Dan Colvin, Ph.D.

Daniel
Colvin
Ph.D
Sr. Imaging Research Staff Scientist
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science
(615)322-4011

Colvin DC, Does MD, Yue Z, Quarles C, Yankeelov TE, Gore JC. New Insights into Tumor Microstructure with Temporal Diffusion Spectroscopy. Cancer Res 2008; 68:5941-47.

Gore JC, Xu J, Colvin DC, Yankeelov TE, Parsons EC, Does MD. Characterization of tissue structure at varying length scales using temporal diffusion spectroscopy. NMR Biomed. 2010 Aug; 23(7):745-56. Review

Colvin DC, Loveless ME, Does MD, Yue Z, Yankeelov TE, Gore JC. Earlier detection of tumor treatment response using magnetic resonance diffusion imaging with oscillating gradients. Magn Reson Imaging. 2011 Apr; 29(3):315-23.

Atuegwu NC, Colvin DC, Loveless ME, Xu L, Gore JC, Yankeelov TE. Incorporation of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data into a simple mathematical model of tumor growth. Phys Med Biol. 2011 Dec 7;57(1):225-240.

Attia AS, Schroeder KA, Wilson KJ, Seeley EH, Hammer ND, Colvin DC, Manier ML, Nicklay JJ, Rose KL, Gore JC, Caprioli RM, Skaar EP. Monitoring the inflammatory response to infection through the integration of MALDI IMS and MRI. Cell Host Microbe 2012 Jun 14;11(6): 664-73

daniel.colvin@vumc.org

My interests include the development of novel magnetic resonance imaging techniques for preclinical and translational research, with applications ranging from lung cancer to brain cancer to staph infection to stroke.

My work at the VUIIS involves collaborating with scientific investigators in developing magnetic resonance imaging protocols for use in preclinical and translational research, as well as assisting in the management of the magnetic resonance imaging resources within our facility. My daily activities range from programming, testing, and optimizing novel imaging pulse sequences, to acquisition and analysis of MRI data, to providing technical support for collaborators both within the VUIIS and the Vanderbilt medical research community.

Yiu-Yin Cheung

Yiu-Yin
Cheung
Ph.D
Radiochemist III
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science
Phone
(615)343-8392

Cheung, Y. Y.; Yu, H; Xu, K; Zou, B; Wu, M; McManus, O. B.; Li, M; Lindsley, C. W.; Hopkins, C. R. "Discovery of a Series of 2-Phenyl-N-(2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)phenyl)acetamides as Novel Molecular Switches that Modulate Modes of Kv7.2 (KCNQ2) Channel Pharmacology: Identification of (S)-2-Phenyl-N-(2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)phenyl)butanamide (ML252) as a Potent, Brain Penetrant Kv7.2 Channel Inhibitor," J. Med. Chem., 2012, 55, 6975-6979.

Melancon, B. J.; Utley, T. J.; Sevel, C; Mattman, M. E.; Cheung, Y. Y.; Bridges, T. M.; Morrison, R. D.; Sheffler, D. J.; Niswender, C. M.; Daniels, J. S.; Conn, P. J.; Lindsley, C. W.; Wood, M. R. "Development of novel M1 antagonist scaffolds through the continued optimization of the MLPCN probe ML012," Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2012, 22, 5053-5040.

Allard, M; Barnes, K; Chen, X; Cheung, Y. Y., Duff, B; Heap, C; Inthavongsay, J; Johnson, M; Krishnamoorthy, R; Manley, C; Steffke, S; Varughese, D; Wang, R; Wang , Y; Schwartz, C. E. "Total synthesis of Resolvin E1," Tetrahedron Lett. 2011, 52, 2023-2626

Cheung, Y. Y.; Zamorano, R; Blobaum, A. L.; Weaver, C. D.; Conn, P. J.; Lindsley, C. W.; Niswender, C. M.; Hopkins, C. R. "Solution-Phase Parallel Synthesis and SAR of Homopiperazinyl Analogs as Positive Allosteric Modulators of mGlu4," ACS Combi. Sci. 2011, 13, 159-165

