Bio

Cyan is a physician from Johannesburg, South Africa. She completed a master's in public health with a global health specialization through Kings College London. Her research focused on low-cost innovation in surgical care in low-and-middle-income countries. She is a lifelong Atlantic Institute fellow for health equity and services on the Atlantic Institute governing board. She is interested in global health innovation with a focus on creating more environmentally sustainable and equitable healthcare systems. She is currently a Biodesign Fellow at Stanford.

Honors & Awards

  • Global Health Postdoctoral Affiliate, Centre for global health innovation (25 October 2022)

Stanford Advisors

Contact

  • Academic
    cyanb@stanford.edu
    University - Scholar Department: Bioengineering Position: Postdoctoral Scholar

Additional Info

2023-24 Courses

All Publications

  • Development of an in vitro ventricular shunt material testing model and utility of PEG as antifouling coating. Journal of neurosurgery. Pediatrics Prindeze, N. J., Szeto, S. G., Glaser, N., Brown, C. B., Azagury, D. E., Maher, C. O. 2024: 1-5

    Abstract

    CSF shunts, most commonly the ventriculoperitoneal shunt, remain a first and last line of management for children and adults with hydrocephalus. However, the failure rates of these shunts are extremely high, leaving many patients with the need for revision surgical procedures. The objective of this study was to develop a model to assess the efficacy of a nonfouling ventricular catheter. A second objective was to test polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an antifouling coating.Microglial cells were grown on medical-grade catheter silicone with biofouling simulated by collagen incubation over a range of concentrations from 31 to 103 µg/ml and durations from 2 to 18 hours. After ideal fouling conditions were identified, catheter silicone was then coated with PEG as an antifouling surface, and cell growth on this surface was compared to that on uncoated standard catheter silicone.Collagen biofouling increased cell growth on silicone surfaces with an ideal concentration of 69 µg/ml and incubation of 6 hours. PEG coating of silicone catheter material yielded 70-fold lower cell growth (p < 0.0001), whereas collagen-fouled PEG-coated silicone yielded 157-fold lower cell growth (p < 0.0001).Catheter coating significantly reduced cell growth, particularly in the setting of biofouling. The application of antifouling surfaces to ventricular shunts shows considerable promise for improving efficacy.

    View details for DOI 10.3171/2024.2.PEDS23456

    View details for PubMedID 38669702

  • Environmental sustainability in healthcare systems: role of frugal innovation. BMJ (Clinical research ed.) Brown, C., Bhatti, Y., Harris, M. 2023; 383: e076381

    View details for DOI 10.1136/bmj-2023-076381

    View details for PubMedID 37783474

  • Systematic literature review of the barriers and facilitators of frugal innovation for surgical care in low-income and middle-income countries BMJ INNOVATIONS Brown, C., McDermott, L. 2023

    View details for DOI 10.1136/bmjinnov-2022-001066

    View details for Web of Science ID 001051979200001

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7162-7623