Edgar Samaniego is the recipient of the Thomas J. Tinlin Chair of Research for $30,000.

BAF: Please tell us your background, where you are from, schooling, etc.

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ES: I am originally from Ecuador, where I did my medical school.  I then specialized in Neurology at the University of Wisconsin, continued with Fellowship in Stroke and Neurocritical Care at Stanford University, and finally did Neurointerventional Surgery at Baptist Cardiovascular Center in Miami, Florida.

BAF: What led you to become involved with brain aneurysm research?

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ES: I have been puzzled by aneurysms since my early training.  To this date, we do know why aneurysms form and which patients are at risk of having a potentially lethal brain aneurysms.  I believe it is our duty as physicians to try to answer some of these questions.

BAF: In the simplest terms, what is the purpose of your project?

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ES: Our project will use the most advanced post-acquisition post-processing imaging protocols to study brain aneurysms and determine which aneurysms are at risk of rupturing. Nowadays, patients undergo brain MRIs on a routine basis.  We will use the information obtained from the MRIs to study brain aneurysms and determine which aneurysms are at risk of rupturing.

BAF: In the simplest terms, what do you hope will change through your research findings?

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ES: The main aim is to help patients and physicians identify which aneurysms should be treated since they can be potentially lethal once they rupture.

BAF: Why is the funding you are receiving through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation so important?

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ES: The funding that graciously the BAF has provided, will allow us to pay our research fellows who spent 100% of their time studying brain aneurysms.   On top of the financial aid, being a BAF grantee is a national honor and recognition for the scientific work performed in aneurysm research.

Pictured above is Dr. Samaniego’s research poster, “Radiomic Characterization of Brain Aneurysms“