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.

Feng Wang, Ph.D.

Feng
Wang
Ph.D
Research Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Phone
(615)343-1840

Feng Wang, Tadashi Otsuka, Fatemeh Adelnia, Keiko Takahashi, Rachel Delgado, Kevin D. Harkins, Zhongliang Zu, Mark P. de Caestecker, Raymond C. Harris, John C. Gore, Takamune Takahashi. Multiparametric MRI in Diagnosis of Long-term Renal Atrophy and Fibrosis after Ischemia Reperfusion Induced Acute Kidney Injury in Mice. NMR in Biomedicine. 2022, 35(10): e4786. 

Feng Wang, Zhongliang Zu, Tung-Lin Wu, Xinqiang Yan, Ming Lu, Pai-Feng Yang, Nellie E. Byun, Jamie L. Reed, John C. Gore, and Li Min Chen. Sensitivity and Specificity of CEST and NOE MRI in Injured Spinal Cord in Monkeys. Neuroimage: clinical. 2021, 30:102633. 

Feng Wang, Daniel C. Colvin, Suwan Wang, Hua Li, Zhongliang Zu, Raymond C. Harris, Ming-Zhi Zhang, John C. Gore. Spin-lock relaxation rate dispersion reveals spatiotemporal changes associated with tubulointerstitial fibrosis in murine kidney. Magn Reson Med. 2020, 84(4), 2074-2087.

Feng Wang, Suwan Wang, Yahua Zhang, Ke Li, Raymond C. Harris, John C. Gore, Ming-Zhi Zhang. Noninvasive quantitative magnetization transfer MRI reveals tubulointerstitial fibrosis in murine kidney. NMR in Biomedicine. 2019, 32(11): e4128. 

Feng Wang, Hui-Xin Qi, Zhongliang Zu, Arabinda Mishra, Chaohui Tang, John C. Gore, and Li Min Chen. Multiparametric MRI Reveals Dynamic Changes in Molecular Signatures of Injured Spinal Cord in Monkeys. Magn Reson Med. 2015, 74(4), 1125-1137. 
 

feng.wang.1@vumc.org

Our research focuses on (1) Multi-parametric MRI of spinal cord injury (2) Functional MRI of non-human primates (3) Renal MRI of small animals

Noor Tantawy, Ph.D.

Mahammed
Noor
Tantawy
Ph.D
Research Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Phone
(615)343-4795

Tantawy, M. N., T. E. Peterson, C. K. Jones, K. Johnson, J. M. Rook, P. J. Conn, R. M. Baldwin, M. S. Ansari, and R. M. Kessler, Impact of isoflurane anesthesia on D2 receptor occupancy by [18F]fallypride measured by microPET with a modified Logan plot: Synapse, [Epub ahead of print].

Tantawy, M. N., and T. E. Peterson, 2010 Apr, Simplified [18F]FDG image-derived input function using the left ventricle, liver, and one venous blood sample: Mol Imaging, v. 9, p. 76-86.

Tantawy, M. N., C. K. Jones, R. M. Baldwin, M. S. Ansari, P. J. Conn, R. M. Kessler, and T. E. Peterson, 2009, [18F]fallypride dopamine D2 receptor studies using delayed microPET scans and a modified Logan plot: Nucl Med Biol, v. 36, p. 931-40.

Manning, H. C., N. B. Merchant, A. C. Foutch, J. M. Virostko, S. K. Wyatt, C. Shah, E. T. McKinley, J. Xie, N. J. Mutic, M. K. Washington, B. LaFleur, M. N. Tantawy, T. E. Peterson, M. S. Ansari, R. M. Baldwin, M. L. Rothenberg, D. J. Bornhop, J. C. Gore, and R. J. Coffey, 2008, Molecular Imaging of Therapeutic Response to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Blockade in Colorectal Cancer: Clinical Cancer Research, v. 14, p. 7413-7422.

Hariri, G., Y. Zhang, A. Fu, Z. Han, M. Brechbiel, M. N. Tantawy, T. E. Peterson, R. Mernaugh, and D. Hallahan, 2008, Radiation-Guided P-Selectin Antibody Targeted to Lung Cancer: Annals of Biomedical Engineering, v. 36, p. 821-830.

n.tantawy@vumc.org

I do research using nuclear imaging modalities which include PET, SPECT, and CT. I collaborate with researchers from a wide range of diciplinaries.

Seth Smith, Ph.D.

Seth
Smith
Ph.D
Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Professor
Biomedical Engineering
Professor
Ophthalmology
Director of the Human Imaging Core
Phone
(615)421-8527

Reproducibility of tract-specific magnetization transfer and diffusion tensor imaging in the cervical spinal cord at 3 tesla. Smith SA, Jones CK, Gifford A, Belegu V, Chodkowski B, Farrell JA, Landman BA, Reich DS, Calabresi PA, McDonald JW, van Zijl PC.

Damage to the optic radiation in multiple sclerosis is associated with retinal injury and visual disability. Reich DS, Smith SA, Gordon-Lipkin EM, Ozturk A, Caffo BS, Balcer LJ, Calabresi PA. Arch Neurol. 2009 Aug;66(8):998-1006.

