Last August, researchers from the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center (CIRC) at Indiana University School of Medicine demonstrated that a high-sensitivity cardiac troponin-I blood test could detect who might be at greatest risk of death following a heart attack among in-hospital patients. Today, Moksh Sanjay Khetan, MBBS, a postdoctoral fellow at CIRC, is supporting ongoing research on cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I).
He is currently working closely with Dhirendra P. Singh, PhD, assistant research professor of radiology and imaging sciences within the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at IU School of Medicine, on identifying the molecular mechanisms behind the high and exaggerated cTn-I release in heart attack patients that experience severe bleeding and remodeling in the heart muscle — called hemorrhagic myocardial infarction (hMI).
Khetan supports the molecular analyses and the in vivo surgery related work, as well as the differential role of inflammation in cardiac remodeling and disease progression after blood flow is restored in hMI.
Why Khetan chose Indiana University
“Indiana University School of Medicine stood out to me because of its strong emphasis on translational cardiovascular research,” Khetan said. “I’m particularly interested in understanding myocardial injury, microvascular dysfunction and what happens to the heart after reperfusion,” he added, describing the moment blood flow is restored from a blocked artery.
He learned about the fellowship through conversations with mentors and colleagues in his academic network who encouraged him to explore research opportunities in cardiovascular research.
“What truly drew me here was Dr. Dharmakumar’s work at the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Center,” Khetan said, of Rohan Dharmakumar, PhD, executive director of the Medical Imaging Research Institute at IU School of Medicine, where CIRC operates. “The emphasis on translating sophisticated imaging insights into meaningful clinical outcomes is what I find most compelling about his work,” added Khetan, indicating that he would like to follow in Dharmakumar’s footsteps.
“I aspire to build a career as a physician-scientist, contributing to clinically impactful research that bridges imaging, interventional cardiology and outcomes research,” he said.
As a long-term goal, Khetan wants to develop his own research questions for studies, where he can combine imaging, clinical outcomes and health economics, so he can help improve risk assessment and make better treatment recommendations available to patients.
From curiosity to research
His interest in research began while earning a medical degree at the Vedantaa Institute of Medical Sciences in Dahanu, India. It is during this time that Khetan began seeking to understand the mechanisms behind clinical conditions rather than just the management of disease. “This curiosity naturally evolved into active involvement in research projects, particularly in cardiology,” he explained.
Singh said Khetan is already contributing to the team.
“Moksh brings a strong clinical background through his MD training,” Singh said. “Our group has expertise in molecular biology and imaging and having someone with clinical experience adds an important translational perspective. His knowledge helps us better understand how our molecular findings could eventually be useful in translational and patient-focused research.”
Singh added that Khetan understands things quickly and that he feels he can be trusted with important work.
“One of the best qualities I see in him is that he is always willing to help and is ready to contribute wherever the group needs support,” Singh said.
Khetan said he has enjoyed living in Indianapolis and that it’s been an excellent place to learn and grow as a scientist.
“Dr. Rohan Dharmakumar and Dr. Dhirendra Singh guided me a lot during my time here, giving me a whole range of experience from molecular biology to translational and clinical research,” Khetan said. “I have had a very positive experience living in Indianapolis. It is a welcoming city with a strong academic environment, especially people in my lab. I couldn’t have asked for better friends.”