Mader, M. M.; Shih, C.; Considine, E.; De Dos, A.; Grossman, C. S.; Hipskind, P. A.; Lin, H-S.; Lobb, K. L.; Lopez, B.; Lopez, J. E.; Cabrejas, L. M. M.; Richett, M. E.; White, W. T.; Cheung, Y. Y.; Huang, Z.; Reilly, J. E.; Dinn, S. R. "Acyl sulfonamide anti-proliferatives. Part 2: Activity of heterocyclic sulfonamide derivatives," Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2005, 15, 617-620.

yiu-yin.cheung@vumc.org

My research at the VUIIS focuses on the rational design and synthesis of small molecules as novel ligands for TSPO with the goal of developing them into [18F]-PET tracers to be used for cancer imaging. I am also involved in collaborative projects which require either the radiosynthesis development of novel [18F]-PET tracers or the production of known [18F]-PET tracers such as FLT, FES, F-Choline and SFB for pre-clinical imaging stud

Maggie Cartwright, MSRS, RT(R)(CT), CBDT

Maggie
Cartwright
MSRS, RT(R)(CT), CBDT
Imaging Research Technologist
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science
m.cartwright@vumc.org

Having worked in healthcare as a radiologic technologist for seven years, I have shifted my focus to science and research, specializing in advanced imaging techniques at the forefront of medical advancement. I hold an undergraduate degree in radiologic technology and a master’s degree in radiologic sciences, further expanding my expertise in the field.

At VUIIS, I have developed imaging programs for DXA, ultrasound, the X-ray velocimeter, and the HR-pQCT. I have genuinely enjoyed the opportunity to pioneer emerging imaging modalities within the fields of science, radiology, and medical technology, all of which I admire and love.

Marisa Bush, CNMT, RT(MR), MAEd

Marisa
Bush
CNMT, RT(MR), MAEd
Imaging Research Technologist
Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science
marisa.bush@vumc.org

I love the collaborative environment and the many opportunities for learning and development.

Bill Behof, PhD

Bill
Behof
PhD
Sr. Imaging Research Staff Scientist
william.j.behof@vumc.org

I am very interested in the synthesis new materials for use in the imaging and cancer treatment realm.

I synthesize new materials for molecular imaging and cancer treatment therapies. In addition, I synthesize precursors for radio-labeling. We are currently working on multiple projects in this realm.

Bennett Landman, Ph.D.

Bennett
Landman
Ph.D
Professor
Electrical Engineering
Professor
Computer Engineering and Computer Sciences
Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Professor
Biomedical Informatics
Phone
(615)322-2338
Lab Website
https://my.vanderbilt.edu/masi/

Lucas BC, Bogovic JA, Carass A, Bazin PL, Prince JL, Pham DL, Landman BA. The Java Image Science Toolkit (JIST) for Rapid Prototyping and Publishing of Neuroimaging Software. Neuroinformatics. 2010 Jan 14. PMID:20077162 NIHMS PMC:177090

B. A. Landman, H. Wan, J. Bogovic, P.-L. Bazin, and J. L. Prince. Resolution of Crossing Fibers with Constrained Compressed Sensing using Traditional Diffusion Tensor MRI', In Proceedings of the SPIE Medical Imaging Conference. San Diego, CA, February 2010 NIHMS/PMC:158459

B. A. Landman, H. Wan, J. Bogovic, and J. L. Prince. Simultaneous Truth and Performance Level Estimation with Incomplete, Over-complete, and Ancillary Data, In Proceedings of the SPIE Medical Imaging Conference. San Diego, CA, February 2010 

B. A. Landman, P-L Bazin, S. A. Smith, and J. L. Prince, Robust Estimation of Spatially Variable Noise Fields, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Aug;62(2):500-9. 2009 PMID:19526510 PMC2806192

B. A. Landman, J. A. Farrell, C. K. Jones, S. A. Smith, J. L. Prince, P. C. van Zijl, and S. Mori. Effects of Diffusion Weighting Schemes on the Reproducibility of DTI-derived Fractional Anisotropy, Mean Diffusivity, and Principal Eigenvector Measurements at 1.5T, NeuroImage. 36(4): 1123-1138. July 2007. PMID:17532649

bennett.landman@vanderbilt.edu

Our research concentrates on analyzing large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal neuroimaging data. Specifically, we are interested in population characterization with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), multi-parametric studies (DTI, sMRI, qMRI), and shape modeling.

