Balaji Krishnaiah

Balaji Krishnaiah, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), College of Medicine, where he also serves as Neurology Residency Program Director and Director of the Neuroscience course for medical students. Board-certified in Neurology and Vascular Neurology, he specializes in stroke and cerebrovascular diseases, with a particular focus on carotid and transcranial Doppler ultrasound, post-stroke antithrombotic strategies, mechanical thrombectomy, and cryptogenic stroke mechanisms.

Education & Training:

• Medical Degree: Stanley Medical College, Chennai, India
• Internship & Residency: Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA
• Fellowship: Vascular Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
• Board Certifications: Neurology and Vascular Neurology, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

Research Interests

Dr. Krishnaiah’s research portfolio is anchored in stroke prevention, treatment optimization, and outcome prediction. He investigates tailored antithrombotic approaches for embolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS), leveraging multicenter cohorts and randomized trials to weigh anticoagulation versus antiplatelet therapy. His work also evaluates the safety and efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis in cervical artery dissection, the utility of advanced neuro-imaging and artificial-intelligence platforms to expedite mechanical thrombectomy workflows, and machine-learning models to predict symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after reperfusion therapies.

Recent scholarly output reveals a concentration on:

• Timing and positioning strategies to optimize thrombectomy outcomes.
• Cardiac biomarkers (e.g., left ventricular injury, atrial cardiopathy) as predictors of cryptogenic stroke recurrence.
• Real-world effectiveness of AI-driven triage systems such as Viz.ai to reduce door-to-treatment times.

Professional Memberships & Societies

• American Academy of Neurology
• American Heart Association / American Stroke Association
• Association of Indian Neurologists in America

Leadership & Education

Since 2021 Dr. Krishnaiah has directed the Neurology Residency Program at UTHSC, overseeing curriculum design, trainee assessment, and accreditation compliance. Concurrently, he directs the Neuroscience course for medical students, integrating basic neurosciences with clinical case discussions and simulation-based learning. His dedication to education extends to bedside teaching on mobile stroke units, teleneurology initiatives, and multidisciplinary simulation exercises that have reduced door-to-needle times by 20 %.