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Pooja Khatri, MD, MSc

Albert E. Kent Professor of Neurology; Chair of Neurology
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Contact Info

pooja.khatri@yale.edu

Yale School of Medicine

Lippard Laboratory for Clinical Investigation (LLCI), 15 York Street

New Haven, CT 06510

United States

About

Titles

Albert E. Kent Professor of Neurology; Chair of Neurology

Biography

Pooja Khatri, MD, MS, is chair of the Department of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine, and chief of Neurology at Yale New Haven Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System. She is a professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine and is recognized internationally as an expert in stroke care and research.

Dr. Khatri came to Yale from University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine, where she was vice chair of research within the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine. Her additional roles included director of the Vascular Neurology Division and of the multidisciplinary UC Stroke team, serving a tristate area of 2.5 million people.

On a national level, Dr. Khatri has co-directed the National Coordinating Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) StrokeNet since its 2013 inception. StrokeNet serves as the main infrastructure for developing and implementing multicenter stroke trials funded by the NIH, and training the next generation of clinical trialists and clinical research professions. Over 18,000 participants have been enrolled across >300 United States and non-U.S. sites in >25 studies spanning treatment, prevention, and recovery/rehabilitation. Among over 250 StrokeNet graduates, the majority enroll in trials and several are now leading StrokeNet trials and hubs themselves.

With two decades of continuous NIH and industry funding, Dr. Khatri has built up a body of research that has significantly advanced the field of stroke therapy. Her work spans acute stroke therapy, prevention of early stroke recurrence, development of radiological biomarkers, and clinical trial design. Notably, she demonstrated the time-dependence of endovascular therapy for improving clinical outcomes after stroke, contributing to its development as a highly effective treatment. Additionally, her pivotal research indicated that IV thrombolysis is unlikely to be effective for mild, nondisabling strokes, influencing changes in clinical guidelines.

Currently, Dr. Khatri's NIH-funded projects include the first platform trial in stroke, a dose-finding trial for a novel clot-dissolving monoclonal antibody, an acute biomarker validation study for stroke motor recovery, and the characterization of population-level radiological brain health in stroke patients.

With over 300 publications to her name, Dr. Khatri was recently distinguished among the top 1% of Highly Cited Researchers globally by Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science). Her extensive expertise spans drug and device therapeutic development—from conception through post-marketing phases—including translational science, study design, regulatory compliance, safety, and ethical considerations.

Recognizing her well-established track record of training and mentorship, Dr. Khatri has several teaching awards and has been a member of the annual NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Clinical Trials Methods Course. There, and in other settings, she has helped mentees develop their initial clinical trials and studies. She regularly leads educational programs and training sessions, most recently teaching at a stroke summer school in Asia with participants from the World Health Organization (WHO) representing low- and middle-income countries.

An internationally recognized expert in clinical stroke, Dr. Khatri has held leadership roles on the World Stroke Organization (WSO) Executive Committee, the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association (AHA), and the European Stroke Organization’s (ESO) Guidelines Board, and she has been a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the Society for Clinical Trials. She has also served as associate editor of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Stroke Journal and a member of editorial boards including the Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) Neurology .

Last Updated on March 13, 2026.

Appointments

Other Departments & Organizations

Education & Training

MSc
Harvard School of Public Health, Clinical Epidemiology
Vascular Neurology Fellowship
University of Cincinnati (2006)
Residency
Hospital of University of Pennsylvania (2004)
Internship
Hospital of University of Pennsylvania (2001)
MD
University of Illinois at Chicago, Medicine
BSc (Hon)
Stanford University, Biological Sciences (1995)

Research

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of Pooja Khatri's published research.

Publications

2026

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Clinical Care

Overview

Pooja Khatri, MD, MS, is chair of the Yale Medicine Department of Neurology, and chief of Neurology at Yale New Haven Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System. She is a world-renowned expert in stroke care and research, and she is passionate about helping those with neurological conditions achieve the best possible outcomes.

Dr. Khatri reminds people who are concerned for themselves or a loved one with a neurological condition that treatments have advanced tremendously for many diseases of the brain and other parts of the nervous system. “People who have just gotten a new diagnosis don’t always realize how much care has changed in recent decades,” she says. “There are treatments available now that didn’t exist in the past.”

While there is still a lot to learn, Dr. Khatri says, “In my career, I’ve seen stroke go from a disease that we often couldn't do much about to a potentially reversible disease if the patient gets to the hospital fast enough.” (Patients who get to the hospital within hours of the first symptoms of an ischemic stroke may get a type of medicine called a thrombolytic, or "clot-busting," drug, or procedure called mechanical thrombectomy, or “clot extraction,” to improve their chances of recovery. Faster treatment gives the best chances of success.) She notes there also have been significant breakthroughs in preventing stroke, as well as the care of such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Khatri became interested in medicine at a young age. Her father, who dreamed of studying medical science but became an engineer instead, was a major influence on her decision to pursue medicine. As she got older, a pivotal moment came during a trip to India when she visited a town where the only available doctor was a veterinarian. That experience reinforced her determination to become a doctor and help people.

In addition to her work with patients, Dr. Khatri is a professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine. She has significantly advanced the field of stroke therapy with research that spans acute stroke therapy, prevention of early stroke recurrence, development of radiological biomarkers, and clinical trial design. She has held multiple leadership positions in the United States and abroad. One of these positions, since 2013, has been codirector of the National Coordinating Center of StrokeNet, which is the main infrastructure for National Institutes of Health-funded multicenter stroke trials.

Clinical Specialties

Neurology; Stroke

Board Certifications

  • Vascular Neurology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Psychiatry & Neurology
    Latest Certification Date
    2025
    Original Certification Date
    2008

  • Neurology

    Certification Organization
    AB of Psychiatry & Neurology
    Latest Certification Date
    2015
    Original Certification Date
    2005

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Contacts

Email
Mailing Address

Yale School of Medicine

Lippard Laboratory for Clinical Investigation (LLCI), 15 York Street

New Haven, CT 06510

United States

Administrative Support

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