About

Dr. Sobia Khan is a Clinical Associate Professor in Medicine at Stony Brook University, specializing in Nephrology. She completed her fellowship in Nephrology at Stony Brook University Medical Center in 2018 and her residency in General Medicine at Geisinger Health System in 2016. She earned her medical degree from NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013. Dr. Khan is board certified in Nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine since 2019 and in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine since 2016. She practices at Stony Brook Internists - Nephrology in East Setauket, NY, and accepts a variety of insurance plans. Her clinical focus includes adult patients aged 18-65 and older adults over 65, and she communicates fluently in English.

Research topics

• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Clinical psychology
• Biology
• Psychiatry
• Virology
• Psychology
• Intensive care medicine
• Biochemistry
• Biophysics
• Chemistry
• Neuroscience

Selected publications

• ‘One button push’ fully automated PSMA PET quantification: Correlation with progression free and overall survival in patients undergoing [ ¹⁷⁷ Lu] Lu PSMA therapy for metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer.

  Journal of Clinical Oncology · 2025-05-28 · 3 citations

  article

  5054 Background: [ 177 Lu]Lu-PSMA is an effective treatment in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Whole body standardized uptake value (SUV)mean and total tumor volume (PSMA-TTV) are valuable screening biomarkers for 177 Lu-PSMA therapy but require labour intensive semi-quantitative software. This study aims to compare PSMA SUVmean, and PSMA-TTV from fully automated and semi-automated methods of PSMA-PET quantification for predictive and prognostic capability. Methods: Datasets of participants (pts) from ethics approved trials with mCRPC post androgen receptor signaling inhibition and post taxane (or unfit for taxane), treated with [ 177 Lu]Lu-PSMA with a prior screening 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT, and outcome data including PSA progression-free (PSA-PFS) and overall survival (OS) were included. Screening 68 Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT of participants were quantified using MIM LesionID Pro to derive SUVmean and PSMA-TTV with a fully automated quantification process (Method A) and semi-automated quantification adjusted manually for error (Method B). Both methods utilised software that segmented all lesions above SUVmax 3 and a CT-based deep learning method to identify normal organs for automatic physiological uptake removal. SUVmean and PSMA-TTV were evaluated in quartiles. Associations between SUVmean and PSMA-TTV above and below the 75 th percentile (Q4 vs Q1-3) were examined with Kaplan Meier estimates and log-rank tests. Results: Data from 139 pts were analysed, median age 72 years (IQR: 67–77) and median PSA 94 ng/ml (IQR: 34–325). The median time to PSA-PFS (120 events) 5.5 months (95%CI:4–6.0) and OS (82 events) 13.5 months (95%CI:11– 18). With method A (fully automated), SUVmean Q4 was 9.7 and PSMA -TTV Q4 was 1156ml. The corresponding results with method B (manually adjusted) were SUVmean Q4 9.9 and PSMA-TTV Q4 1203ml. Withmethod A, median PSA-PFS for SUVmean Q1-3 was 4.5 (95%CI:3–6) vs 7 months (mo) (95%CI:5–11) for SUVmean Q4 (p=0.003). Median OS for SUVmean Q1-3 was 12.0 (95%CI:10–6) vs 20 mo (95%CI:12.0–NE) for SUVmean Q4 (p=0.011). For PSMA-TTV Q4 vs Q1-3, median OS was 8.5 (95%CI:7 –12.0) vs 18 mo (95%CI: 13–20) (p<0.001). With method B, median PSA-PFS for SUVmean Q1-3 was 4.5 (95%CI:3– 6) vs 7.5 mo (95%CI:5–11) for SUVmean Q4 (p=0.002). Median OS for SUVmean Q1-3 was 13 (95%CI:10–17) vs 20 mo (95%CI:11 – NE) for SUVmean Q4 (p=0.03). For PSMA-TTV Q4 vs Q1-3, median OS was 8.5 (95%CI:7–12) vs 18 mo (95%CI:13 – 20) (p<0.001). Conclusions: PSMA SUVmean and PSMA-TTV with a fully automated quantification method predicted both PSA-PFS and OS in patients undergoing [ 177 Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy. Fully automated vs manually adjusted predictive capability was not different. This is an important step in moving PSMA-PET quantitative biomarkers from research tool to routine clinical care.

