Team

Dr Sonu M. M. Bhaskar MD PhD is the Founding Director and Chief Investigator of NSW Brain Clot Bank and Global Health Neurology Lab. Dr Bhaskar is an award-winning clinician-scientist, board director, and academic neurologist with a specialization in vascular neurology & neuroradiology; and a researcher with a strong focus on clinical neurology, translational neuroscience, global health, and health systems. Besides interdisciplinary and collaborative research in neurology, Dr Bhaskar leads national and international initiatives on reducing health disparities with a focus on vulnerable populations and under-resourced settings.

Dr Bhaskar has been featured in Sydney Morning Herald, 9 News, Reuters Health/Medscape, Rotary Down Under, and ABC News-MSN. He is the two-time winner of the 2019 European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Investigator Award, 2020 Rotary Vocational Excellence Award, and 2021 Paul Harris Fellow recognition.

Dr Bhaskar is passionate about advocacy and leadership for social impact and innovation, rooted in diversity, inclusion, community, and belonging. Beyond medicine, Dr Bhaskar loves classical music, languages, deep conversations on history, culture, and music over red wine (his favourite being Vino Rojo de La Rioja), travelling, chess and poetry. He is learning Japanese and Classical Hebrew, dabbles in theology and philosophy of life, and is addicted to Sephardic music, Dreidel, and Jewish folktales.

For more on Dr Bhaskar, click here.

Sian’s area of interest is diabetes and its effect on stroke outcomes, particularly after reperfusion therapy. Since joining the Global Health Neurology and Translational Neuroscience Team in mid-2020, Sian pursued clinical research and training in vascular neurology under Dr Sonu Bhaskar and has been involved in several research projects on the role of diabetes in mediating outcomes after stroke, its impact on outcomes in COVID-19 hospitalized patients as well as the role of telemedicine during and beyond COVID-19. Findings from her research have been published in high-impact journals including the Journal of Diabetes, Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Frontiers in Public Health, and EMJ Diabetes. She is passionate about neurology, family health, and refugee health. Her hobbies include swimming, reading, and playing with her dog.

Ming-Yee is an MD candidate at the University of New South Wales, interested in working at the interface between oncology and neurology. She joined Global Health Neurology and Translational Neuroscience Lab in the fall of 2021 to pursue clinical research and training in stroke and neurology under Dr. Sonu Bhaskar. In the lab, she is exploring the pathophysiological link between stroke and cancer, examining the overlap of underlying risk factors and pathogenic states to determine the optimal therapeutic strategies both pharmacologically and in clinical practice. During breaks from studying and research, Ming loves to dance, play netball, and jam with her saxophone quintet!

Jo is pursuing Medicine at the University of New South Wales and is interested in neurology and pathology. She joined Global Health Neurology and Translational Neuroscience Lab in the fall of 2021 to pursue clinical research and training in stroke and neurology, within the NSW Brain Clot Bank program, under the mentorship of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar. In the lab, Jo is working on a project looking at how the morphology of stroke thrombi correspond with clinical etiology, outcome, and interventions. She is interested in health from a holistic point of view and is passionate about every patient’s voice being heard. For fun, she loves to sing, dance, and bake!

Shirin is pursuing Medicine at UNSW Sydney and joined the Global Health Neurology and Translational Neuroscience Team in the Spring of 2020 to pursue clinical research and training in neurology and neuroradiology under the supervision of Dr Sonu Bhaskar. Her project investigates the usefulness of digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as an imaging and interventional modality, particularly assessing its value in the diagnosis and prognosis of acute ischaemic stroke patients. Her work has been recently accepted for publication in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, such as Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery & Acta Neurologica Belgica. Aside from her studies, she enjoys painting, teaching chemistry to high school students, and representing her university and club teams at ultimate frisbee tournaments.

Aarushi joined the Global Health Neurology Lab in early 2020 and is an MD Candidate at UNSW Sydney. Under the supervision of Dr Sonu Bhaskar, her research focuses on the study of the effects of white matter lesions on outcomes in acute ischaemic stroke patients receiving reperfusion therapy. Findings from her research project have been recently published in peer-reviewed journals, including the European Journal of Neuroscience, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, and Acta Radiologica. Aside from her studies, she is passionate about global health and is a part of the executive committee of the Medical Students’ Aid Project (MSAP), the global health group at UNSW. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, cooking, and travelling.

Akansha’s research focuses on the role of cerebral collaterals in mediating outcomes in acute ischaemic stroke patients receiving reperfusion therapy. Akansha joined the team in 2020 to pursue clinical research and training under the mentorship of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar and has been involved in several projects in the lab – from delineating the role of collaterals in stroke to epidemiological studies on the prevalence of mucormycosis in COVID-19. Her work has been published in Neurology International and International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology. She is passionate about having a positive impact, whether it be large or small, through her work and demeanour. In her free time, Akansha loves going on spontaneous trips with family/friends, dancing, and playing badminton.

