Hello! My name is Khushi Rai, and I am a senior majoring in Neuroscience and
Philosophy. I hope to apply to medical school next year, and this fellowship
will allow me to spend my semester researching an area of medicine that I am
deeply interested in!
This semester, I am working with Dr. Ajay Niranjan to research the clinical
and radiological outcomes for pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas (PXAs) treated
with gamma-knife radiosurgery. PXAs are aggressive pediatric brain tumors and
are typically present in the temporal lobe, which is an area of the brain
responsible for processing auditory information and encoding memories. These
tumors have a mortality rate between 15% to 20% and have high rates of
recurrence following surgical resection.
Gamma Knife Radiosurgery (GKRS) is a form of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)
that fires 192 low-dose gamma radiation beams to the focal point of brain tumors
to prevent further growth and damage. Because of its non-invasive nature, SRS
has been shown to lower the risk of brain tissue damage in patients with other
intracranial tumors. However, there is limited data that discusses the effects
of SRS use in patients with PXA.
I am retrospectively reviewing GKRS treatment parameters and patient clinical
outcomes to obtain predictive factors during the treatment for better patient
outcomes. I am collecting data related to the rate of tumor control, preserved
neurological function, progression-free survival, and more! I am also learning to
enhance my analysis skills this semester and will be constructing Kaplan-Meier survival
curves to determine overall survival and control rates.
Working with the Gamma Knife team is an incredibly rewarding experience as I am
able to learn intricate details regarding neurosurgery. The lab has increased
my understanding of neuroscience, and I have been able to apply my knowledge in
the upper-level electives that I take!
Fun fact:
I am enrolled in a neuroscience anatomy lab course in which we observe human
brain tissue to learn about anatomy. I was able to look at and touch the temporal
lobe, which increased my understanding of this project!