  PublisherDOI

• Diagnostic Potential of⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT with Estrogen Receptor– and Progesterone Receptor–Positive Breast Cancer Undergoing Staging or Restaging for Metastatic Disease

  Journal of Nuclear Medicine · 2025-03-27 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT has low sensitivity for estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor (ER/PR)–positive breast cancer. By contrast, gastrin-releasing peptide receptor is overexpressed in ER/PR-positive breast cancer. This study assessed the diagnostic potential of ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT in staging or restaging metastatic ER/PR-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–negative breast cancer. <b>Methods:</b> Patients with ER/PR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer with clinical suspicion for metastatic disease undergoing staging or restaging were prospectively enrolled. All patients underwent ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT, in addition to standard ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT. ER/PR-positive and HER2-negative status was confirmed in prior biopsy samples (primary or metastatic). Conventional imaging (¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT, bone scan, and diagnostic CT) was required within 3 wk of ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT were assessed visually and quantitatively. Visually, all scans were read masked by 2 readers, with a third reader if results were discordant. <b>Results:</b> Twenty patients were enrolled, all with ER/PR-positive and HER2-negative histopathology. Of these, 75% (15/20) had lobular-subtype cancer, 40% (8/20) had suspected metastatic disease at diagnosis, and 60% (12/20) underwent restaging after systemic therapy. Overall, 75% (15/20) of the ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT scans and 65% (13/20) of the ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT scans were positive on visual assessment. For 50% (10/20) of patients, both scans were positive, and for 10% (2/20) of patients, both scans were negative. In the staging group, 75% (6/8) of patients had positive ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT and 50% (4/8) of patients had positive ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT. At restaging, 75% (9/12) of patients had positive ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT and 75% (9/12) of patients had positive ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT. Sites of positive ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT and negative ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT disease were identified in 50% (4/8) of staging patients and 42% (5/12) of restaging patients, whereas negative ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT and positive ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT disease was found in none of the staging patients but 58% (7/12) of the restaging cohort. Of these, 71% (5/7) of patients had a reduction in their ER status in the most recent biopsy samples. Quantitatively, the median SUV_max was higher for ⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT (20.5; interquartile range, 5.8–31.3) than for ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT (7.4; interquartile range, 4.9–9.8). <b>Conclusion:</b>⁶⁸Ga-NeoB PET/CT has diagnostic potential in the staging of ER/PR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer. Further evaluation is warranted.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• LBA16 Giredestrant (GIRE), an oral selective oestrogen receptor (ER) antagonist and degrader, + everolimus (E) in patients (pts) with ER-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer (ER+, HER2– aBC) previously treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor (i): Primary results of the phase III evERA BC trial

  Annals of Oncology · 2025-09-01 · 9 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Impact of Serum Albumin and Dialysis Adequacy (spKt/V) on Pericardial Effusion Size in Patients on Hemodialysis

  Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2025-10-01

  articleSenior author

  Background: Pericardial effusion (fluid accumulation around the heart) is a known complication of advanced kidney disease and can pose significant risks in patients undergoing long-term dialysis. In patients receiving hemodialysis, serum albumin levels andspKt/V, a measure of dialysis adequacy are measured to assess the efficiency of hemodialysis. Low albumin levels, which often reflects malnutrition or inflammation, are linked to increased mortality. whereas, maintaining spKt/V at or above target levels is associated with better patient outcomes and improved survival. Methods: This is a retrospective study which included hemodialysis patients from our institution. Medical records were reviewed over a defined timeline, and 146 charts were screened. Inclusion criteria were: 1) Age ≥18 years, 2) End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) on dialysis, and 3) At least one available echocardiogram with pericardial effusion. A total of 22 patients who met inclusion criteria had serum albumin or spKt/v within 1 month of their echo dates. Echocardiograms (n=60) were manually reviewed, and pericardial effusions were measured in end systole and end diastole in six distinct locations in three different echocardiographic views. Spearman correlations were used to assess the correlation between lab parameters and total effusion size (measured in cm). Results: A total of 30 echocardiograms from 22 patients were analyzed. Patients were mostly male (73%), Caucasian (50%), and 91% were on maintenance hemodialysis. Hypertension was the most common comorbidity. The most common etiology of ESRD was diabetes related. spKt/V (R: 0.212, p = 0.269) showed weak positive, yet non-significant correlation with total effusion size, while albumin (R: -0.237, p = 0.208) showed a weak negative, non-significant correlation with total effusion size, indicating possible bidirectional relationships related to lab parameters. Conclusion: In this study of ESKD patients on hemodialysis, no significant correlations were found between total effusion size and lab parameters. Further studies are needed to explore the prognostic value of effusion characteristics and standardize assessment protocols with larger sample sizes.