We are working technologies to enable large-scale and high throughput medical image analysis. Current projects include investigation of statistical label fusion techniques and multi-modal MRI approaches. In support of the VUIIS Center for Computational Imaging, we are developing  imaging informatics and automated analysis technologies. 

Zhongliang Zu, Ph.D.

Zhongliang
Zu
Ph.D
Research Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Phone
(615)875-9815

Zhongliang Zu*, Xiaoyu Jiang, Junzhong Xu, John C. Gore, "Spin-lock imaging of 3-o-Methyl-D Glucose (3oMG) in brain tumors", Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2018, DOI: 10.1002/mrm.27128

Zhongliang Zu*, Hua Li, Xiaoyu Jiang, John C. Gore, "Spin-lock imaging of exogenous exchange-based contrast agents to assess tissue pH", Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2018, 79(1):298.

Xiao-yong Zhang, Feng Wang, Tao Jin, Junzhong Xu, Jingping Xie, Daniel F. Gochberg, John C. Gore, Zhongliang Zu*, "MR imaging of a novel NOE-mediated magnetization transfer with water in rat brain at 9.4 T", Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2017, 78(2), 588.

Xiao-yong Zhang, Jingping Xie, Feng Wang, Eugene C, Lin, Junzhong Xu, Daniel F. Gochberg, John C. Gore, Zhongliang Zu*, "Assignment of the molecular origins of CEST signals at 2 ppm in rat brain", Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2017, 78(3), 881.

Xiao-yong Zhang, Feng Wang, Aqeela Afzal, Junzhong Xu, John C. Gore, Daniel F. Gochberg, Zhongliang Zu*, "A new NOE-mediated MT signal at around -1.6 ppm for detecting ischemic stroke in rat brain", Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2016, 34; 1100.

zhongliang.zu@vumc.org

I am interested in molecular and functional molecular MR imaging using advanced MR sequences including chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), magnetization transfer (MT), spin-lock, and MRS spectroscopy, etc. and their applications in tumors, ischemic stroke, and neurological and muscular disorders.

I am working as a principle investigator and a co-investigator on multiple NIH-funded projects. Specifically, I developed novel MR techniques to detect abnormal glucose metabolism and extracellular pH in tumors, intracellular pH in stroke, and high-energy phosphate metabolism in muscular disorders by employing their chemical exchange effect. I also pioneered a study supported by NIH on a novel nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) contrast that may reflect membrane choline phospholipids.

Pai Feng Yang, Ph.D.

Pai
Feng
Yang
Ph.D
Research Assistant Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Phone
(615)936-3328

Yang PF, Chen YY, Chen DY, Hu JW, Chen JH, Yen CT, 'Comparison of fMRI BOLD Response Patterns by Electrical Stimulation of the Ventroposterior Complex and Medial Thalamus of the Rat' PLoS One. 2013, 8(6):e66821.

Pai-Feng Yang, Der-Yow Chen, James W Hu, Jyh-Horng Chen, Chen-Tung Yen, 'Functionaltracing of medial nociceptive pathways using activity-dependent manganese-enhanced MRI' Pain 2011, 152: 194-203.

Jun-Cheng Weng, Jyh-Horng Chen, Pai-Feng Yang, Wen-Yih I. Tseng, 'Functional Mapping ofRat Barrel Activation Following Whisker Stimulation Using Activity-Induced Manganese-Dependent Contrast' Neuroimage 2007, 36: 1179-1188.

pai-feng.yang@vumc.org

My research interest is to better understand the neural mechanism underlying pain perception and following spinal cord injury.

My current research projects are fMRI of nociception in non-human primates.

Xinqiang Yan, Ph.D.

Xinqiang
Yan
Ph.D
Research Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Electrical and Computer Engineering

My research pursuits revolve around advancing engineering solutions to address the technical challenges encountered in the field of MRI. My primary objectives encompass improving RF and B0 homogeneity in high-field MRI, accelerating acquisition speed, reducing RF heating near implants, and enhancing the Signal-to-Noise Ratio. Our current research projects include: 1. Solving dark bands in tcMRgFUS using passive reflective antennas;  2. Developing next-generation integrated RF Tx/Rx and B0 shimming coils for 7T brain and spinal cord MRI;  3. Developing flexible RF coils and baluns;  4. Developing RF-transparent B0 shimming coil array;  5. Implementing low-cost wireless coils for clinical scanners;  6. Developing novel materials and devices to reduce RF-related heating near MRI implants.

