Digvijaya Navalkele, M.D., MPH

Dr. Navalkele, or “Dr. Digs” is currently Co-Director of Neurology and the Stroke Service at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, and Stroke Director at New Orleans East Hospital.  She also serves as the Louisiana Emergency Response Network [LERN] Stroke Champion for Region 3.  Dr. Digs earned her medical degree at Grant Medical College in India.  She completed residency training in Neurology at University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas and fellowship training in Vascular Neurology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston. Before beginning her current position, she served as Assistant Professor of Neurology and Director Neuroscience Course for second year medical students at the Tulane University School of Medicine.  Dr. Digs has mentored and supervised medical students, resident physicians, and allied health professionals. She has published research articles, and presented at scientific conferences in her area of clinical research. Her clinical and research practice focus on stroke diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and public education. 

Selected Publications

  1. Navalkele D, Boehme A, Albright K, Leissinger C, Schluter L, Freeman M, Drury S, Khoury RE, Beasley TM, Martin-Schild S. Factor VIII in Acute Cerebral Ischemia Pilot Study: Biomarker in Patients With Large Vessel Occlusion? Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2018 Jan 1:1076029618781045. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29895187.
  2. Montalvo M, Tadi P, Merkler A, Gialdini G, Martin-Schild S, Navalkele D, Samai A, Nouh A, Hussain M, Goldblatt S, Hemendinger M, Chu A, Song C, Kamel H, Furie KL, Yaghi S. PR Interval Prolongation and Cryptogenic Stroke: A Multicenter Retrospective Study. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2017 Oct;26(10):2416-2420. PubMed PMID: 28666806.
  3. Kim JT, Fonarow GC, Smith EE, Reeves MJ, Navalkele DD, Grotta JC, Grau-Sepulveda MV, Hernandez AF, Peterson ED, Schwamm LH, Saver JL. Treatment With Tissue Plasminogen Activator in the Golden Hour and the Shape of the 4.5-Hour Time-Benefit Curve in the National United States Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Population. Circulation. 2017 Jan 10;135(2):128-139. PubMed PMID: 27815374.
  4. Barreto AD, Fanale CV, Alexandrov AV, Gaffney KC, Vahidy FS, Nguyen CB, Sarraj A, Rahbar M, Grotta JC, Savitz SI; Wake-Up Stroke Investigators. Prospective, open-label safety study of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in wake-up stroke. Ann Neurol. 2016 Aug;80(2):211-8. PubMed PMID: 27273860.
  5. Navalkele DD, Cai C, Vahidy F, Rahbar MH, Pandurengan R, Wu TC, Sarraj A, Barreto A, Grotta JC, Gonzales N. Higher prehospital blood pressure prolongs door to needle thrombolysis times: a target for quality improvement? Am J Emerg Med. 2016 Jul;34(7):1268-72. PubMed PMID: 27139258.
  6. Navalkele DD, Barlinn K, Minagar A, Chernyshev OY. Exploration of screening practices for obstructive sleep apnea in stroke medical community: A pilot study. Pathophysiology. 2016 Jun;23(2):105-9. PubMed PMID: 27129398.
  7. Bowry R, Navalkele DD, Gonzales NR. Blood pressure management in stroke: Five new things. Neurol Clin Pract. 2014 Oct;4(5):419-426. PubMed PMID: 25317377; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4196458.
  8. Alderazi YJ, Barot NV, Peng H, Vahidy FS, Navalkele DD, Sangha N, Misra V, Savitz SI. Clotting factors to treat thrombolysis-related symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in acute ischemic stroke. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2014 Mar;23(3):e207-14. PubMed PMID: 24321775; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3959230.
  9. Navalkele DD, Georgescu MM, Burns DK, Greenberg T, Vernino S. Progressive leg pain and weakness. JAMA Neurol. 2013 Apr;70(4):510-4. PubMed PMID: 23440264.
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