  PublisherDOI

• Sarcoidosis Presenting with Isolated Kidney Involvement: A Case of Granulomatous Interstitial Nephritis

  Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2025-10-01

  articleSenior author

  Introduction: Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unclear etiology, most commonly affecting the lungs and lymphatic system. Renal involvement, though less frequent, can manifest with electrolyte disturbances or overt kidney injury. A key mechanism of renal dysfunction is dysregulated calcium metabolism due to extrarenal 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D production by activated macrophages. Here, we present a case of sarcoidosis, initially manifesting as hypercalcemia and acute kidney injury (AKI). Case Description: A 50-year-old male with no past medical history was referred to ED after labs showed hypercalcemia (14.5 mg/dL) and elevated creatinine (3.84 mg/dL; baseline 1.9 mg/dL a year prior). He recently started vitamin D (5000 IU), K2, and magnesium supplements for deficiency. He also reported prior blurry vision in the left eye, treated empirically with steroid eye drops, with symptom resolution. He denied systemic symptoms. Hospital evaluation revealed suppressed PTH (7), elevated ACE (161), PTHrP (3.2), and 1,25 DOH (201.3). CT chest showed diffuse pulmonary nodules with mediastinal and retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Urinalysis and paraproteinemia workup were unremarkable. He was treated with IV fluids, calcitonin, and denosumab, correcting hypercalcemia, but AKI persisted. Kidney biopsy showed noncaseating granulomatous interstitial nephritis, acute tubular injury, 65% interstitial fibrosis, and 40% tubular atrophy; stains for AFB and fungi were negative. Findings were consistent with renal sarcoidosis. Discussion: Renal sarcoidosis is an underrecognized extrapulmonary manifestation, seen in up to 22% of systemic cases. It often presents as GIN and can cause kidney dysfunction if not identified early. In this case, sarcoidosis manifested as AKI and hypercalcemia, without pulmonary symptoms. Prior ocular symptoms were likely granulomatous uveitis—an early clue. Dysregulated 1,25 (OH) D production by granulomatous macrophages increases calcium absorption and causes renal injury. High-dose vitamin D may have unmasked his subclinical disease. While corticosteroids are first-line, chronic injury on biopsy can limit recovery. Sarcoidosis should be considered in unexplained hypercalcemia with renal dysfunction, even without pulmonary signs, as early diagnosis and care are key to preventing irreversible damage.

  PublisherDOI

• Response to Study on Sequential Intrathecal Fentanyl: A Call for Greater Clarity and Rigor

