Nikkita Khattar

I was born in New Delhi, India, and raised in Frederick, Maryland, USA. While studying biomedical engineering in Washington, DC, I had the opportunity to explore a wide spectrum of research topics including single-neuron mass spectrometry in Dr. Vertes' analytical chemistry lab at GWU and high intensity therapeutic ultrasound with GWU and the FDA. I developed a particular interest in medical imaging research and after graduation, I spent two years at the National Institute on Aging primarily focused on using advanced MRI techniques to study age-related processes pertaining to brain tissue microstructure including demyelination, axonal damage, and iron accumulation. Currently I am an MD-PhD student working with Dr. Richard Carson at the Yale PET center. I am focused on using PET and fMRI to understand changes in the brain that occur with aging and neurodegenerative diseases.