Claassen Lab

Claassen Lab graph

Location and Contact Information

Milstein Hospital Building
177 Fort Washington Avenue
8th floor
New York, NY 10032
United States
Open location in Google Maps

Principal Investigator

  • Jan Claassen, MD, FNCS

    Profile Headshot
    • Medical Director, Neurological Intensive Care Unit
    • Chief, Division of Critical Care & Hospitalist Neurology

Mission

Our mission is to develop accurate predictions of outcomes and to support the recovery process of unconscious critically ill patients. Applying machine learning algorithms, we focus on detecting covert consciousness in electrophysiological and imaging data of unresponsive patients and build prediction tools based on advanced statistical modeling. We aim to support the recovery process with innovative technology and work on brain computer interfaces to support communication with these patients.

Ongoing projects include:

  • Unconscious patients with severe acute brain injury
    • Prognosticating short and long-term outcomes
    • Insights into the mechanisms underlying overt and covert consciousness using functional MRI and task-based  EEG
    • Investigating novel stimulation paradigms such as storytelling, music, and event-related potentials to understand brain function in unresponsive appearing patients
    • Treatments to support the recovery of consciousness
  • Technology development
    • Democratizing access to novel assessment tools of patients with impaired consciousness
    • Brain computer interface development to connect to unresponsive appearing patients
  • Outcome expectations and technology acceptance in patients, families, and health care workers

News feature:

A Physician’s Journey into the Minds of Coma Patients by David J. Craig

HEALTH & MEDICINE
By David J. Craig

A Physician’s Journey into the Minds of Coma Patients

In studying people with severe brain injuries, Columbia neurologist Jan Claassen hopes to better identify those likely to regain consciousness. [read more]

Publications

For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov

Some People Who Appear to Be in a Coma May Actually Be Conscious. Scientific American 2022

‘It’s Gigantic’: A New Way to Gauge the Chances for Unresponsive Patients. New York Times. 2019

Donations

To make a donation, please contact:

Matthew Reals
Senior Director of Development
646-761-0915
mr3134@cumc.columbia.edu 

Donation by Check

Please make payable to Trustees of Columbia University, indicate Dr. Claassen's research on the memo line, and mail to:

Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Office of Development
Attn: Matthew Reals
516 West 168th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10032

Online Donation
To make your donation by credit card, please follow this link.

Alumni

  • Jerina Carmona, MPH
  • Satoshi Egawa, MD
  • Gregory Heinonen, MD
  • Lorenzo Casertano, PhD
  • Elizabeth Carroll, MD 
  • Itamar Niesvizky-Kogan, MD
  • Joshua Kahan, MD

  • ​​​​Lucie Kruger, BS

  • Adu Mattory, BA

  • Andrey Eliseyev, PhD

  • Athina Vrosgou, MSc

  • Ayham Alkhachroum, MD

  • Benjamin Rohaut, MD, PhD

  • Brian Fidale, MD

  • Caroline Der Nigoghossian, PharmD

  • Eva Franzova, MD

  • Greer Waldrop, MD

  • Hans Peter Frey, PhD

  • Jennifer Egbebike, BA

  • Kevin Doyle, BA

  • Laruen Grobois, BA

  • Lizbeth Cespedes BSN, RN

  • Lucy Paniker, PA

  • Mariam Yazdl, RN

  • Wei-Ting Chiu, MD

Lab Members

  • Ángela G. Velázquez

    • Assistant Director, Clinical Research
    Angela Velazquez, MD

  • Qi Shen, PhD

    • Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Neurology; Data scientist and biostatistician
    Qi Shen, PhD

  • Sweta Patel, PA

    • Physician Assistant
    Patel Sweta

  • Ian J. Gonzalez, REEGT

    • Neurophysiology Technician

  • Vedant B. Kansara, MSc

    • Data Coordinator
    Vedant Kansara, MSc

  • Sandy Song, BS

    • Clinical Research Coordinator
    Sandy Song, BS

  • Alex J. Klein

    • Intern in Medicine
    Alex Klein

  • Rebecca L. Tom, MD

    • Neurology Resident
    Rebecca Tom, MD

  • Justin Esposito, MD

    • Neurology Resident
    Justin Esposito, MD

  • Bert Vancura, MD, PhD

    • Neurology Resident
    Bert Vancura, MD, PhD

  • Amy B. Cami, MD

    • Clinical Research Coordinator
    Amy Cami

  • Joel Neves Briard, MD, MSc

    • Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Joel Neves Briard

  • Samvrit Vasudev Rao

    • Columbia College Student
    Samvrit Vasudev Rao