SUMMARY
The research interests of Muhib Khan, M.B.B.S., center on treatment, recovery and disparities of care for people who have had a stroke.
Dr. Khan is focused on acute stroke treatment as it relates to advanced imaging, therapeutic innovation, quality and process improvement, and trainee education. He evaluates multiple factors in acute and secondary stroke management, including:
- Advanced neuroimaging.
- Emergent stroke evaluation protocols.
- Endovascular approaches.
- In-hospital resource use and management.
- Patient demographics.
- Anti-thrombotic therapy.
- Thrombolytic therapy.
This work has previously led to grant funding from Michigan State University to study ideal destination triage protocols in rural areas. Dr. Khan continues to be involved in multiple research studies focused on acute stroke management and secondary prevention.
A second area of research interest involves clinical, imaging and molecular biomarkers of recovery after stroke. Dr. Khan has studied the impact of oxidative biomarkers and neuroimaging markers of short-term outcomes. This work led to research on the role of metabolic and neuroimaging predictors of stroke recovery, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Khan is now exploring neuromodulation as an adjunct to therapy in enhancing recovery after stroke. He is involved in multiple research studies focused on improving recovery after stroke.
Dr. Khan also has a special interest in reducing disparities in stroke care in geographically marginalized communities — primarily those outside urban areas. His efforts are focused on primary prevention of stroke in nonurban communities. Before coming to Mayo Clinic, he received industry funding to implement a stroke prevention strategy in rural Michigan. Dr. Khan presented preliminary data from this research at the European Stroke Conference; analysis is ongoing. He continues this work at Mayo Clinic in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Health System Family Medicine team.
Focus areas
- Stroke recovery. Dr. Khan is assessing biomarkers of acute and chronic stroke recovery. He is particularly focused on using emerging technologies, such as neuromodulation and stem cells, to improve recovery after stroke.
- Neurosonology. He also is evaluating the usefulness of transcranial doppler as an adjunct imaging modality in diagnostic evaluation of cerebrovascular disease.
- Geographic disparities. Dr. Khan is working to find an optimal primary stroke prevention strategy in nonurban communities, with an emphasis on using technology and collaborating with primary care professionals.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Khan's research interests are complementary to his clinical practice. His research on stroke recovery has the potential to improve quality of life for millions of people who have had strokes and do not have effective treatment options.
Transcranial doppler is a noninvasive and cost-effective imaging modality. Research in this area may lead to cost-effective diagnostic evaluation of cerebrovascular disease that would reduce peoples' financial burdens.
Stroke prevention research in nonurban communities has far-reaching implications for health policy and effective resource deployment to enhance brain health at a population level.
Professional highlights
- Resident scholarship, American Academy of Neurology, 2011.
- Best Resident Research Award, Henry Ford Hospital, 2010.
- Resident Research Award, Michigan Neurological Association, 2010.