  Journal of Obstetric Anaesthesia and Critical Care · 2025-07-01

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Sir, We read with interest the article titled “A Prospective Randomized Controlled Double Blinded Interventional Study to Compare Post Operative Analgesia Using Sequential Intrathecal Injection of Fentanyl at Different Rates with Hyperbaric Bupivacaine in Lower Segment Caesarean Sections,” by Sabu, Nelwin J.; Kaur et al. published in Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia and Critical Care, 14(1) p, Jan-Jun 2024 54-59. While the findings are noteworthy, we wish to offer some observations and seek clarification on certain methodological aspects. We would like to enumerate our observations as follows: Even though the size of the spinal needle used for intrathecal administration of drugs is cited, details regarding the type of spinal needle used are lacking. A plethora of literature is available regarding the therapeutic benefits and adverse symptoms associated with different types of spinal needles (cutting vs pencil point).[1,2] This information gap could hinder future research on a large scale on a similar topic, as reproducibility will be an issue. Attaching a spinal needle to an insulin syringe is not a standard practice for intrathecal drug administration due to their incompatible fittings, which could lead to the risk of needle detachment and could result in spillage of medications, resulting in insufficient drug dosage delivery. This could influence multiple parameters that are being analyzed in this study. Another ambiguity concerning the assembly of the insulin syringe with spinal needle is the accuracy and effectiveness of cerebrospinal fluid barbotage performed,[3] which is taken as an indicator of the placement of the spinal needle in the precise space needed for intrathecal blockade.[4] Additional clarification is needed for this facet of the methodology implemented for this study. The researcher or clinical staff responsible for recording the time of drug administration was not specified in this study. A designated person needs to record the time of drug administration to ensure consistency, accuracy, and accountability in the data collection process. Precise timing is critical for assessing the drug’s pharmacokinetics, determining its therapeutic effects, and identifying any adverse reactions.[5] Inconsistent or inaccurate recordings can lead to errors in data analysis, potentially skewing the study results and undermining the study’s validity. This study also does not clarify the device used for recording the time of drug administration, which raises concerns about the accuracy and reliability of the recorded data. Full disclosure of all methods and tools used in the study enhances transparency, allowing for a clearer understanding of how the data was collected and interpreted. If issues or discrepancies arise, knowing the tool used can help identify potential sources of error in the data. Visual analog scale (VAS) is used as a preferred method of measuring the pain experienced by the participants. Clarification regarding the person dedicated to the assessment of pain intensity through the VAS score was not noted throughout the study. This raises doubts as to how the data is collected, analyzed, and what measures were taken to minimize bias. This warrants further scrutiny. The absence of a demographic data table was observed. A demographic data table is essential as it provides context for interpreting findings. Without it, it’s challenging to determine if the results apply to all groups or if some perspectives are missing. This might limit the study’s applicability to a larger and diverse population. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.

  PublisherDOI

• Identifying targets for interventions to improve communication between primary and secondary care: a qualitative study of referrals to adult NHS hearing aid services

  Archives of Public Health · 2025-11-26

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Improving communication between NHS primary and secondary care services should reduce inefficiencies, improve patient care, and provide a source of accurate data for audit and research. Using general practice (primary care) and adult hearing aid services (secondary care) as examples, this study aimed to investigate the: (i) information primary care want from secondary care services during referral processes and what information secondary care can provide, (ii) barriers and facilitators for coding and providing this information, and (iii) targets for interventions to improve communication. Qualitative interview study. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary and secondary care staff in North West England, informed by the capabilities, opportunities, and motivations model of behaviour change (COM-B). A thematic analysis with findings mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to identify barriers and facilitators to the recording and communication of hearing health information, as well as behavioural determinants to target in future interventions. Four key TDF domains were identified as potential determinants to target for future interventions: (1) time and resources (e.g., environmental context and resources) are stretched across the two sectors; (2) fatigue, tiredness, and cognitive overload affecting workflow (e.g., memory, attention, and decision processes), particularly adult hearing aid service administration; (3) adult hearing aid services are unaware if their letters are read by general practice, or if the level of information they send is appropriate (e.g., knowledge); and (4) difficulties communicating with general practice and a lack of feedback is causing reduced motivation from adult hearing aid services to make direct contact (e.g., beliefs about consequences). This study identified four theoretically-derived variables that are barriers to communication and record sharing, and highlights how these can be translated into potential interventions (e.g., simplified coding). Further work is required to test interventions developed using behaviour change theory.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Correction to: Bayesian methods: a potential path forward for sepsis trials

  Critical Care · 2024-01-03

  erratumOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparison of Posttherapy 4- and 24-Hour [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT and Pretherapy PSMA PET/CT in Assessment of Disease in Men with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

