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Bio - Bhardwaj, Anish, MD, MBA

  • Anish Bhardwaj, MD, MBA, MS, CPE, FACHE, FACMPE, FAHA, FAAN, FCCM, FANA is the Vice Provost, designated Institutional Officer, Chairman of the Department of Neurology, John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Neurology, and a Professor of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Anatomy at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston, Texas since 2013. Dr. Bhardwaj has a distinguished background in academic medicine as a clinician-scientist-scholar, educator, mentor, program developer, administrator, and physician-executive.

    Dr. Bhardwaj completed his medical training at College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and neurology residency training at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York (1989-1993). He then completed fellowship training in neurosciences critical care at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and, subsequently, served on the faculty of Hopkins for a decade until 2006 - - where he rose through the academic ranks to become Associate Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurology. He then served as Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurology at Oregon Health and Science University until 2009. Before joining UTMB, Dr. Bhardwaj served as Chair and Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Neurosurgery at Tufts University School of Medicine as well as Neurologist-in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center in Boston (2009-2013). He is board certified in Neurology, Vascular Neurology, and Neurocritical Care. In 2013, he received his Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in Healthcare Management from D’Amore-McKim School of Business, and Master of Science (MS) in Organizational Leadership in 2021 from Northeastern University. He is a Certified Physician Executive (CPE) conferred by the Certifying Commission in Medical Management, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and a Fellow of the American College of Medical Practice Executives (FACMPE) conferred by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA). He was a Fellow of the Council of Deans of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) (2018-2019).

    An acknowledged national and international expert in neurocritical care and stroke, Dr. Bhardwaj has enhanced the growth of several academic Departments of Neurology in the United States as departmental Chair and serving in other leadership roles. He has developed several de-novo collaborative multidisciplinary clinical programs and has authored more than 155 publications including original peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, editorials, reviews and five books. Over the course of his career, his laboratory-based and translational research has focused on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms of brain injury and developing methods and strategies for protecting the brain after stroke and other forms of brain injury; he has received substantial extramural funding for these research endeavors. He has previously served on study sections of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the American Heart Association (AHA), continues to serve as a member of numerous editorial boards of peer-reviewed journals and is an invited speaker at national and international forums to give talks on a wide range of topics from brain injury, neuro-terrorism, to programmatic development. Under his leadership, the Department of Neurology has received over $30 million in extramural support for research over the past 7 years.

    He has been the recipient of several awards and honors including the Established Investigator Award from AHA, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award, and is an elected Fellow of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association (FAHA), the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN), the American Neurological Association (FANA), and the American College of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM). Dr. Bhardwaj has an outstanding record of training and mentoring faculty, post-doctoral fellows, and house staff, many of whom have gone on to have highly successful career trajectories to become leaders in their fields. As Vice Provost, Dr. Bhardwaj oversees the Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure processes in the School of Medicine, and Faculty Affairs and Professional Development across all schools (School of Medicine, School of Nursing, School of Health Professions, and Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences). He also takes a lead role in managing the three professional academies (Academy of Master Teachers, Academy of Master Clinicians, and Academy of Research Mentors) at UTMB.

