The Society of Nuclear Medicine Paul C. Aebersold Award
Mark M. Goodman, PhD
Endowed Chair for Imaging Sciences
Professor of Radiology
Dr. Goodman has been selected to receive the prestigious 2012 Paul C. Aebersold Award. Every year, The Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) Paul C. Aebersold Awards Committee selects an individual as the recipient of the Paul C. Aebersold Award for Outstanding Achievement in Basic Science applied to Nuclear Medicine. The Aebersold Award is named for Paul C. Aebersold, a pioneer in the biologic and medical application of radioactive materials and the first director of the Atomic Energy Commission's Division of Isotopes Development at Oak Ridge.
NIH Study Section Panel
Dr. Fei was invited to particpate the NIH Biomedical Imaging Technology (BMIT) Study Section. The BMIT Study Section reviews grant applications involving basic, applied, and pre-clinical aspects of the design and development of medical imaging system technologies, their components, software, and mathematical methods for studies at the cellular, organ, small or large animal, and human scale.
Program Director for Physics Education
As Assistant Program Director for Physics Education, Dr. Ioannis Sechopoulos will provide oversight and coordination of the physics education for our Diagnostic Radiology Residency program in close collaboration with Dr. Mark Mullins, Program Director. This includes the introductory radiologic physics course, refresher course, laboratory experiences and web-based physics modules.
First Radiology and Imaging Sciences Faculty Awards Ceremony
The Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences celebrated the first Faculty Awards ceremony on September 7, 2011. The ceremony recognized the faculty of Emory Radiology who demonstrate outstanding service, patient care, mentorship, research, and leadership. With a external reviewers from other institutions, the Awards committee was able to select eight winners out of numerous stellar nominees.
Image Quality Improvement and Breast Compression Reduction in Breast Tomosynthesis
Principal Investigator:Ioannis Sechopoulos, Ph.D.
Co-Investigators: Carl J. D'Orsi, M.D., Baowei Fei, Ph.D., Mary Newell, M.D.
Significance: The objective of this research project is to develop and test new image acquisition and processing techniques that will allow for the acquisition of breast tomosynthesis images with a substantial reduction in the amount of breast compression used with no loss in image quality or increase in radiation dose. For this, we will (1) develop a method to reduce the impact of x-ray scatter on image quality; (2) develop new image acquisition techniques for reduced compression tomosynthesis that result in the same radiation dose and image noise levels as standard tomosynthesis; (3) compare the image quality between standard tomosynthesis and reduced compression tomosynthesis performed with the techniques developed in this project.
American Association of Physicists in Medicine- Best Abstract
At the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine, Drs. Sechopoulos and Sprawls received the Best Abstract on Innovations in Medical Physics Education Award for their abstract of, "A Model for Clinically Focused Physics Education."
Frost and Sullivan Award
The Frost and Sullivan Award is bestowed each year to an organization that has demonstrated excellence in technology leadership within their industry. The platform that best incorporates all of these advances is the new SOMATOM Definition Flash CT that Emory University Hospital Midtown has installed. Siemens presented a personalized Frost and Sullivan Award to Emory's Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. The award was accepted by Habib Tannir, Administrative Director for Imaging Services, on Tuesday, August 9, 2011.
American Board of Radiology License in Medical Nuclear Physics
Dr. Jonathan Nye received his American Board of Radiology license in Medical Nuclear Physics. This license recognizes that Dr. Nye has mastered specific qualifications to act as an advisor to physicians regarding the physical aspects of radiation. This license will certify Dr. Nye in a branch of medical physics that deals with therapeutic and diagnostic applications of radionuclides (except those used in sealed sources for therapeutic purposes) and the equipment associated with their production and use, including radiation safety.
Ernie V. Garcia, Ph.D. Endowed Professorship
On June 21, 2011 Ernie V. Garcia, Ph.D. Endowed Professorship in Cardiac Imaging was recognized for his remarkable accomplishments within Nuclear Cardiology Research and Development. Dr. Garcia and his team developed and introduced the imaging software, "Emory Cardiac Toolbox." The imaging software is used worldwide revolutionizing the diagnosis of heart disease. Dr. Garcia, the Nuclear Cardiology Research, and Development Lab have received praises on a national level for the research. The achievements that Dr. Garcia has made are instrumental to Emory�s Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences. They contribute to the funding of the departments innovation, translational research, and clinical applications; resulting in Emory Radiology Research being in the top 20 for NIH funding.
Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) Poster Awards
Two posters created by Emory Radiology and Imaging Sciences were selected
as finalists by the SNM. To be considered as a finalist you must rank in the top
ten of your category.
ONCOLOGY: CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS TRACK
Presenter: Rianot Amzat
Title: Pilot study of the utility of anti-1-amino-3-[18F]fluorocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (anti-3-[18F] FACBC) PET-CT for the non-invasive imaging of lung nodules.
Authors: Rianot Amzat, Pooneh Alaei, Bital Savir-Baruch, Daniel Miller, Jonathan Beitler, Leah Bellamy, Jonathon Nye, Weiping Yu, Mark Goodman, David Schuster
CARDIOVASCULAR TRACK
Presenter: Alice Cheung
Title: The performance of phase analysis in the presence of perfusion defects.
Authors: Alice Cheung, Tracy Faber, Ernest Garcia, Lei Zhu1, Ji Chen
Chairperson of the Radiation Therapeutics and Biology Study Section, Center for Scientific Review
Dr. Mark M. Goodman will serve as Chairperson of the Radiation Therapeutics and Biology Study Section for the term beginning July 1, 2011 and ending June 30, 2013. Membership on a study section represents a major commitment of professional time and energy as well as a unique opportunity to contribute to the national biomedical research effort. Members are selected on the basis of their demonstrated competence and achievement in their scientific discipline as evidenced by the quality of research accomplishments, publications in scientific journals, and other significant scientific activities, achievements and honors. While study section membership is a high honor, few study section members achieve the very high honor of serving as chair.
NIH MERIT Award
Dr. Andrew Taylor, Professor of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, has been honored with an NIH MERIT Award. Dr. Taylor has been an NIH investigator for the past 20 years and is currently Principal Investigator on two RO1 grants, one to develop Tc-99m renal radiopharmaceuticals and the second to develop a decision support system to interpret renal scans.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognizes researchers who have demonstrated superior competence and outstanding research productivity by the highly selective Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award. The MERIT Award is given to fewer than 5% of NIH funded investigators and has become a symbol of scientific achievement in the research community. The Award was initiated by the National Institutes of Health in l986 to provide long-term support to investigators with impressive records of scientific achievement in research areas of special importance or promise.
Dr. Taylor is being honored for his work related to the study "Development of Tc-99m renal tubular tracers,"which he has lead for the past 25 years. Malgorzata Lipowska, PhD, is a co-investigator on the project and Luigi Marzilli, PhD, a previous co-investigator, is currently an important consultant.
Investigators are not allowed to apply for a MERIT Award. Selection is made by NIH staff and members of the Advisory Councils based on new and competing renewal grant applications from established investigators that are prepared and submitted in accordance with conventional NIH procedures coupled with a record of exceptional research productivity. The MERIT Award is designed to provide selected investigators with an opportunity to gain up to ten years of grant support. Specifically, the MERIT Award provides investigators with long-term, stable support to foster their continued creativity and spare them some of the administrative burdens associated with frequent preparation and submission of research grant applications.
Please extend your congratulations to Dr. Taylor as he is recognized for his dedication and progressive developments that have contributed to the advancement of medicine.
First Place Poster
The poster authored by Russell D. Folks, Dr. David Cooke, Dr. Ji Chen and Dr. Ernest V. Garcia of the Nuclear Cardiology R&D research laboratory received first place at the annual Meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) in the category of Technologist Abstract Awards. The content featured detailed information under the title The effect of spatial and temporal filtering on automatic parameter definition in gated myocardial perfusion SPECT.
Top Atlanta Doctors
The Best Doctors in America database includes the names and professional profiles of approximately 45,000 of the best doctors in the United States. An exhaustive peer-review by thousands of doctors determines the physicians included in the database. Only those who earn the consensus support of their peers, as well as meet additional qualification criteria are included. For this reason, inclusion in the Best Doctors in America database is a remarkable honor!
Andrew Taylor, MD
Professor of Radiology
- Director, Radioligand and Expert Systems
Award of Excellence for the Best Medical Imaging Article in the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics in 2008
Ioannis Sechopoulos, PhD
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Medical Physics & Engineering Research
Carl D'Orsi, MD, FACR
Professor of Radiology
Director, Breast Imaging
The American College of Medical Physics awarded authors Drs. Sechopoulos and D'Orsi for their article "Glandular radiation dose in tomosynthesis of the breast using tungsten targets", which appeared in Volume 9, Issue 4, Pages 161-171 of the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics, 2008.
