Dr. Parul Rai is originally from Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. She earned her medical degree at Grant Medical College in Mumbai, India followed by residency training at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. She went on to complete two fellowships: one in Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and one in Sickle Cell disease at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Rai was the recipient of numerous accolades during her medical training including the JRD Tata Medical Scholarship, Distinctions in Biochemistry, Pathology and Pharmacology, and the 14th Annual Harry Gordon, MD Resident Scholarly Activity Award.
Rai is interested in studying organ injury, specifically cardiopulmonary complications, associated sickle cell disease. She aims to study this injury progression over the lifetime of patients with the goal of understanding mechanisms of pathogenesis and the effect of disease-modifying therapies.
“My long-term goal is to be a clinician scientist. I joined the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program to develop advanced skills in clinical research through formal training.”
Education
MD - Grant Medical College, Mumbai, India
Pediatric Residency - Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, MD
Pediatric Hematology - Oncology Fellowship - UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, CA
Sickle Cell Fellowship - Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Publications
Rai P et al. Longitudinal effect of disease-modifying therapy on tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity in children with sickle cell anemia. Blood Adv 2021, Vol 5 (1): 89–98
Rai P et al. The effects of cardio-selective beta blockade on diastolic dysfunction in children with sickle cell disease. Haematologica 2022 (doi: 10.3324/haematol.2022.281428.PMID: 36200422.