    • Medical School: College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria (1978-1984)
    • Research Fellowship: Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York (1987-1989)
    • Neurology Residency: Mount Sinai School of Medicine (1989-1993)
    • Fellowship in Neurosciences Critical Care: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1993-1995)
    • Fellowship, National Stroke Association, Johns Hopkins University SOM, Baltimore, Maryland (1994-1995)
    • Masters in Business Administration (MBA), D’Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University, Boston, MA (2011-2013)
    • Program for Chiefs of Clinical Services, Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health (2013)
    • Physician Executive Certification (CPE) Program, Certifying Commission in Medical Management (CCMM) (2013)
    • Master of Science (M.S.) in Leadership (Health Management), Northeastern University College of Professional Studies, Boston, MA (2019-2021)
    • Neurology: American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN)
    • Vascular Neurology: ABPN
    • Neurocritical Care: United Council on Neurological Specialties (UCNS)
    • Vascular Neurology
    • Neurocritical Care
    • Vascular Neurology (Stroke)
    • Neurocritical Care (Providing comprehensive care to critically ill neurological and neurosurgical patients)
    • Neuroprotective clinical trials in focal cerebral ischemia
    • Monitoring techniques in critically ill patients with acute brain injury from diverse etiologies
    • In vivo pathophysiological mechanisms of ischemic neuronal injury in appropriate animal models of cerebral ischemia
    • In vivo regional neurochemistry in brain injury paradigms
      Pathophysiological mechanisms in cerebral ischemia-evoked cerebral edema
    • Pharmacological neuroprotection in ischemic stroke
    • Osmotherapy in brain injury
    • Bhardwaj A. Excessive ancillary testing by healthcare providers: Reason and Proposed Solutions. J Hosp Med Manage; 5(1):1; 2019.
    • Esechie A, Bhardwaj A, Masel T, Raji M. Neurocognitive Sequela of Burn Injury in the Elderly. J Clinical Neurosci; In Press; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2018.10.089.
    • Bhardwaj A. Alignment between Physicians and Hospital administrators: Historical Perspective and Future Directions. Hosp Pract; (45)3:81-87; 2017.
    • Nakayama S, Migliati E, Amiry-Moghaddam M, Otterson OP, Bhardwaj, A. Osmotherapy with Hypertonic Saline Attenuates Cerebral Edema following Experimental Cardiac Arrest via Perivascular Pool of Aquaporin-4. Crit Care Med; 44(8):e702-10; 2016.
    • Nakayama S, Amiry-Moghaddam M, Ottersen OP, Bhardwaj A. Conivptan,a Selective Arginine Vasopressin V1a and V2 Receptor Antagonist Attenuates Global Cerebral Edema following Experimental Cardiac Arrest via Perivascular Pool of Aquaporin-4. Neurocrit Care; 24(2):273-82; 2016.
    • Stevens RD, Bhardwaj A. Eryrthropoietin and the promise of ischemic multi-organ protection. Crit Care Med; 36(8); 2446-7: 2008.
    • Liu X, Zhang W, Alkayed NJ, Froeher SC, Adams ME, Amiry-Moghaddam M, Ottersen OP, Hurn PD, Bhardwaj A. Lack of Sex-Linked Differences in Cerebral Edema and Aquaporin-4 Expression after Experimental Stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab; 28(12):1898-906, 2008.
    • Fields JD, Bhardwaj A. Non-Peptide Arginine-Vasopressin Antagonists for the treatment of hyponatremia in Neurocritical Care: A new alternative? Neurocrit Care; 11(1):1-4; 2009.
    • Fields JD, Bhardwaj A. Antiedema effects of hypertonic saline following spinal cord injury. Crit Care Med; 37(7):2306-7: 2009.
    • Bhardwaj A. Molecular targets for ameliorating early brain injury post subarachnoid hemorrhage: A new focus. Crit Care Med; 38(2):727-8; 2010.
    • Liu X, Nakayama S, Amiry-Moghaddam M, Ottersen OP, Bhardwaj A. Arginine-vasopressin V1 but not V2 receptor antagonism modulates infarct volume, brain water content and aquaporin-4 expression following experimental stroke. Neurocrit Care; 12(1):124-31; 2010.
    • Migiliati E, Amiry-Moghaddam M, Adams M, Froeher S, Ottersen OP, Bhardwaj A. Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransport inhibitor attenuates cerebral edema following experimental stroke via the perivascular pool of aquaporin-4. Neurocrit Care; 13(1):123-31; 2010.
    • Bhardwaj A. Experimental studies on ischemic neuroprotection: Criterion for translational significance. Crit Care Med, 39(5):1230-1; 2011.
    • Bhardwaj A. Statins as neuroprotectants after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Critic Care Med; 40(2):695-7; 2012.
    • Schirmer CM, Kornbluth J, Heilman CB, Bhardwaj A. Gastrointestinal Prophylaxis in Neurocritical Care. Neurocrit Care; 16(1):184-93; 2012.
    • Levin B, Bhardwaj A. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Neurocritical Care; 20(2):334-44; 2014.

    For a complete list of publications:

    • 2018 Fellow, Council of Deans (COD) by the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)
    • 2017 Fellow, American College of Medical Practice Executives (FACMPE) by the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA)
    • 2017 Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE)
    • 2015 Thomas D. Sabin, M.D. Visiting Professorship, Department of Neurology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
    • 2012 Elected Fellow, American Neurological Association (FANA)
    • 2012 The “Lester” Teaching Award by Neurology Residents, TUSM
    • 2011, 2012 U.S. News & World Report, America’s Top Doctors
    • 2009 Elected Fellow, American Academy of Neurology (FAAN)
    • 2008 Professional Staff Chair’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Innovation in New Models of Clinical Care, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)
    • 2006 Medical/Professional Staff Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Contribution in Clinical Care Quality, OHSU
    • 2005 Elected Fellow, American College of Critical Care Medicine (FCCM)
    • 2002 *Elected Member, American Neurological Association (ANA)
    • 2001 Fellow, American Heart Association (FAHA)
    • 2001-2004 Established Investigator Award, American Heart Association (AHA)
    • 1996, 1997 Richard S. Ross Clinician-Scientist Award, Johns Hopkins University, SOM
    • 1996 * Elected Fellow, Stroke Council, American Heart Association (AHA)
    • 1996-2001 Clinician-Scientist Award, American Heart Association (AHA)
    • 1995 Honorable Mention-Robert G. Siekert Young Investigator Award in Stroke, AHA
    • 1994-1996 Fellowship Career Development Award, National Stroke Association
    • 1993 Resident of the Year, Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai SOM, New York
    • 1993 Bella Trachtenberg/Association of Attending Staff Award for House Staff Excellence, Mount Sinai SOM, New York
    • 1992 Chief Resident, Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai SOM, New York
    • 1984 Alice Moboade Akinyele Memorial Prize in Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
    • 2002-2005 Member, National Institutes of Health- FO1 Fellowship Study Section in Brain Disorders and Clinical Neuroscience
    • 2002-2006 Member, American Heart Association - Brain 1/Stroke Study Group
    • 2004-2009 Member, NINDS Brain Injury and Neurovascular Pathologies ZRG1 BDCN-L (90)
    • 2004 Ad-hoc Reviewer, Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research
    • 2005 Member, Study Section, Bugher Foundation Award, American Heart Association
    • 2007-2008 Chair, Brain 1 Study Section, National American Heart Association
    • 2003-2005 Member, Editorial Board - American Journal of Physiology
    • 2002-2008 Guest Editor - Stroke
    • 2004-Present Member, Editorial Board - Critical Care Medicine
    • 2004-2012 Member, Editorial Board - Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism
    • 2005-2013 Member, Editorial Board - Stroke
    • 2008-Present International Editor, Tzu Chi Medical Journal
    • 2008-Present Member, Editorial Board, Neurocritical Care
    • 2008-Present Member, Editorial Board, Case Reports in Medicine
    • 2009-Present Member, Editorial Board, Translational Stroke Research
    • 2009-Present Member, Editorial Board, Hospital Practice