Innovation of the Year
Mark Goodman, PhD, has been awarded Innovation of the Year by the Emory Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) for the development of the PET tumor imaging agent 2-FACBC/2-FACPC.
When informing Dr. Goodman's affiliated laboratories, including the Center for Systems Imaging (CSI), of the award, Dr. Cale Lennon, OTT's manager of Dr. Goodman's technologies, stated "I am very excited and feel that the selection of his PET imaging agents as the winner is well deserved. We have received a considerable amount of positive feedback and commercial interest around Mark's research and development program to create and also validate novel PET imaging agents."
To read the complete article click here
See more of the research in Dr. Goodman's Lab
Georgia Cancer Coalition 2009 Cancer Research Award
Dr. Goodman has received this award to fund his work to develop a more effective nuclear imaging procedure for diagnosing prostate cancer. An internationally recognized radiopharmaceutical scientist, Dr. Goodman is the Director of the Radiologpharmaceutical Discovery Lab and a Program Director for the Emory Center for Systems Imaging (CSI). He is the Scientific Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Royal Radiopharmaceuticals in Atlanta.
This award is made possible by Georgians who contribute to the Georgia Cancer Research Fund on their state income tax returns. Four of the eight recipients are from Emory University School of Medicine.
Changing the World
In the 2008 release of the publication the Better World Project: Part One, the work of Dr. Garcia and his colleagues is recognized in Chapter 16 for the company that evolved into Syntermed, Inc. and the advances he has influenced in Nuclear Medicine with the Emory Cardiac ToolBoxTM.
In 2005, the BWP was launched to create an understanding of how academic research and technology transfer has altered our way of life and made the world a better place. In 2008, the BWP focused on sharing the stories of 25 companies that work to bring "the results of research into use for the benefit of the general public, our institutions and the communities we serve."
Read the complete article in the Rad Report
Listen and Download the podcast with Dr. Garcia.
Visit the Better World Project
Femoral Artery Plaque Imaging using the 3-Point Dixon MRI Technique
Principal Investigator: Faisal Khosa, BSc, MD
Co-Investigators: Khusrow Niazi, MD John Oshinski PhD, Arthur Stillman MD, PhD, William Lewis, MD
Funding Organization: ACTSI/URC
Significance: The goal of this proposal is to accurately determine if the constituents of femoral artery plaque can be determined using a novel MRI technique. Validation will be done via radiology pathology correlation. We intend to determine plaque components in the femoral artery with various degrees of stenosis. This would help determine not only the natural history of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) but also help assess predominance of plaque subtypes at varying levels of stenosis. Once this can be established, effects of pharmacologic treatment on the plaque can be studied which so far have been elusive. The information that is derived from this pilot study will help us to better understand the evolution of plaque and the role of inflammation and set the stage for a larger scale study to develop a more sophisticated biomarker of plaque progression and the response to therapy.
