SHARATH BHAGAVATULA, MD: TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY: EARLY EXPERIENCE IN TRANSLATING AN IMPLANTABLE MICRODEVICE TECHNOLOGY FOR PERSONALIZED DRUG RESPONSE ASSESSMENT

Sharath Bhagavatula, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Abdominal Imaging and Intervention
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Harvard Medical School

Abstract

Novel image-guided interventional methods have the potential to significantly improve cancer diagnosis and treatment, but the path from idea to clinical translation has unique challenges. This presentation will review early experience and lessons learned during the ongoing efforts to clinically translate an implantable microdevice technology recently developed here in Dr. Oliver Jonas’s lab. This technology involves placing tiny rice-sized microdevices directly into tumors, releasing 20+ drugs into microscopic tumor foci, and subsequently retrieving drug-exposed tissue to measure and compare tumor effects. These microdevices have the potential to rapidly identify optimal personalized cancer treatments to improve patient outcomes, but custom interventional radiology devices and workflows are needed to safely deliver, monitor, and retrieve them. Multidisciplinary efforts related to developing these interventional technologies will be discussed, including: interventional device design/prototyping, animal model testing, regulatory considerations, and first-in-human feasibility trial design and implementation.

Short Bio

Sharath Bhagavatula is currently an Assistant Professor of Radiology in the Abdominal Imaging and Intervention Division in the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. His clinical and research interests are in interventional oncology, including tumor biopsies and ablations. He is involved in translational research within the National Center for Image Guided Therapy (NCIGT) and Jonas Laboratory for BioMicrodevices, that includes lab-based pre-clinical technology development, pre-clinical testing, first-in-human trials, and early-stage clinical technology evaluation. Previously, he received his BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University and MD at NYU School of Medicine. He completed Diagnostic Radiology residency and Interventional Radiology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School as part of the Clinician Scientist Research Program (CSRP).