Dr. Savita Khanna completed her post-doctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley, and received her PhD from the University of Eastern Finland. Prior to joining the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Khanna was Associate Professor of Surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. She was also an adjunct faculty member at the Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering (ICRME) and in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology at Indiana University. From 2000 to 2018, Dr. Khanna held various positions ranging from Research Associate to Associate Professor at The Ohio State University.

Dr. Khanna’s laboratory focuses on the neurobiology of ischemic stroke. Her lab conducts in vitro (cell lines and primary cell cultures) and in vivo (rodent) studies related to mechanisms of ischemic stroke and interventional rescue. During the last 15 years, Dr. Khanna’s work has addressed mechanisms by which a lesser-known form of natural vitamin E, tocotrienol (TCT), protects against stroke. Currently, her laboratory is investigating underlying TCT-sensitive mechanisms involved in improving perfusion of the stroke-affected site in the brain.

Another major project in her lab focuses on diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Diabetic neuropathy (DN) is a common and serious complication of diabetes, and DPN is one of the more common forms of DN. Her team focuses on neurogenic stroma reprogramming to manage diabetic neuropathy, specifically on neurosensory damage and distal end-organ interface.

Dr. Khanna has contributed to more than 150 peer-reviewed publications, including 21 as lead author. She has received funding through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and is a member of the Society for Neuroscience. She has served as the managing editor of Antioxidants & Redox Signaling (ARS) since 1999. Additionally, she serves as a review editor for Frontiers in Physiology.

View a list of Dr. Khanna’s publications here.