Divynash’s project revolves around exploring the potential for use of blood-based biomarkers in prognostication for acute ischemic stroke patients, along with their utility in stratifying patient care and informing secondary stroke prevention. In particular, he focuses on those biomarkers that can be obtained from standard blood panels and thus are low cost and easily accessible. In addition to the research, he is also passionate about public health, mental health, and medical education. In his free time, he likes to play sports (particularly cricket), is an avid reader, and likes to sing. DIvyansh joined the Global Health Neurology Lab led by Dr. Sonu Bhaskar in mid of 2020 and is currently an MD candidate at the University of New South Wales.

Anubhav Katyal is pursuing Medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). He joined our team in early 2020. Anubhav completed his MD Honours Project in Neurology under the supervision of Dr Sonu Bhaskar at the Liverpool Hospital and Ingham Institute in Liverpool, NSW. Findings of Anubhav’s research in our group led to several publications including in the European Journal of Neurology, Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, Acta Radiologica, and Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology. He tutors Anatomy at UNSW and is interested in pursuing a career in internal medicine in the future. Anubhav graduated as the Dux of Girraween High School in 2015, achieving an ATAR of 99.90.

In his free time, Anubhav enjoys playing the piano and cooking recipes from various cuisines. He enjoys socializing with friends and he hopes to travel to many countries, including Japan, in the future.

Seemub is currently pursuing Medicine at UNSW and has been a member of the research team under the mentorship of Dr Sonu Bhaskar since early 2020. His research is concerned with improving the response to stroke in the paramedic setting by reducing pre-hospital treatment delays (TEFLON-X). Findings emanating from his research in the team have been published in several peer-reviewed journals including Academic Emergency Medicine, SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine, and Acta Neurologica Scandinavica.

He was born and raised in Sydney. Seemub’s parents immigrated to Australia from Bangladesh, a country to which he has a close connection, visiting Bangladesh usually every 2 years where he has many family members. Seemub has one brother 2 years younger. They share many interests and have a healthy sibling rivalry. One of these interests is soccer.

Soccer is one of Seemub’s greatest passions, from playing to watching. He is a staunch supporter of English team Liverpool FC and is often tired during classes on Monday due to watching games the night before. He has played since childhood and is currently the captain of his local team, Roselea FC, the players all being his friends from High School.  As Seemub is lucky to live close to the bush, bushwalking is one of his favourite activities. He also enjoys reading and writing, Seemub thoroughly enjoyed English during high school and creative writing is something he wishes to further pursue in the form of a minor course at UNSW. 

Seamub is passionate about helping others, in the past he has been involved in volunteering with aiding refugee children in education, building relationships with socially isolated nursing home residents, and providing entertainment and care for children from financially disadvantaged communities. These experiences are some of Seemub’s most cherished achievements, and he hopes to build on this in a career in medicine and medical research. 

Prithvi is studying Medicine at the University of New South Wales. He is passionate about creating a positive impact in society through volunteering, research, and future medical practice. He is particularly interested in the field of Neurology as he feels it aims to manage some of the most debilitating diseases, with the potential for ongoing research to transform patient outcomes in the next few decades. He is excited to be a part of the forefront of medical research in this speciality, with the goal of improving future medical practice. Prithvi also loves fitness, basketball, and teaching, the latter of which he hopes to increasingly do as he progresses in his academic career. He hopes to engage in the fundamentals of research, appreciate its importance in guiding evidence-based practice and make a positive contribution to Neurology in the coming years.

Prithvi joined the group in early 2020 to work under the supervision of Dr Sonu Bhaskar. His research focuses on health systems and acute stroke pathways, through the analysis of acute stroke workflows and treatment time delays to inform opportunities for practice improvement and fast-track time-critical treatment. Prithvi’s research in the group has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine, and Academic Emergency Medicine.

Chenyu (Nick) joined the team in 2020 to pursue clinical research, on non-invasive imaging biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of stroke, under the mentorship of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar. His work has been published in Acta Neurologica Belgica, the official journal of the Belgian Neurological Society. Nick hails from China and currently pursuing Medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney. Nick is interested in different fields of neuroscience and cardiology as well as sports medicine. Nick enjoys playing sports and painting. 

Shirley Chen is an MD candidate at the University of New South Wales. She is passionate about working at the intersection of neurology and neuroimaging. She joined Global Health Neurology and Translational Neuroscience Lab in the fall of 2021 to pursue clinical research and training in stroke and neuroimaging, within the NSW Brain Clot Bank program, under Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar. Shirley is pursuing an exciting project that focuses on lesion topography and its association with clinical outcomes after stroke, especially in patients receiving reperfusion therapy. During the breaks from studying and clinical training, she loves volunteering with friends, listening to music, and trying out new things such as baking and enjoys cooking recipes from various cuisines.

