Alethiah Research Advisor
Clinical Professor & Director of Regional Anesthesia & Acute Pain Service at University of Texas Medical Branch
*retired in 2017
Researcher at HD Research
Houston, TX
Daneshvari Solanki, M.D., is a recognized international expert in regional anesthesia who was a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, as well as an integral developer of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Pain Medicine services. In 2017, after 39 years of dedication, Dr. Solanki retired from UTMB, continuing, however, to be a loyal contributor to medical research.
In 1995, Dr. Solanki established the Interventional Pain Service (IPS) at UTMB, under the direction of Dr. Donald S. Prough, the Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology. The IPS initially included interventional strategies to treat patients with neuropathic pain conditions, including Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), which was later renamed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Dr. Solanki’s interest in CRPS sparked consultations for the performance of Stellate Ganglion Blocks, Bier Blocks and Ketamine Infusions.
What started as a small project to better serve the chronic pain care needs of UTMB’s patients quickly exploded into a busy pain practice. The Pain Fellowship was officially accredited just two years later, and today (winter 2018) has eight dedicated pain faculty members with three fellows per year and 50 alumni graduates, who are excelling all over the country in a variety of academic and private practice environments.
As UTMB’s Director of Regional Anesthesia, Dr. Solanki also helped provide post-operative pain control for adults. She developed the Texas Society of Anesthesiology Regional Anesthesia Workshop, which is now coordinated by the current Pain Fellowship Program Director at UTMB, Dr. Erik Hustak.
A respected professor and mentor, Dr. Solanki he has been acknowledged for training more than 500 residents and more than 40 pain fellows. Her love for teaching is evident; she is the recipient of numerous teaching awards and continues to set a high standard for her trainees with her commitment to excellence.
While Dr. Solanki retired from UTMB to spend more time with her grandchildren, she has continued her research endeavors. Dr. Solanki currently conducts clinical trials with the HD Research Group, in pursuit of effective treatments.
In January 2019, Dr. Solanki also joined Alethiah as Chief Research Officer. With her extensive background in Pain Management, Dr. Solanki sees great potential in the medical benefits of cannabinoids and believes in helping Alethiah push forward its research and clinical trials.