and capillaries and then into the veins of the brain. Because no two patients’ blood vessel anatomy and flow dynamics are the same, it can be tricky to select the correct device, guide it through the complex anatomy, and implant it at the right location.? I custom build replicas of a patient’s blood vessels by 3D printing their CT scans so that our surgeons can test out plans of treatment for each individual patient whose vessels are more complex.? My lab has a high-end 3D printer to process this task. Using this approach, by the time a patient is in the OR, the surgeon knows exactly what route to take because it’s already been tested in that patient’s replica. No time is wasted.? This work also helps educate the patient’s family — in a visual manner — about what the treatment plan will entail. It’s a great way to help manage expectations and alleviate fears of the unknown.

I had an aunt who suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm years ago, back when I was in grad school. This was devastating to my family.? I keep wishing I could go back in time and do more for her. This lingers in the back of my mind throughout my work when replicating blood vessel abnormalities such as aneurysms to help patients today.

The Cerebrovascular Center for Research that I lead is also used to educate and train residents and other clinicians on procedures. There are always sounds of hammers and drills in the lab as students at all levels build different benchtop systems to test the replicas. They learn from me, and I learn from them. My students teach me how to mentor better every day. I feel very lucky to be working with these students and colleagues and with incredible physicians who are leaders in their respective fields. Beyond the Department of Neurosurgery, I collaborate with many other departments across Stony Brook – Vascular Surgery, the School of Dental Medicine, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Applied Mathematics and Computer Science to name a few. It’s incredible to see the many different applications of the work we do.

This work is very rewarding.? For many researchers, years can go by before they see the fruits of their labor. My research is for immediate care, and it leads directly to better patient outcomes.?

If you were to ask my family and friends today, what they think about my chosen profession, they’d probably say, “Chander, don’t say I told you so. We know now that you were right.” I know they’re very proud of me. They see what a difference my work makes in the lives of so many others.”

Chander Sadasivan, PhD?

Director

Cerebrovascular Center for Research