Lab Website
https://xinqiangyan.github.io/portfolio/

Lu M, Zhu H, Yan X. Low-cost Inductively Coupled Stacked Wireless RF Coil for MRI at 3T. NMR in Biomedicine, 2022, e4818.

Lu M, Sengupta S, Gore JC, Grissom WA, Yan X. High-Density MRI RF Arrays Using Mixed Dipole Antennas and Microstrip Transmission Line Resonators. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. 2022 Apr 11.

Zhu Y, Sappo CR, Grissom WA, Gore JC, Yan X. Dual-tuned Lattice Balun for Multi-nuclear MRI and MRS. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging. 2022 Jan 6.

Yan X, Gore J C, Grissom W A, Self-decoupled MRI RF coils, Nature Communications 9 (1), 3481.

Yan X, Cao Z, Grissom W A (2016), Experimental implementation of array-compressed parallel transmission at 7 tesla, Magn Reson Med 75 (6): 2545-2552.

xinqiang.yan@vumc.org

I received my Ph.D. in particle physics and nuclear physics from the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2014. I also joined the Radiofrequency (RF) lab of the Institute of Biophysics in 2011, where I developed RF coils and RF/analog circuits for 7 T and 9.4 T scanners. At the end of 2014, I moved to Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. In 2016, I joined the Vanderbilt faculty as a Research Instructor. I am currently a Research Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Vanderbilt University and the Department of Radiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I am a recipient of the IEEE IMWS-BIO Best student paper award in 2013, and the Summa Cum Laude Award and Magna Cum Laude Award of ISMRM. 

Junzhong Xu, Ph.D.

Junzhong
Xu
Ph.D
Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Biomedical Engineering
Phone
(615)343-4794

Xu J, Li H, Harkins HD, Jiang X, Xie J, Kang H, Does MD, Gore JC. Mapping mean axon diameter and axonal volume fraction by MRI using temporal diffusion spectroscopy. Neuroimage. 2014 Dec;103:10-19.

Xu J, Zaiss M, Zu Z, Xie J, Gochberg DF, Bachert P, Gore JC. On the origins of chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast in tumors at 9.4T. NMR in Biomed. 2014 Apr;27(4):406-16.

Jiang X, Li H, Xie J, Zhao P, Gore JC, Xu J. Quantification of cell size using temporal diffusion spectroscopy. Magn Reson Med. 2015 Apr 4. doi: 10.1002/mrm.25684. [Epub ahead of print]

Li H, Jiang X, Xie J, McIntyre JO, Gore JC, Xu J. Time-dependent influence of cell membrane permeability on MR diffusion measurements. Magn Reson Med. 2015 Jun 11. doi: 10.1002/mrm.25724. [Epub ahead of print]

Li H, Li K, Zhang XY, Jiang X, Zu Z, Zaiss M, Gochberg DF, Gore JC, Xu J. R1 correction in amide proton transfer imaging: indication of the influence of transcytolemmal water exchange on CEST measurements. NMR in Biomed. 2015 Oct 14. doi: 10.1002/nbm.3428. [Epub ahead of print]

junzhong.xu@vumc.org

My primary research interest is to develop, validate and evaluate cutting-the-edge diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging methods e.g. quantitative temporal diffusion spectroscopy (qTDS) as a non-invasive surrogate imaging biomarker to assess tumor early therapeutic response at an early stage of treatment. I am also interested in other MR molecular imaging methods, such as quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) and chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) to comprehensively investigate tumor microenvironments.

I am currently involved in a number of projects focused on advancing, optimizing, and validating advanced quantitative MRI methods for monitoring the response of tumors to treatment. The specific projects include 1) monitoring tumor response to chemo- and radiotherapy with diffusion, qMT and CEST methods; 2) investigating sensitivity and specificity of diffusion, qMT and CEST MRI methods on specific biological tissue pathophysiological status with mathematical modeling, computing simulation, ex vivo and in vivo models.

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