Research Areas:
Dr. Saleh Velez has led multiple research studies evaluating the effects of different non invasive brain stimulation techniques such as Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for motor recovery, autonomic dysfunction, and other post stroke s ymptoms as well as in different neuropsychiatric disorders such as neuropathic pain, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. He has led several quality improvement projects in stroke care, through the creation and validation of screening tools to de termine missed diagnostic opportunities in stroke in the emergency department as well as rapid identification of inpatient strokes in order to improve stroke metrics. Furthermore, his research focuses on assessing neuroimaging
characteristics as well as pa thophysiologic mechanisms that can affect stroke etiology, leading to developing patient driven individualized therapeutic approaches in neurovascular disorders for acute, subacute and chronic phases post stroke. Additionally, he has interest in uncommon e tiologies of stroke, including genetic disorders and cerebrovascular complications in patients with mechanical circulatory assist devices.
Awards:
Dr. Saleh Velez has been recognized in the past among one of 4 ESO young research investigators awards from the European Stroke organization conference in Milan, Italy in 2019. Additionally, he was awarded with the research of the year award at the Arnason’s symposium in 2019 as well as selected the recipient of the resident researcher of the year from the Unive rsity of Chicago Neurology department in 2021. Moreover, he received the Futures in Neurological Research (FiNR) award from the American Academy of Neurology in 2021 as well as a
travel grant from young investigators from LINNC in 2021. He was also part of the team that received the Neurocritical care society 2021 best mentorship project award.
Professional:
He is a member of the American Academy of neurology, the American Heart Association, The society for Neuroscience as well as the World Stroke Organiz ation. He is currently the treasurer for the Society of Neuroscience Oklahoma Chapter and a board member. Moreover, he is a senior blog ambassador for stroke journal from the American Heart association since 2021.
Publications:
Dr. Saleh Velez, has publi shed more than 25 articles and over 30 abstracts. Some of his publications include the demonstration of the effects of SSRIs combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation to enhance motor recovery post stroke. He has presented his research findings at na tional and international conferences and has over 200 citations from his work (google scholar citations). He is member of the editorial review board of Brain Imaging and Stimulation from Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Journal since 2020.
Personal:
He is happily married with his wife Camila B. Pinto, a successful neuroscience PhD with whom he usually shares many of his research projects and collaborations. He recently became a father approximately 7 months ago, which he considers the most rewarding and mos t important of his achievements. He loves traveling and enjoys playing and watching almost any sport.