Bio


Montclair Kimberley Academy, Class of 2010
Harvard College BA in Neurobiology, Class of 2014
Fulbright U.S. Student Program Scholarship to China, 2014-2015
International Chinese Language Program at National Taiwan University, 2016
Stanford School of Medicine (MD Program), graduation Spring 2023
Applicant to Neurology Residency Programs, NRMP Match 2023

Research Projects


  • Measuring Effect of Sleep-Disordered Breathing on Cognition with Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) (MedScholars Project)
  • Neuro-QOL(Quality of Life): Impact of thrombectomy & methods for QOL prediction at 24 hours in late-presenting ischemic stroke (MedScholars Project)
  • Examining quality of life outcomes with endovascular therapy in late-presenting ischemic stroke patients in the DEFUSE 3 trial (MedScholars Project)

All Publications


  • Prospective pilot study of the Three Good Things positive psychology intervention in short-term stay hospitalised patients. Postgraduate medical journal Zehner, N., Polding, L., Faraci Sindra, V., Shieh, L. 2022

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: The 'Three Good Things' (3GT) positive psychology protocol developed at Duke University has been shown to decrease depressive symptoms and emotional exhaustion in healthcare providers. Whether hospitalised patients may also benefit from the 3GT protocol has not previously been explored.OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact and efficacy of the 3GT protocol with hospitalised patients experiencing serious/chronic illness.DESIGN: Patient-level randomised control trial.SETTING: Medical units of an academic, tertiary care medical centre.PATIENTS: 221 adults over the age of 18 years admitted to inpatient wards (intensive care units excluded) at Stanford Hospital between January 2017 and May 2018.INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomised to the 3GT intervention arm or the control arm with no intervention.MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the primary outcomes of improved positivity scores, decreased negativity scores or increased positive-to-negative emotional ratios.CONCLUSIONS: A journal-based application of the 3GT protocol did not result in a statistically significant improvement in patient's emotional health.

    View details for DOI 10.1136/postgradmedj-2021-141010

    View details for PubMedID 35302042

  • Quality of Life in Physical, Social, and Cognitive Domains Improves With Endovascular Therapy in the DEFUSE 3 Trial. Stroke Polding, L. C., Tate, W. J., Mlynash, M. n., Marks, M. P., Heit, J. J., Christensen, S. n., Kemp, S. n., Albers, G. W., Lansberg, M. G. 2021: STROKEAHA120031490

    Abstract

    The DEFUSE 3 (Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke 3) randomized clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of endovascular therapy in treating ischemic stroke 6 to 16 hours after onset, resulting in better functional outcomes than standard medical therapy alone. The objective of this secondary analysis is to analyze the effect of late-window endovascular treatment of ischemic stroke on quality of life (QoL) outcomes.Patients (n=182) who presented between 6 and 16 hours after they were last known to be well with acute anterior circulation ischemic stroke were randomized to endovascular thrombectomy plus standard medical therapy or standard medical therapy alone and followed-up through 90 days poststroke. QoL at day 90 was assessed with the QoL in Neurological Disorders measurement tool.Of the 146 subjects alive at day 90, 136 (95%) filled out QoL in Neurological Disorders short forms. Patients treated with endovascular therapy had better QoL scores in each domain: mobility, social participation, cognitive function, and depression (P<0.01 for all). Variables other than endovascular therapy that were independently associated with better QoL included lower baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, younger age, and male sex. The degree to which the modified Rankin Scale captures differences in QoL between patients varied by domain; the modified Rankin Scale score accounted for a high proportion of the variability in mobility (Rs2=0.82), a moderate proportion in social participation (Rs2=0.62), and a low proportion in cognition (Rs2=0.31) and depression (Rs2=0.19).Patients treated with endovascular therapy 6 to 16 hours after stroke have better QoL than patients treated with medical therapy alone, including better mobility, more social participation, superior cognition, and less depression. The modified Rankin Scale fails to capture patients' outcomes in cognition and depression, which should therefore be assessed with dedicated QoL tools.URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02586415.

