# Classification of Stroke Etiology Using Advanced Computational Approaches

> **NIH NIH K23** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $190,488

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
This proposal is an application for the K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award
designed to prepare Dr.Richa Sharma, MD, MPH for a career in independent, patient-oriented academic
vascular neurology. Dr.Sharma is an early career clinician scientist who holds an Assistant Professor
appointment at the Yale School of Medicine. Her long-term goal is to establish a stroke clinical research
laboratory that applies advanced computational techniques to better inform implementation of evidence-based
secondary stroke prevention treatments as well as discovery of novel therapeutics. In order to accomplish this
goal, Dr.Sharma seeks to fulfill her training objectives of: 1) furthering her skills in data science to manage and
process high-dimensional datasets; 2) gaining facility with advanced computational techniques; 3) developing a
foundation in biomarker-based clinical trial methodology; and 4) acquiring core competencies necessary to
independently lead a research program. Through the mechanism of this training grant, Dr.Sharma will have the
opportunity to complete directly relevant formal coursework, master fundamental research methodologies, and
generate a portfolio of work that will be critical for obtaining independent research funding. Dr.Sharma has the
full support of her mentoring team which includes Dr.Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist and outcomes researcher
who specializes in harnessing big data to improve care; co-mentor Dr.Lauren Sansing, a vascular neurologist
and a translational scientist with expertise in stroke and investigation of biologic data; co-mentor Dr.Cynthia
Brandt, an emergency medicine physician and an informatician who is an expert in electronic medical record
research; co-mentor Dr.Hongyu Zhao, an expert biostatistician adept at analysis of data from a myriad of
sources including health record and biologic data; and co-mentor Dr.Hooman Kamel, a neurointensivist and a
prolific stroke clinical researcher. This mentorship team, along with collaborators and esteemed advisory
committee, will provide Dr.Sharma with the guidance, resources, and support necessary to reach these goals
and transition to academic independence.
There are nearly 800,000 ischemic strokes per year, of which the underlying cause of 20-40% of these strokes
is unknown. Consequently, secondary stroke therapies may not specifically target the pathology that led to the
stroke, potentially resulting in an unmitigated risk for a recurrent, potentially more devastating ischemic stroke.
We aim to address this diagnostic uncertainty through a series of analyses. The proposed research will utilize
novel methods to analyze electronic health record data of patients admitted with acute ischemic stroke to 3
healthcare systems (Yale-New Haven Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Veterans Affair
Health Administration Hospitals in the United States), proteomic, neuroimaging, and survey data from a
subgroup of stroke p...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10757377
- **Project number:** 5K23NS121634-03
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Richa Sharma
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $190,488
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-01-01 → 2026-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10757377

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10757377, Classification of Stroke Etiology Using Advanced Computational Approaches (5K23NS121634-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10757377. Licensed CC0.

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