Stroke of genius

A revolutionary treatment for stroke, launched in 2017, helped Dr Bhaskar find a way to ‘harvest’ blood clots.

The technique, called endovascular thrombectomy, involves inserting a catheter into the brain and removing the thrombus (blood clot) that’s causing the stroke. It has remarkable outcomes for patients, restoring blood flow within minutes. It must however be performed in a time-critical window, usually within six to eight hours of the onset of a stroke. (Community education has been widespread in recent years that time is critical in the treatment of stroke).

Biobanks are not uncommon in cancer research, Dr Bhaskar said; tumours removed from patients have been stored for decades. The NSW Brain Clot Bank though, is the first of its kind in the world. A second has just been launched in Liverpool, UK.

These banks, Dr Bhaskar is convinced, must have open access, as global testing is critical. “That’s how scientists and medical professionals work, not in silos. Medicine doesn’t differentiate.”

It is an attitude that underscores much of his work. Currently he is part of a number of global health initiatives, such as leading the international consortium Pandemic Health System REsilience PROGRAM (REPROGRAM), formed to champion policy development and advocacy for global pandemic preparedness.

“Experts from 25 countries are involved here to provide evidence-based guidelines for COVID, particularly long COVID, because we need different population perspectives on what the physiological drivers are. It’s going to be an important global health challenge in the future.”

He is also Chair/Co-Manager of the Berlin-based Global Health & Migration n “This is an interesting hypothesis emerging, yes. C oVID hijacks the immune system and possibly also triggers pathways linked to other pathophysiological hypotheses. There is, however, no data set to prove this. we need longitudinal studies, and with heterogenous populations involved. w hat is certain, however, is that C oVID disproportionately affects those of vulnerable backgrounds, through their increased cardiovascular burdens. we’ve always known that outcomes after cancer and stroke are mediated by a postcode. we need to be mindful of social determinants in C oVID as well. That will inform health planning for the future.”

Hub Community, which guides evidencebased policy for migration in Europe, particularly in regard to mental health.

‘Global’ seems to be a term that defines his thinking, suggesting a transnational approach to understanding key issues in health and disease.

“I think we all need to be global citizens, cut out geographical barriers, and think about ourselves as humans first. The work I do as a medical professional, as a scientist, as a humanitarian – is all about community, and community is secular. The idea of diversity describes my ethics.”

Dr Bhaskar came here ten years ago and worked in Newcastle before moving to Sydney. Growing up in a middle-class family with limited resources, he loved participating in science Olympiads and competitions, and won scholarships to study in Spain, Netherlands, and Germany. “I was relentless in the pursuit of science – not only because it would help me raise my quality of life but also directly help people’s lives. My parents taught me that the joy of who we are comes from the difference we can make in people’s lives. And that has remined critical in the work I do.”

His gentle manner of speech and thoughtful conduct seem to give that away, even though they hide the “fire in the belly” that he claims drives him.

“No matter what your background, you can make a difference, as long as you have fire in your belly,” he advised. “The Asian Australian story is emerging in this country, whereas in the US it has matured. The story there with the Indian-origin business leaders, is that they never let early discrimination drag them down. As Indians we are grateful for opportunities; we are keen to make a difference, and passionate about giving back. That spirit itself will make you a leader.”

Kaju katli

PREP 20 mins COOK 35 mins MAKES 22

1 cup natural cashews

200g caster sugar

⅓ tsp ground cardamom

⅓ cup milk

Few drops rosewater (see Tips)

1 tsp ghee

8 sheets edible silver leaf

1 Using a food processor, process cashews and sugar, in batches, to a fine powder. Sieve into a bowl. Process again any larger pieces of cashew and add to bowl. Add cardamom and stir to combine.

2 Place cashew mixture in a large non-stick frying pan with milk and rosewater. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat for 35 minutes or until mixture comes away from side of pan. To test if the mixture is cooked, place ½ teaspoon on a cold plate and wait until safe to touch. Mixture is ready if you can roll it into a ball.

3 Place mixture in the centre of a silicone mat (see Tips). Knead it to smooth out the texture by rolling and folding the edges of the mat over the mixture and putting slight pressure as the mixture is very hot. Be careful as directly touching the mixture can burn your hands. A silicone mat between your palm and dough helps you to knead safely.

4 Flip a stainless steel tray over and spread ghee onto back of tray. Place hot mixture on back of tray, then cover with mat and roll out until 1cm-thick.

5 Decorate with edible silver leaf. Using a large knife and the picture as a guide, cut it into diamond shape sizes. Serve diamonds with any o cuts.

Gulab jamun

PREP 20 mins + 4 hrs 15 mins standing COOK 30 mins MAKES 15

2 cups full-cream milk powder

⅓ cup plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 cup pure cream

2 cups white sugar

3 cardamom pods

Few sa ron threads

4 drops rosewater (see Tips)

Ghee and vegetable oil, to deep-fry

1 Sieve milk powder, flour and baking powder into a large bowl.

2 Gradually add cream, kneading until a so dough forms. If cracks appear, continue kneading or add more cream until dough so ens. Cover dough and stand for 15 minutes.

3 Place sugar, cardamom, sa ron and 2 cups water in a large saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, without stirring, for 10 minutes or until sugar syrup thickens slightly (sugar syrup shouldn’t be very thick). Remove from heat and stir in rosewater.

4 Place enough ghee and oil, in equal parts, in a large wok or saucepan so it comes 5cm up side of pan. Heat over medium-low heat (use a big enough wok as gulab jamun will expand upon frying).

5 Divide dough into 15 portions and roll each into a smooth ball (if there are cracks, the gulab jamun may crack further during frying).

6 Add balls to oil mixture. Using a spatula, keep rotating the oil mixture without touching the balls until balls rise to surface (see Tips). Increase to medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 15 minutes or until balls are golden brown. Remove balls with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel lined tray. Add balls to hot syrup. Cover and stand for 4 hours. Serve.

Tips Traditionally, the recipe is made using kewra water, but rosewater is an adequate substitute. The temperature of the oil mixture is medium-low to start with and this is the most tricky part of the recipe because at this temperature all gulab jamun settle down at the bottom of the wok/saucepan. The rotating technique with a spatula is used to constantly agitate oil in a circular motion without touching the gulab jamun, and once they rise to surface within 1 minute, then increase the heat.