    View details for DOI 10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.031490

    View details for PubMedID 33596675

  • Predictors of Early and Late Infarct Growth in DEFUSE 3. Frontiers in neurology Tate, W. J., Polding, L. C., Christensen, S., Mlynash, M., Kemp, S., Heit, J. J., Marks, M. P., Albers, G. W., Lansberg, M. G. 2021; 12: 699153

    Abstract

    Introduction: The goal of this study is to explore the impact of reperfusion and collateral status on infarct growth in the early and late time windows. Materials and Methods: Seventy patients from the DEFUSE 3 trial (Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke) with baseline, 24-h, and late follow-up scans were evaluated. Scans were taken with DWI or CTP at time of enrollment (Baseline), with DWI or CT 24-h after enrollment (24-h), and with DWI or CT 5 days after enrollment (Late). Early infarct growth (between baseline and 24-h scans) and late infarct growth (between 24-h and late scans) was assessed for each patient. The impact of collateral and reperfusion status on infarct growth was assessed in univariate and multivariate regression. Results: The median early infarct growth was 30.3 ml (IQR 16.4-74.5) and the median late infarct growth was 6.7 ml (IQR -3.5-21.6) in the overall sample. Patients with poor collaterals showed greater early infarct growth (Median 58.5 ml; IQR 18.6-125.6) compared to patients with good collaterals (Median 28.4 ml; IQR 15.8-49.3, unadjusted p = 0.04, adjusted p = 0.06) but showed no difference in late infarct growth. In contrast, patients who reperfused showed no reduction in early infarct growth but showed reduced late infarct growth (Median 1.9 ml; IQR -6.1-8.5) compared to patients without reperfusion (Median 11.2 ml; IQR -1.1-27.2, unadjusted p < 0.01, adjusted p = 0.04). Discussion: In the DEFUSE 3 population, poor collaterals predict early infarct growth and absence of reperfusion predicts late infarct growth. These results highlight the need for timely reperfusion therapy, particularly in patients with poor collaterals and indicate that the 24-h timepoint is too early to assess the full impact of reperfusion therapy on infarct growth. Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, Unique identifier [NCT02586415].

    View details for DOI 10.3389/fneur.2021.699153

    View details for PubMedID 34276547

  • High detection rate and low efficacy in controlling high blood pressure (≥130/80 mmHg) in the community-based health screening: results from KDSAP. European journal of preventive cardiology Jiang, M., Zhuo, M., Mothi, S. S., Song, R., Polding, L. C., Li, J., Cho, A., Hsiao, L. 2020

    View details for DOI 10.1093/eurjpc/zwaa085

    View details for PubMedID 33624035

  • High Prevalence and Low Awareness of Albuminuria in the Community Setting in the KDSAP. Kidney international reports Zhuo, M., Jiang, M., Song, R., Mothi, S. S., Bellou, S., Polding, L. C., Li, J., Cho, A., Hsiao, L. 2020; 5 (4): 475–84

    Abstract

    Introduction: Albuminuria is a sign of kidney disease and associated with adverse outcomes. However, most individuals with albuminuria are unaware of it. The Kidney Disease Screening and Awareness Program (KDSAP) aims for early detection and raising awareness of albuminuria, targeting underserved populations in communities. This study will assess the prevalence and awareness of albuminuria and identify associated risk factors among KDSAP participants.Methods: KDSAP participants≥18 years old without a history of dialysis or kidney transplant were included. Albuminuria was identified by dipstick urinalysis. Individuals with albuminuria who answered yes to either of the following 2 questions were defined as being aware: (i) Have you ever had protein in the urine? (ii) Do you have kidney disease?Results: Among 2304 participants, 461 (20.0%) had albuminuria: 16.3% with trace or 1+ (low degree) and 3.7% with 2+ or more (high degree). Correlating factors of albuminuria included young age, male sex, African American descent, self-reported diabetes, hypertension, family history of kidney disease, and smoking. Overall albuminuria awareness was 15.8%, but awareness inversely correlated to younger age groups: 7.0% for ages 18-39 years, 13.5% for ages 40-59 years, and 24.0% for ages≥60 years (P< 0.001). A high degree of albuminuria (vs. low, odds ratio: 5.04, P< 0.001) and concurrent hematuria (odds ratio: 2.12, P=0.024) were both associated with higher awareness; conversely, risk factors for low awareness included African American and better self-assessments of health.Conclusions: There was a high albuminuria prevalence among KDSAP participants, yet low awareness. KDSAP can potentially be a useful model for detecting albuminuria and raising awareness in communities.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.ekir.2019.12.011

