Sikha Saha

Professor Sikha Saha serves as Chair of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the University of Leeds within the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health. Her research focuses on developing innovative diagnostic technologies for cerebrovascular diseases, with particular emphasis on blood-brain barrier modeling and biosensing techniques.

Her educational background includes:

• BSc (Hons) in Physiology, 1st class
• MSc in Physiology
• PhD in Physiology from University of Leeds (1991)
• FHEA, UK

Professor Saha's research spans multiple disciplines at the intersection of neuroscience, engineering, and clinical medicine. Her laboratory specializes in metabolic profiling, biomarker detection, and biosensing of cerebrovascular and metabolic diseases. She has pioneered the development of point-of-care technologies for rapid biomarker detection, including a novel in vitro human primary cell-based blood-brain barrier model and sensor technologies for cerebrovascular diseases. Her work bridges fundamental science with clinical applications, creating diagnostic tools that have significant translational potential.

Analysis of Professor Saha's recent publications reveals a clear trajectory toward the development of advanced diagnostic technologies for stroke and cerebrovascular diseases. Her research increasingly integrates nanotechnology, optical imaging, and biomarker discovery to create point-of-care diagnostic solutions. The consistent focus on blood-brain barrier function, stroke biomarkers, and novel imaging techniques demonstrates a cohesive research program aimed at improving stroke diagnosis and differentiation from stroke mimics.

Her notable scientific achievements include:

• BHF Fellowship
• Wellcome Trust Fellowship
• Lead Inventor of a biomarker patent
• Co-inventor of a laser-based non-invasive glucose sensor patent

Professor Saha has secured research funding from major organizations including MRC, BBSRC, EPSRC, and Innovate UK, as well as industry partners. She has mentored numerous students over her 25-year teaching career, developing the MBChB year 2 and year 3 RESS-SSP courses while introducing enterprise education into the Leeds Medical Curriculum. She has provided personal tutorial guidance to first and second-year MBChB students for 12 years.

Her research is conducted through the Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine (LICAMM), where she leads multiple projects focused on blood-brain barrier dysfunction in stroke, imaging of brain damage, and microglia's role in cerebrovascular diseases. She also directs research on optical and magnetic resonance imaging using upconversion nanoparticles.