Dr. Pooja Khatri, MD, MS, has been appointed as the new chair of the Department of Neurology and chief of neurology at Yale New Haven Hospital and Health System, effective April 1, 2025. Dr. Khatri brings over 20 years of NIH and industry-supported research expertise, focusing on acute stroke therapy, the prevention of early stroke recurrence, radiological biomarkers, and clinical trial design. She has significantly advanced stroke treatment, particularly demonstrating the time-dependent benefits of endovascular therapy.
Dr. Khatri’s current NIH-backed research includes several groundbreaking projects, such as the first-ever platform trial in stroke, a dose-finding study for a monoclonal antibody aimed at clot dissolution, and research into acute biomarkers for stroke motor recovery. Additionally, she is spearheading an investigator-led trial evaluating endovascular therapy for patients with less severe strokes.
Having published nearly 300 papers, Dr. Khatri is recognized globally, including being named among the Top 1% of Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate. She is also experienced in all stages of drug and device development, from initial conception to post-market phases.
Dr. Khatri has received numerous teaching accolades, including the MENASO Education Award, and has held prominent leadership positions within stroke organizations, including the World Stroke Organization and the American Heart Association’s Stroke Council.
Currently a professor of neurology and rehabilitation medicine at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Khatri co-directs the NIH StrokeNet program, which provides the infrastructure for multicenter stroke trials. She earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s in clinical epidemiology from Harvard School of Public Health.
