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  • Assistant Professor of Neurology; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute of Global Health; Stroke Director, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven VA Medical Center

    Biography Nishant Kumar Mishra, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine and Stroke Director at the West Haven VA Medical Center. He is a vascular neurologist and physician-scientist whose work connects acute stroke treatment with the prevention of long-term neurological complications. His research focuses on post-stroke epilepsy, treatment safety, and cognitive outcomes after stroke. His earlier studies examined thrombolysis outcomes in patient groups historically excluded from treatment, contributing evidence to discussions about treatment eligibility. His current work investigates how clinical characteristics, biomarkers, and genetic susceptibility can help identify patients at risk of post-stroke epilepsy and inform future prevention studies. Dr. Mishra co-founded the International Post-Stroke Epilepsy Research Consortium (IPSERC), working with international collaborators to advance research on seizure risk, treatment, and outcomes. He also investigates bilingualism and cognitive reserve, examining how linguistic experience may relate to cognitive health and recovery. His training includes a PhD in Stroke Medicine at the University of Glasgow, postdoctoral research at Stanford University, neurology residency training at Tulane University and Mount Sinai, and vascular neurology fellowship training at UCLA. He also served as an ORISE fellow at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At Yale and the VA, Dr. Mishra combines clinical care, research, and mentorship. His goal is to help stroke survivors preserve neurological function, independence, and quality of life. Research Overview My research addresses a central question: How can we improve life after stroke by predicting complications, selecting safer treatments, and developing strategies for prevention and recovery? Post-stroke epilepsy: prediction and prevention Post-stroke epilepsy can complicate recovery and affect independence and quality of life. I study clinical, imaging, electrophysiological, and genetic factors associated with seizure risk after stroke. Through the International Post-Stroke Epilepsy Research Consortium (IPSERC) and the International Post-Stroke Epilepsy Research Repository (IPSERR), I work with collaborators to support harmonized data collection, collaborative analyses, and the development of future prevention studies. Treatment safety and vascular outcomes My work examines the effectiveness and safety of treatments across the stroke care continuum. Earlier research evaluated thrombolysis outcomes in populations historically excluded from treatment. Current interests include antiseizure medication selection and potential interactions with therapies used to prevent recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events. The goal is to generate evidence that helps clinicians balance seizure control, vascular protection, and treatment-related risks. Cognitive reserve and recovery I investigate how bilingualism and linguistic experience may relate to cognitive reserve and neurological outcomes. This work examines whether these experiences help explain differences in cognitive function and recovery, with the longer-term aim of informing accessible approaches to brain health. Approach and collaboration My research combines clinical observation, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, collaborative registries, and analyses of routinely collected health data. Across these approaches, I prioritize questions that arise in patient care and findings that can inform clinical decisions and prospective studies. I welcome collaboration with investigators in stroke, epilepsy, neuroimaging, genetics, epidemiology, rehabilitation, and clinical trials. Teaching and Mentoring My teaching emphasizes careful observation, neurological localization, clinical reasoning, and compassionate communication. I encourage learners to connect the patient’s story with the examination, interpret evidence critically, and recognize uncertainty when making clinical decisions. In research mentorship, I help trainees develop focused questions, select appropriate methods, interpret findings, and communicate results clearly. Projects may include systematic reviews, clinical outcomes research, and collaborative studies of stroke and post-stroke epilepsy. I welcome inquiries from students, residents, fellows, and early-career investigators interested in vascular neurology and clinical research. Prospective mentees should send a brief description of their interests, a CV, their availability, and any relevant research experience. Research and mentorship inquiries: nishant.mishra@yale.edu For inquiries about funded research opportunities at the VA, please contact nishant.mishra@va.gov. Availability and eligibility depend on the specific position. Clinical Care Overview I care for patients with stroke and cerebrovascular disease, with attention to acute treatment, prevention of recurrent events, and the complications that can emerge during recovery. A stroke affects more than a scan or an examination. It can change a person’s mobility, cognition, mood, relationships, and sense of independence. My approach begins with understanding what matters most to each patient and explaining the diagnosis, treatment choices, and next steps clearly. As Stroke Director at the West Haven VA Medical Center, I work with multidisciplinary colleagues to improve stroke recognition, evaluation, treatment, and continuity of care. I also connect clinical care with research questions aimed at improving long-term outcomes for stroke survivors. For appointments and patient care information, please visit my Yale Medicine clinical profile. Collaboration and Research Opportunities I welcome inquiries about collaborative research on: Post-stroke epilepsy, including risk prediction, biomarkers, and prevention.Antiseizure medication safety and vascular outcomes.Stroke registries and studies using routinely collected health data.Bilingualism, cognitive reserve, and outcomes after stroke.Multicenter observational studies and clinical trial development. Investigators interested in IPSERC or IPSERR are welcome to contact me to discuss scientific interests and potential participation. For research collaborations, mentorship, or academic speaking inquiries, please email nishant.mishra@yale.edu with a brief description of your interests.
  • Postdoctoral Associate

    Dr. Misra is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Neurology at Yale University School of Medicine. He is a clinical researcher with an avid interest in biomarker discovery and outcomes research in neurological disorders. He is serving as a member of the COVID-19 global forum in the Brain Health Unit of the World Health Organization. He is also the Guest Editor at Frontiers in Neurology, where he is leading a research collection on omics-based approaches in stroke research. His long-term goal is to become an independent investigator and build a career in clinical biomarker discovery and data sciences. Dr. Misra obtained his Ph.D. in Neurology from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. His thesis was aimed at determining diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of stroke using high-throughput proteomics and machine learning approaches. He received the prestigious DST-INSPIRE Fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for pursuing his doctoral studies. He completed his B. Tech and M. Tech degrees in Biotechnology from Amity University, Noida, India, and had the distinction of being the University Gold Medalist. Dr. Misra has co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed research publications, including first-author articles in leading journals such as JAMA Neurology, Neurology, the European Journal of Neurology, and the International Journal of Stroke. His work has been cited more than 1,000 times. He took a 2-hour lecture on "Proteomics data analysis in R" at the peer-to-peer teaching sessions organized by the Bioinformatics Support Hub in the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Misra is a recipient of the Young Investigator Award from the World Stroke Organization for his contributions to the field of stroke research. He is open to research collaborations on research topics, including: Biomarker research in strokeProteomics data analysisEvidence synthesis through systematic reviews and meta-analysesClinical trials in stroke For research collaborations, reach out to Dr. Misra at shubham.misra@yale.edu. For more details regarding his academic interests, please visit his website at https://sites.google.com/view/shubham-misra.

Trainess/Students

Alumni

  • Erum I. Khan, MBBS is currently a post-doctoral fellow at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the University of Alabama. She served in the Mishra Lab as a visiting medical student and has continued to work on collaborative projects. She aims to complete residency training in neurology and become a physician-scientist.
  • Ece Eldem, MSc (Universite de Fribourg, Switzerland) served as a postgraduate trainee in the Mishra Lab and plans pursue research in clinical neurology.