Tatsat Patel, PhD

Dr. Tatsat Patel is a Post-Doctoral research associate at the University at Buffalo’s Canon Stroke and Vascular Research Center in Buffalo, NY. During his PhD, Dr. Patel’s research has focused on developing radiographic and histopathological biomarkers for management of acute ischemic stroke and intracranial aneurysms. Along with his PhD advisor, Dr. Vincent Tutino, he has pioneered multiple ‘multi-omics’ research projects for determining primary and secondary stroke outcomes a priori, towards the goal of better healthcare management for stroke patients. After his undergraduate studies, Dr. Patel moved to the US from India, and has lived in Buffalo for 8 years now. He has since come to love everything about the Buffalo Bills. 

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

I completed my Bachelors in Technology from the National Institute of Technology, Surat, India in Mechanical Engineering (2015). Ever since, I’ve moved to the US to pursue graduate studies (MS-2018 and PhD-2022) in mechanical engineering at the University at Buffalo, and have continued onto post-doctoral positions at UB’s department of neurosurgery.

What led you to become involved with brain aneurysm research?

During my MS at UB, I came to know about brain aneurysms through my peers who worked at the Canon Stroke and Vascular Research Center (CSVRC). Visiting the center, I experienced first-hand the joy of contributing to research with the goal of helping save lives and reducing disabilities. This led me to continue my PhD research at the CSVRC, where I began investigating brain aneurysms and stroke.

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

The purpose of my project is to improve the detection of aneurysms from CT angiography (CTA) images. CTA is the first-line imaging for potential aneurysm patients because it is cost-effective and less risky than the gold standard, 3D digital subtraction angiography (DSA). However, CTA is less accurate, with about 10% of aneurysms going undetected. My work focuses on developing an AI tool that generates 3D DSA images directly from CTA images using advanced computer vision algorithms, enhancing the frequency and accuracy of aneurysm detection.

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

Successful completion of our research goals will enable more vigilant IA detection, and can potentially drastically reduce rupture-related morbidity, mortality, and associated healthcare costs, which are over ~$3 billion annually.

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

The goal of our project is to make aneurysm detection more frequent. This grant will help tremendously by acting as a pilot or a proof-of-concept, to firstly gather preliminary data, and then to publish those results in peer-reviewed journal and top international conferences to build towards a larger federally funded grant with the same goals in mind.