Anushka Acharya

2026 Next Generation Scientists Travel Award

Anushka Acharya

Medical Student at Howard University

Project Title: Initial Results from SCEMPI: An Early Phase Clinical Trial for Neurorepair with High Dose Melatonin and Erythropoietin for Very Preterm Infants with IVH

Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a serious brain bleed that can occur in premature babies and lead to hydrocephalus, a condition in which fluid builds up in the brain. Many infants with hydrocephalus require surgical shunts to drain this fluid, but shunts can fail over time and require repeated surgeries. Developing treatments that protect the brain and reduce complications is therefore an important goal.

In this study, researchers tested the safety of combining two naturally occurring hormones – erythropoietin (EPO) and melatonin – in very preterm infants with IVH. Premature babies often have low melatonin levels, which may limit the protective effects of EPO on the developing brain.

Our early results suggest that this treatment is safe and may influence biological markers of brain injury and recovery. These findings may help guide future therapies to improve brain development and reduce hydrocephalus-related complications.