Medical student wins neurosurgery research award

Avni Patel, a second-year student in the College of Medicine, received the Student-Resident Research Award at the annual South Carolina Association of Neurological Surgeons conference in Charleston.

“It was such an honor,” Patel said. “In some sense it feels like you don’t even deserve something like that when you’re a medical student, and you’re surrounded by people who work so hard.”

Patel worked under the guidance of Ramin Eskandari, M.D., assistant professor of pediatric neurosurgery, and Maria Vittoria Spampinato, M.D., division chief of neuroradiology, to research the utilization of fast-brain MRI for non-hydrocephalus diagnostic brain imaging. 

Fast-brain MRI is an imaging technique used primarily on children as it eliminates the radiation risks from CTs and need for anesthesia or sedation that is typically required with a standard MRI.

Patel said if a child has a congenital condition, he or she will undergo multiple CTs per year, and that can increase the risk of developing a fatal cancer. If they opt to do a standard MRI rather than a CT, they have to be put under, which comes with inherent risks.

“It is a short exam,” Patel said. “The one here is approximately three minutes and 40 seconds from start to finish.” 

Few studies have looked at what fast-brain MRI can diagnose other than hydrocephalus, which was the initial inspiration for Patel and Eskandari’s study. They have since used fast-brain MRI to identify numerous diagnoses.

Eskandari credits Patel’s diligence and work ethic with the project’s success and could not think of anyone more deserving of the award. “There was never a hesitation on achieving milestones when putting the presentation together. I did not do a lot, I just gave her the audience to present in front of.”

Patel, however, said the project was a team effort, and she would not have been successful without the help of those around her. “I want to thank Dr. Ramin Eskandari and Dr. Maria Vittoria Spampinato, as well as Dr. Gustavo Cervantes, a neuroradiology fellow, and Dr. Milad Yazdani, assistant professor of radiology in diagnostic neuroradiology. Also, the College of Medicine, which generously gave me the funding for the project this summer.”

Christina Bourne, associate dean for Student Affairs and Career Advising, was complimentary of Patel’s contributions to the study. “We at the College of Medicine could not be more proud of her stunning accomplishments but also of her future noteworthy achievements, which are sure to come.”

The success of this project did not end with Patel’s award. It has turned into an IRB-approved prospective study to move the field forward, and Patel is excited to see the potential benefits of this project.

“I think we had a total of 122 diagnoses for 94 patients,” recalled Patel. “If we can show that it is useful for certain indications, we can eliminate the current radiation and sedation risks.”