Shraddha is pursuing Medicine at UNSW Sydney and joined the Global Health Neurology Lab in 2022. Under the supervision of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar, her research focuses on cerebral microbleeds – their prevalence and how they mediate outcomes after acute ischaemic stroke. Her clinical interest is in neurology, having done work experience at the Melbourne Neuroscience Institute and UNSW’s Brain in Health and Disease GERRIC program with Professor Ken Ashwell. She is also interested in orthopedic surgery and teaches basic suturing to medical students. Aside from her studies, she is passionate about gender equality as last year’s Women’s officer for UNSW’s Medical Society and equal access to education. She has a twin sister who also studies medicine and loves playing with her dog. In her free time, she loves to read, cook, sing Carnatic Music, dance, and tutor.

Raisa Biswas is studying Medicine at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia. Her background in Neuroscience at the University of Western Australia (Perth) grounded her interests in Neurology, as she is deeply fascinated by the complexity of the brain and drawn to the innovative capacity that lies within the broader field of brain sciences. Her research interests include stroke, regenerative medicine, and better wound healing outcomes in burns. Raisa joined the Global Health Neurology Lab in 2022, to pursue research on ethnic and geographical disparities in the timely access to acute stroke care, under the supervision of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar. Raisa is passionate about equity and is an active member of the UNSW Youth Neuro Australia. In her spare time, Raisa explores her drive for people, arts, and culture, through dance.

Helen is currently studying medicine at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. She joined the Global Health Neurology Lab in 2022 to pursue clinical and research training in neurology and imaging under the guidance of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar. Her research focuses on the occurrence of and factors associated with poor outcomes following endovascular treatment in acute ischaemic stroke patients. The experience of a close family member who passed away from stroke has driven her passion and desire to conduct research and work in the field of Neurology, with hopes of making a difference in the management of stroke patients. She has keen research interests in neuroimaging, socio-economic barriers to healthcare access, and stroke prevention and management. Outside of medicine, she likes to create digital art, play basketball, and catch up with friends.

Kruthajn Rajesh is a student at the University of New South Wales, where he is studying medicine. Kruthajn joined the Global Health Neurology Lab in 2022, to pursue research on the pathophysiological link between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and stroke, under the supervision of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar. His clinical interest is in Neurosurgery since he believes it tries to treat some of the most severe disorders, with the potential for continued research to improve the quality of patient care in the next decades to come. He is ecstatic to be a part of this specialty’s cutting-edge medical research, with the objective of enhancing future medical practice. Through volunteerism, research, and practice, he is enthusiastic about making a positive impact on society. Beyond medicine, Kruthajn is passionate about fitness, sport, music, and tutoring, all of which he aspires to do more of as his career grows.

Ashek joined the Global Health Neurology Lab in the fall of 2022 to pursue clinical training and research under the guidance of Dr. Sonu M. M. Bhaskar. He is interested in differential outcomes in posterior circulation versus anterior circulation strokes. Ashek is currently pursuing Medicine at the University of New South Wales with an interest in neurology. Areas of interest include investigating the etiology and clinical manifestations of conditions such as stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Overall, he is deeply invested in promoting primary forms of healthcare to reduce the need for tertiary healthcare and the burden of disease. He also hopes to continually accrue experience so that he can inform and empower both patients and students with medical knowledge. Ashek enjoys playing basketball and soccer, cooking as well as short and long-distance running in his downtime.

Milena Mitkov is in her final year at the University of Sydney studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering (Honours) and Arts (Spanish and Latin American Studies). She joined the team in the fall of 2021. Her research is aimed at using machine learning models to address key biomedical questions of clinical and scientific interest. In her free time, Milena enjoys being outdoors whilst taking part in activities such as surfing, tennis, AFL, and swimming.

Vishni joined the team in early 2020. She pursued research on the role of collaterals in acute stroke decision-making. Vishni’s article was accepted for publication in the European Journal of Neuroscience.

Rohan joined the team in early 2021. Rohan is interested in working at the intersection of cardiology and neurology. His research project aimed at understanding factors associated with poor prognosis in acute ischaemic stroke patients with infective endocarditis. Beyond research, Rohan loves sports, especially cricket and soccer.

Jeremy is pursuing medicine, previously at the UNSW Sydney; however, in late 2020 he moved to the Medical School at the National University of Singapore (NUS). His fundamental interest is in Neurology and he is working on CT imaging-based biomarkers to determine the prognosis of acute ischaemic stroke patients receiving endovascular thrombectomy. Jeremy joined the team in mid-2020 and contributed to our COVID-19 policy brief, published in Frontiers in Public Health, on the shortage of medical supplies including personal protective equipment/s (PPEs). Apart from having a strong interest in the medical sciences, Jeremy is also extremely passionate about dance, having performed twice since enrolling in UNSW, and rock climbing.