    View details for PubMedID 32280843

  • Thrombectomy Results in Reduced Hospital Stay, More Home-Time, and More Favorable Living Situations in DEFUSE 3. Stroke Tate, W. J., Polding, L. C., Kemp, S., Mlynash, M., Heit, J. J., Marks, M. P., Albers, G. W., Lansberg, M. G. 2019: STROKEAHA119025165

    Abstract

    Background and Purpose- The DEFUSE 3 trial (Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke) demonstrated that endovascular thrombectomy in the 6- to 16-hour time window improves functional outcomes of patients with evidence of salvageable tissue on baseline computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of endovascular therapy on length of hospital stay, home-time during the first 3 months poststroke, and living situation poststroke in DEFUSE 3. Methods- Duration of hospital stay and home-time (number of days during the 90-day poststroke period that the patient resides in their own home or in that of a relative) were compared between treatment groups using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Patient living situation was assessed at discharge, 30 days, and 90 days on an ordinal 4-point scale (home, acute rehabilitation unit, institutionalized care, or hospice/death) and differences between groups were analyzed using the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Results- Median length of hospital stay was 9.1 (interquartile range, 6.2-15.0) days in the medical group versus 6.5 (interquartile range, 3.7-9.3) days in the endovascular group ( P<0.001). Median home-time during the first 90 days after stroke was 0 (interquartile range, 0-53) days in the medical group versus 55 (interquartile range, 0-83) days in the endovascular group ( P<0.001). The endovascular group had more favorable living situations at time of discharge ( P<0.001), 30 days ( P<0.001), and 90 days ( P<0.001) poststroke. Conclusions- Endovascular thrombectomy resulted in reduced hospital stay, more home-time, and more desirable living situations in the 90 days after stroke. These results provide evidence that endovascular therapy in the delayed time window can improve quality of life for stroke patients and reduce healthcare costs. Clinical Trial Registration- URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02586415.

    View details for DOI 10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.025165

    View details for PubMedID 31288666

  • Thrombectomy Results in Reduced Hospital Stay, More Time at Home, and More Favorable Living Situations for Patients in the DEFUSE 3 Trial. Tate, W. J., Polding, L. C., Kemp, S., Mlynash, M., Heit, J. J., Marks, M. P., Albers, G. W., Lansberg, M. G. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2019
  • Improved Quality of Life With Endovascular Therapy in the DEFUSE 3 Trial Polding, L. C., Tate, W. J., Mlynash, M., Marks, M. P., Heit, J. J., Kemp, S., Albers, G. W., Lansberg, M. G. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2019
  • Later Imaging More Accurately Captures Infarct Growth in DEFUSE 3 Tate, W. J., Polding, L. C., Christensen, S., Mlynash, M., Heit, J. J., Marks, M. M., Albers, G. W., Lansberg, M. G. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2019
  • Correlation between Modified Rankin Scale and Quality of Life in DEFUSE 3 Polding, L. C., Tate, W. J., Mlynash, M., Marks, M. P., Heit, J. J., Kemp, S., Albers, G. W., Lansberg, M. G. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS. 2019