Education
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University
B.S. in Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Dallas
abf76@cornell.edu | Twitter: @Khancepts_
Research
Alikhan is a fifth year Ph.D. candidate working to engineer bioactive therapies for degenerative disc disease. He recently validated a round of tissue engineered IVD constructs in a clinically relevant large animal model for total disc replacement. Alikhan is now working to evaluate the efficacy of autologous bone marrow aspirate as a therapy for disc degeneration.
Publications
- A. B. Fidai, B. Kim, M. Lintz, et al., “Flexible support material maintains disc height and supports the formation of hydrated tissue engineered intervertebral discs in vivo,” JOR Spine., vol. 7, no. 3, 2024
- A. Siddiqui, A. B. Fidai, S. G. Natarajan, and D. C. Rodrigues, “Succession of oral bacterial colonizers on dental implant materials: An in vitro biofilm model,” Dent. Mater., vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 384–396, 2022.
- A. Siddiqui, J. J. Jacob, A. B. Fidai, and D. C. Rodrigues, “Biological characterization of surface-treated dental implant materials in contact with mammalian host and bacterial cells: titanium versus zirconia,” RSC Adv., vol. 9, no. 55, pp. 32097–32109, 2019.
Posters and Presentations
- Fidai et al. “Flexible Support Material Maintains Disc Height and Supports the Formation of Hydrated Tissue Engineered Intervertebral Discs,” Global Spine Congress, Bangkok, Thailand, May 2024 (podium)
- Fidai et al. “Intradiscal Injections of Autologous Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Increase Disc Hydration and Reduce Patient Reported Disability and Pain,” Orthopaedic Research Society, Long Beach, CA, Feb 2024 (poster)
- Fidai et al.“Structural Characterization of Tissue Engineered Intervertebral Discs and Mechanical Characterization of Flexible Support Materials,” Orthopaedic Research Society Spine Section Conference, Skytop, PA, November 2022 (poster)
Honors and Awards
- ORS Spine Section Poster Award Finalist
- Weill Cornell Medicine Clinical and Translational Science Center Fellow
- Graduate Resident Fellow at Alice Cook House
- Cornell University Dean’s Excellence Fellowship
Personal
Alikhan grew up in Palatine, Illinois before moving to Dallas for his undergraduate studies. At UT Dallas, Alikhan participated in the NSF LSAMP Summer Research Academy where he assessed the biocompatibility of dental biomaterials via bacterial adhesion and cell culture studies. Alikhan continued his research as a member of the Biomaterials for Osseointegration and Novel Engineering (BONE) lab. At Cornell, Alikhan is a Graduate Resident Fellow for Alice Cook House where he supports the social, intellectual, and emotional well-being of undergraduate residents. In his free time, Alikhan enjoys hiking, music festivals, playing video games, and floating out on Cayuga Lake.