  Journal of Nuclear Medicine · 2024-10-30 · 11 citations

  articleOpen access

  [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an effective treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT 24 h after injection has shown potential as a response biomarker for [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy but is not convenient for patients. This study investigated 4-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT as an alternative to 24-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT for evaluation of treatment response. <b>Methods:</b> This prospective analysis enrolled 23 patients diagnosed with mCRPC commencing [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-I&amp;T therapy. Two patients were excluded because of incomplete imaging data. Posttherapy SPECT/CT was performed at 4 and 24 h after the first dose and 4 h after the second dose. Baseline [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT and 4- and 24-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT were analyzed both visually and semiquantitatively. Bland–Altman plots assessed agreement of semiquantitative parameters from the 4- and 24-h scans. Quantitative assessment of the change in the total tumor volume (TTV) on the 4-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT after the first and second doses was correlated to patient outcomes. <b>Results:</b> All patients had mCRPC previously treated with an androgen receptor pathway inhibitor, and 11 (52%) received prior taxane chemotherapy. Median age was 78 y, and median prostate-specific antigen level was 54 ng/mL. On visual analysis, disease distribution was unchanged among the 3 imaging methods. Eleven patients (52%) had a median of 1 lesion not identified on 4-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT compared with 24-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT. All missed lesions on the 4-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu SPECT/CT were smaller than 2 cm. Mean differences and agreement between 4- and 24-h SPECT/CT quantitative parameters were within acceptable bounds for lesion number, SUV_max, and SUV_mean, with higher variation observed for TTV. The change in TTV between dose 1 and 2 [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT predicted prostate-specific antigen progression-free survival. <b>Conclusion:</b> [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT at 4 h after injection appears a promising alternative to 24-h [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA SPECT/CT for treatment response assessment, with improved patient convenience.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Engineering PSMA-targeted nanoparticles co-encapsulating mitoxantrone and indocyanine green for precise combinatory therapy in prostate cancer

  Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology · 2024-11-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Prostate cancer is the 2 nd most common cancer in men worldwide. Chemotherapeutic treatment of prostate cancer with mitoxantrone (MTX) has limited efficacy due to severe side effects in which cardiotoxicity and myelosuppression are the two major causes of its dose-limiting toxicity. This study aimed to obtain a poly (lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticle that can precisely deliver MTX to the prostate cancer cells overexpressing the Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) receptor-sparing healthy tissues and co-loading Indocyanine green (ICG) as a fluorescent photothermal/photodynamic agent for precise combinatory therapy in prostate cancer. The biocompatible polymer PLGA was covalently modified with the peptide of sequence (WQPDTAHHWATL) to actively target the PSMA receptor. Factors like the peptide-to-polymer ratio or the peptide's orientation during the polymer's chemical modification were investigated to enhance the active targeting of the nanoparticles (NPs). NPs were characterised using dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-vis spectroscopy to determine their morphological and colloidal properties and optimal MTX and ICG encapsulation efficiency. Quantitative FACS analysis of LNCaP and PC-3 cells incubated with Nile Red-labelled non-targeted PLGA or PLGA-PSMA targeted NPs was assessed to identify the best formulation that bound selectively to PSMA. The orientation of the peptide conjugated to the polymer, which has the C-terminal end of the peptide sequence accessible for interaction with the cell receptor, maximises the targeting capacity of the system. Photothermal experiments using 808 nm near-infrared laser irradiation were conducted, and cytotoxicity was assessed using the resazurin viability assay. Remarkably, our results confirmed the safety and efficacy of a targeted and activatable therapy using polymeric NPs functionalised with the peptide and co-loaded with MTX and ICG. This pioneer nanosystem opens new perspectives for exploring advanced targeted delivery in prostate cancer. It offers a straightforward methodology for functionalising drug delivery systems with bioactive peptides that can be applied to different types of cancer.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Sandeep K. Mallipattu

  10 shared

• Tara Gomes

  Unity Health Toronto

  7 shared

• Nusrat Husain

  University of Manchester

  7 shared

• Craig Rosen

  National Center for PTSD

  6 shared

• Christian Helfrich

  VA Puget Sound Health Care System

  5 shared

• Shannon Wiltsey Stirman

  National Center for PTSD

  5 shared

• James H. MacCabe

  King's College London

  5 shared

• Oliver Howes

  4 shared

Education

• M.D., Medicine

  Stony Brook University School of Medicine

  2000

• B.S., Biology

  Stony Brook University

  1996