• Visiting Researcher | May 2023 – Aug 2023
  Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
  • Worked in Dr. Tara Karamlou’s Congenital Cardiac Surgery Lab
    • Long-term outcomes of the Ross Reversal procedure with focus on the pulmonary autograft returned to the pulmonic position
    • Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities in Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease
    • Post-surgical reintervention in AAOCA adult patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement
    • Long-term outcomes and Quality of Life following the Ross Procedure Compared to a Matched Population Undergoing Aortic Valve Replacement
  • Worked under Dr. Toms Augustin in the Department of General Surgery
    • Resource utilization and outcomes comparing surgeons practicing routine versus selective cholangiography in a large healthcare system
    • Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis: A Modern Analysis of Pitfalls to Management
    • Long-term outcomes following subtotal cholecystectomy in a quaternary referral center
    • Predictive model identifying patients with elevated risk of aspiration
• Student Research Associate | Apr 2021 – Nov 2022 | Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Clinic
  Albany Medical Center, Albany Med Health System, Albany, NY
  Mentor: Dr. Eric Molho, MD
  Project Title: Predicting Long-Term Outcomes of DBS in Parkinson’s Disease Patients Based on Pre-Operative Risk
  • Worked to develop a risk stratification model that clinicians can employ to determine patient suitability for deep brain stimulation surgery in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease
  • Resulted in 2 posters and is the basis of a thesis currently being developed for my MDDR (MD with Distinction in Research) candidacy
• Student Researcher 2016 – 2020 | Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics (DNET)
  Albany Medical College, Albany, NY
  Mentor: Dr. Damian Shin, MSc, PhD
  Main Project Title: Effects of subthalamic deep brain stimulation on neuronal spiking activity in the substantia nigra pars compacta in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease
  • My main line of research in this lab was a multi-year project I led examining the effects of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on substantia nigra activity in hemiparkinsonian rats.
  • In another line of research, I examined the effects of gap junction inhibition on beta oscillations in the globus pallidus externa in hemiparkinsonian rats. I also contributed to a project investigating ventral pallidum deep brain stimulation as a potential treatment model for various seizure phenotypes.
  • In addition to these, I trained new students in animal handling, surgical/post-mortem procedures, immunohistochemistry, and data analysis.
  • My work in this lab resulted in 3 posters and 2 peer reviewed papers, with one first author publication. It has also resulted in significant technical experience, specifically involving animal handling, surgical/post-mortem procedures, immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, stimulation artifact removal via execution of MATLAB scripts, and more.

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

• Peer-Reviewed Articles
  • Gross A, Hong H, Hossain MS, Chang JH, Wehrle CJ, Sahai S, Quick J, Izda A, Said S, Naffouje S, Walsh RM, Augustin T. 2024. Clinical and patient-reported outcomes following subtotal cholecystectomy: 10-year single-institution experience. Surgery, doi: 10.1016/j.surg.2024.07.060. Online ahead of print.
  • Robinson J, Sahai S, Pennacchio C, Sharew B, Chen L, Karamlou T. 2024. Effects of sociodemographic factors on access to and outcomes in congenital heart disease. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease in the United States. J. Cardiovasc. Dev. Dis. 2024, 11(2), 67.
  • Sahai S, Effendi ET, Mahoney EC, Tucker HR, Moolick BJ, Mamone G, Mikkilineni S, Gupta M, Nicholson A, Chua FY, Akhtar K, Hirschstein Z, Molho ES, Pilitsis JG, Shin DS. 2020. Effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on neuronal spiking activity in the substantia nigra pars compacta in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Neuroscience Letters, 739.
  • Mahoney EC, Zeng A, Yu W, Rowe M, Sahai S, Feustel PJ, Ramirez-Zamora A, Pilitsis JG, Shin DS. 2018. Ventral pallidum deep brain stimulation attenuates acute partial, generalized and tonic-clonic seizures in two rat models. Epilepsy Research, 142, 36-44.
• Posters
  • Hong H, Sahai S, Wehrle C, Gross A, Said S, Hossain MS, Walsh RM, Augustin T. Xanthogranulomatous Cholecystitis: A Modern Analysis of Pitfalls to Management. Presented at the 2023 Medical Student Investigation Day at Albany Medical College.
  • Gupta M, Sahai S, King J, Volkell G, Feustel P, Molho E. Predicting Long-Term Outcomes of DBS in Parkinson’s Disease Patients Based on Pre-Operative Risk. Presented at the 2022 NYACP Annual Scientific Meeting at the Westchester Marriot in Tarrytown, NY.
  • Sahai S, Gupta M, King J, Volkell G, Feustel P, Molho E. Predicting Long-Term Outcomes of DBS in Parkinson’s Disease Patients Based on Pre-Operative Risk. Presented at the 2022 Medical Student Investigation Day at Albany Medical College.
  • Effendi E, Mahoney EC, Moolick B, Sahai S, Tucker HR, Molho E, Pilitsis JG, Shin DS. Effects of deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus on neuronal activity of dopaminergic neurons of sham and parkinsonian rats. Presented at the 35th annual University at Albany Undergraduate Research Symposium.
  • Zeng A, Mahoney E, Rowe M, Sahai S, Feustel P, Molho E, Pilitsis JG, Ramirez-Zamora A, Shin DS. Ventral pallidum deep brain stimulation has potent efficacy for generalized tonic-clonic seizures in a rat model of epilepsy. Presented at the 2016 Medical Student Investigation Day at Albany Medical College.
  • Mahoney EC, Zeng A, Yu W, Rowe M, Sahai S, Feustel P, Molho E, Pilitsis JG, Ramirez-Zamora A, Shin DS. Ventral pallidum deep brain stimulation has potent efficacy for various seizure phenotypes. Presented at the 2nd annual meeting of the Hudson Berkshire Society for Neuroscience at the Carey Institute for Global Good.
• Oral Presentations
  • Long-term Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Subtotal Cholecystectomy: 10-Year Single Institution Experience. Presented at the ACS 2024 Quality and Safety Conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO. July 20, 2024.
  • Long-term Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Subtotal Cholecystectomy: 10-Year Single Institution Experience. Presented by Hanna Hong, BS, at the Central Surgical Association’s Annual Meeting at the Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, KY. June 7, 2024.
  • Health disparities associated with congenital heart disease. Presented at Heart Connection 2024, The Mayflower Hotel, Washington D.C. May 13, 2024.
  • Effects of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation on neuronal spiking activity in the substantia nigra pars compacta in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Presented virtually at the 2022 Annual Winter Meeting of the NYS Neurological Society. November 12, 2022.