Direct saturation MRI: theory and application to imaging brain iron. Smith SA, Bulte JW, van Zijl PC. Magn Reson Med. 2009 Aug;62(2):384-93.

Sensorimotor dysfunction in multiple sclerosis and column-specific magnetization transfer-imaging abnormalities in the spinal cord. Zackowski KM, Smith SA, Reich DS, Gordon-Lipkin E, Chodkowski BA, Sambandan DR, Shteyman M, Bastian AJ, van Zijl PC, Calab

Quantitative magnetization transfer characteristics of the human cervical spinal cord in vivo: application to adrenomyeloneuropathy. Smith SA, Golay X, Fatemi A, Mahmood A, Raymond GV, Moser HW, van Zijl PC, Stanisz GJ. Magn Reson Med. 2009 Jan;61(1):22

seth.smith@vumc.org

My research is focused on translation of advanced, quantitative MRI methods to the human population at both high and low field strenghts.  Specifically, I am interested in developing advanced quantitative MRI methods to study under-represented structures of the human nervous system (optic nerve, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves) as they pertain to human disease.

We are currently involved in a number of research projects, all of which are targeted at understanding the pathophysiology of human disease through the development of advanced, quantitative MRI biomarkers for neurological diseases of the Brain, Spinal Cord, Optic Nerves, and Peripheral nerves.  Specifically, we are focused on ultra-high field (7T) CEST, Diffusion (conventional diffusion tensor and advanced diffusion weighted MRI), Magnetization Transfer, and quantiative T2.  

David Smith, Ph.D.

David
Smith
Ph.D
Assistant Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences, Physics & Astronomy, Electrical & Computer Engineering
Phone
(615)936-5166

Trajectory optimized NUFFT: Faster non?Cartesian MRI reconstruction through prior knowledge and parallel architectures. DS Smith, S Sengupta, SA Smith, EB Welch, 2019. Magnetic resonance in medicine 81 (3), 2064-2071. Trajectory optimized NUFFT: Faster non?Cartesian MRI reconstruction through prior knowledge and parallel architectures. DS Smith, S Sengupta, SA Smith, EB Welch, 2019. Magnetic resonance in medicine 81 (3), 2064-2071.

Dynamic Imaging of the Eye, Optic Nerve, and Extraocular Muscles With Golden Angle Radial MRI. S Sengupta, DS Smith, AK Smith, EB Welch, SA Smith, 2017. Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 58 (10), 4390-4398.

Continuously moving table MRI with golden angle radial sampling. S Sengupta, DS Smith, EB Welch, 2015. Magnetic resonance in medicine 74 (6), 1690-1697.

DCEMRI. jl: a fast, validated, open source toolkit for dynamic contrast enhanced MRI analysis. DS Smith, X Li, LR Arlinghaus, TE Yankeelov, EB Welch, 2015. PeerJ 3, e909.

Gamma-ray Exposure Rate Constants and Lead Shielding Data for over 1200 Radionuclides. DS Smith and M Stabin, 2010. Physics in Medicine and Biology, 102 (3), 271-291.

david.smith@vumc.org

Some of my current work includes cancer imaging, radiomics, data science, deep learning, parallel computing, optimization, applied math, physics, astronomy, and astrobiology.

Saikat Sengupta, Ph.D.

Saikat
Sengupta
Ph.D
Research Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences

Sengupta S, Smith DS, Gifford A, Welch EB Whole-body Continuously Moving Table Fat-Water MRI with Dynamic B0 Shimming at 3 Tesla. Magn Reson Med. (In Press)

Sengupta S, Smith DS, Welch EB Continuously Moving Table MRI with Golden Angle Radial Sampling. Magn Reson Med. Oct 2014.

Sengupta S, Tadanki S, Gore JC, Welch EB Prospective real-time head motion correction using inductively coupled wireless NMR probes. Magn Reson Med. 2013 Nov 18.

Sengupta S, Welch EB, Zhao Y, Foxall D, Starewicz P, Anderson AW, Gore JC, Avison MJ. Dynamic B0 shimming at 7 Tesla. Magn Reson Imaging. 2011 May; 29(4): 483-96.

Sengupta S, Avison MJ, Gore JC, Welch EB. Software compensation of eddy current fields in multislice high order dynamic shimming. J Magn Reson. 2011 Jun; 210(2): 218-27.

saikat.sengupta@vumc.org

My interests lie in improving Magnetic Resonance Imaging performance by developing methods to minimize image artifacts and improve scanning efficiency on high field imaging systems. My research areas include real time shimming, continuously moving table imaging, motion correction and field monitoring.

My current work involves developing methods for rapid whole-body imaging using continuously moving table MRI methods. My past work has included realtime head motion correction using NMR probes for high resolution neuroimaging, dynamic B0 shimming at high field and developing models for prospective shim eddy current compensation.

Kurt Schilling, Ph.D.

Kurt
Schilling
Ph.D
Research Assistant Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
kurt.g.schilling.1@vumc.org

My research is focused on image processing, biomedical modeling of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, and mapping the human brain, with a focus on diffusion MRI data.

Dr. Schilling's research is focused on image processing, biomedical modeling of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, and mapping the human brain, with a focus on diffusion MRI data

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