Colin D. McKnight, M.D.

Colin D. McKnight, M.D., is a neuroradiologist and the Vanderbilt Radiology Vice Chair of Clinical Operations. He joined the VUMC faculty in 2016 and previously served as Medical Director of Inpatient Radiology for Vanderbilt University Hospital. 

Dr. McKnight graduated from Duke University in 2004 where he studied biology, economics and chemistry, graduating with distinction. He subsequently received an NIH intramural research training award where he conducted neurogenetics research. He attended Oregon Health and Sciences University where he obtained his M.D., graduated cum laude and received Alpha Omega Alpha membership.

Dr. McKnight conducted his diagnostic radiology and neuroradiology fellowship at the University of Michigan, where he received awards for Outstanding House Officer Research Excellence in 2014, the Radiological Society of North America Fellowship grant in 2015 and the Roentgen Research Award in 2016.

Dr. McKnight has focused his research efforts on advanced imaging pertaining to the glympatic system (Glial Lymphatic) which is a collection of emerging concepts pertaining to how cerebrospinal fluid functions to clear central nervous system waste products. He received the 2021 Radiological Society of North America Research Scholar Award and has conducted research on several lines of investigation, including numerous NIH RO1 and Department of Defense efforts. 

Dr. McKnight has served on the Vanderbilt Radiology Resident Selection Committee and the Department of Radiology Amplifying innovation Committee. He is a member of the International Hydrocephalus Imaging Working Group, the Radiological Society of North America, the America Society of Neuroradiologists and the Association of University Radiologists.

Selected Publications: 

Pierobon Mays G, Hett K, Eisma J, McKnight CD, Elenberger J, Song AK, Considine C, Richerson WT, Han C, Stark A, Claassen DO, Donahue MJ. Reduced cerebrospinal fluid motion in patients with Parkinson's disease revealed by magnetic resonance imaging with low b-value diffusion weighted imaging. Fluids Barriers CNS. 2024 May 9;21(1):40. doi: 10.1186/s12987-024-00542-8.PMID: 38725029

Eisma JJ, McKnight CD, Hett K, Elenberger J, Han CJ, Song AK, Considine C, Claassen DO, Donahue MJ. Deep learning segmentation of the choroid plexus from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): validation and normative ranges across the adult lifespan. Fluids Barriers CNS. 2024 Feb 29;21(1):21. doi: 10.1186/s12987-024-00525-9. PMID: 38424598; PMCID: PMC10903155.

Hett K, McKnight CD, Leguizamon M, Lindsey JS, Eisma JJ, Elenberger J, Stark AJ, Song AK, Aumann M, Considine CM, Claassen DO, Donahue MJ. Deep learning segmentation of peri-sinus structures from structural magnetic resonance imaging: validation and normative ranges across the adult lifespan. Fluids Barriers CNS. 2024 Feb 13;21(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s12987-024-00516-w. PMID: 38350930.

Lawless RD*, McKnight CD*, O’grady KP, Combes AJ, Rogers BP, Witt AA, Visagie M, Houston DC, Prock LE, Bagnato FR, Smith SA. Detecting macromolecular changes of the CSF in low disability multiple sclerosis using quantitative MT MRI at 3T. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2023 Oct-Dec;9(4):20552173231211396. doi: 10.1177/20552173231211396. eCollection 2023 Oct-Dec. PubMed PMID: 38021451; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10644741.

Song AK, Hett K, Eisma JJ, McKnight CD, Elenberger J, Stark AJ, Kang H, Yan Y, Considine CM, Donahue MJ, Claassen DO. Parasagittal dural space hypertrophy and amyloid-β deposition in Alzheimer's disease. Brain Commun. 2023;5(3):fcad128. Published 2023 Apr 18. doi:10.1093/braincomms/fcad128 PMC10152899

Eisma JJ, McKnight CD, Hett K, et al. Choroid plexus perfusion and bulk cerebrospinal fluid flow across the adult lifespan. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2023;43(2):269-280. doi:10.1177/0271678X221129101 PMC9903224

Devan SP, Jiang X, Kang H, Luo G, Xie J, Zu Z, Stokes AM, Gore JC, McKnight CD, Kirschner AN, Xu J. Devan SP, Jiang X, Kang H, et al. Towards differentiation of brain tumor from radiation necrosis using multi-parametric MRI: Preliminary results at 4.7 T using rodent models. Magn Reson Imaging. 2022;94:144-150. doi:10.1016/j.mri.2022.10.002 PMC10167709

Devan SP, Jiang X, Luo G, Xie J, Quirk JD, Engelbach JA, Harmsen H, McKinley ET, Cui J, Zu Z, Attia A, Garbow JR, Gore JC, McKnight CD, Kirschner AN, Xu J. Selective Cell Size MRI Differentiates Brain Tumors from Radiation Necrosis. Cancer Res. 2022;82(19):3603-3613. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-2929 PMC9532360

Hett K, McKnight CD, Eisma JJ, et al. Parasagittal dural space and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow across the lifespan in healthy adults. Fluids Barriers CNS. 2022;19(1):24. Published 2022 Mar 21. doi:10.1186/s12987-022-00320-4 PMC8935696

McKnight CD, Trujillo P, Lopez AM, et al. Diffusion along perivascular spaces reveals evidence supportive of glymphatic function impairment in Parkinson disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2021;89:98-104. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2021.06.004 PMC8429254

Schilling KG, Rheault F… McKnight CD… et al. Tractography dissection variability: what happens when 42 groups dissect 14 white matter bundles on the same dataset?. Neuroimage. 2021;243:118502. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118502 PMC8855321

Johnson SE, McKnight CD, Jordan LC, et al. Choroid plexus perfusion in sickle cell disease and moyamoya vasculopathy: Implications for glymphatic flow. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2021;41(10):2699-2711. doi:10.1177/0271678X211010731. PMC8504961

McKnight CD, Rouleau RM, Donahue MJ, Claassen DO. The Regulation of Cerebral Spinal Fluid Flow and Its Relevance to the Glymphatic System. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2020;20(12):58. Published 2020 Oct 19. doi:10.1007/s11910-020-01077-9 PMC7864223

Johnson SE, McKnight CD, Lants SK, et al. Choroid plexus perfusion and intracranial cerebrospinal fluid changes after angiogenesis. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2020;40(8):1658-1671. doi:10.1177/0271678X19872563. PMC7370367 

McKnight CD, Parmar HA, Watcharotone K, Mukherji SK. Reassessing the Anatomic Origin of the Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2017;41(4):559-564. doi:10.1097/RCT.0000000000000566 PMID: 28632604

McKnight CD, Glastonbury CM, Ibrahim M, Rivas-Rodriguez F, Srinivasan A. Techniques and Approaches for Safe, High-Yield CT-Guided Suprahyoid Head and Neck Biopsies. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2017;208(1):76-83. doi:10.2214/AJR.16.16558 PMID: 27657741

McKnight CD, Watcharotone K, Ibrahim M, Christodoulou E, Baer AH, Parmar HA. Adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction: reducing dose while preserving image quality in the pediatric head CT examination. Pediatr Radiol. 2014;44(8):997-1003. doi:10.1007/s00247-014-2943-y PMID: 24696285