Early detection of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease with x-ray phase CT
Principal Investigator:Xiangyang Tang, PhD
Co-Investigators: Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD, Hui Mao, PhD, Marla Gearing, PhD
Alzheimer's disease (AD) has become the most common (60-80%) neurodegenerative disease with dementia as its clinical symptom. The proposed x-ray tube and grating based phase CT will potentially provide a modality for early detection and accurate therapeutic assessment of AD based on direct imaging of amyloid plaques. As a more accessible alternative to 11C-PiB or 18F-AV45 PET imaging, this novel imaging method may substantially benefit the preclinical and clinical diagnostic and treatment applications for AD with markedly improved (i) low contrast detectability and dose efficiency compared to the conventional CT and (ii) clinical potential compared to the diffraction enhancement based phase CT using crystal x-ray monochromator and synchrotron.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Multispectral Imaging: Mathematical Models, Algorithms and Software
Principal Investigator: Ioannis Sechopoulos, PhD, James Nagy, PhD
This project focuses on the development of novel mathematical and computational methods for spectral reconstruction in tomographic breast imaging. The polyenergetic imaging process is nonlinear,: therefore spectral reconstruction is an ill-posed inverse problem that provides great challenges to the development and analysis of mathematical models and computational methods. However, this new reconstruction approach will result in substantially improved images with fewer artifacts and will allow for more advanced acquisition protocols that may reduce dose, improve contrast, and allow for explicit decomposition of the breast into distinct materials, such as, glandular and malignant tissue, adipose tissue, calcifications, and iodinated contrast agents.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Detection of Oncometabolite 2-HG for IDH Mutations in Brain Tumor Patients
Principal Investigator: Hui Mao, PhD, Erwin Van Meir, PhD
Co-Investigators: Liya Wang, MD, Jeffrey Olson, MD, Daniel Brat, MD
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Dr. Mao's laboratory recently was awarded this research grant from Joint Winship Cancer Institute/ACTSI Translational Research Grant Program. In collaboration with Dr. Erwin Van Meir’s laboratory at Department of Neurosurgery, Dr. Mao's laboratory will investigate and develop magnetic resonance spectroscopy methods for detection and quantifi cation of a newly discovered biomarker, R(-) hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), that is a product of mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) and 2 (IDH2). ID mutation(s) is found in 70% low grade gliomas and secondary glioblastoma and is considered to be a prognostic marker for brain tumors. The proposed project aims to rapid clinical translation of the recent discovery of this new brain tumor biomarker and 2HG specific MRS analysis developed in their labs for characterization of genetic and metabolic alterations in brain tumor patients.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Magnetic Immuno-separation and Detection of Tumor Cells within CSF samples of Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients
Principal Investigator: James Provenzale, MD, Hui Mao, PhD, Tobey MacDonald, MD
Funding Organization: Center for Pediatric Nanomedicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University
Significance: Medulloblastomas (MBs) are the most common form of primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the pediatric central nervous system. Early detection of possible tumor metastasis is a key on the clinical management of this disease. With a new class of the magnetic nanoparticle cluster with high magnetism developed in Dr. Mao's lab, this project will develop and test magnetic immuno-separation and detection system with improved sensitivity and efficiency of cell separation, enrichment, capturing and detection of metastatic MB cells in CSF. The goal of this project is to rapidly translate the latest nanotechnology developed by the research team, such as the anti-biofouling coating polymer for improving biomarker targeting efficiency and magnetic nanoparticle cluster for high magnetization, and new scientific discoveries in MB biomarkers, to the clinical pediatric neuro-oncology practice.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
MRI Capable Receptor Targeted Drug Delivery for Pancreatic Cancer
Principal Investigator: Hui Mao, PhD, Lily Yang, MD, PhD
Co-Investigators: Kevin H. Kim, MD, Liya Wang, MD, Volkan Adsay
Funding Organization: National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)
Significance: The National Cancer Institute recently awarded a R01 grant to the research team led by Drs. Hui Mao and Lily Yang to develop novel magnetic nanoparticles and MRI methods for image-guided drug delivery and treatment monitoring for improving the treatment of pancreatic cancer. In this newly funded project, Dr. Mao, Associate Professor of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Emory Center for Systems Imaging, will continue to collaborate with Dr. Lily Yang, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Department of Surgery and Winship Cancer Institute. This is the second major grant received by Drs. Mao and Yang’s laboratories which participate in the NCI Alliance for Nanotechnology in Cancer with a Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnerships.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Goldber-Reeder Resident Travel Grant
Awarded to: Nnenna Aguocha, MD
Funding Organization: American College of Radiology
Significance: The American College of Radiology recently awarded Dr. Nnenna N. Aguocha who is apart of our Adopt a Resident Program the Goldberg-Reeder Resident Travel Grant. The travel grant was established to encourage international volunteer service in radiology and is awarded yearly to two radiology residents or fellows in training. As a recipient of this grant, Dr. Aguocha will be traveling to Nigeria, along with her mentor, Dr. Oluwayemisi Ibraheem, to work with organizations implementing portable ultrasound machines in rural health care clinics.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Quantitative imaging of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease via x-ray phase CT
Principal Investigator: Xiangyang Tang, PhD
Co-Investigators: Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD; Hui Mao, PhD; Marla Gearing, PhD
Funding Organization: Pilot project of Emory Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
Significance: Alzheimer's Disease has become the most common neurodegenerative disease with dementia as its clinical symptom and the accumulations of extracellular amyloid plaque (AP) and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) as the neuropathological hallmarks. The objective of this project is to develop the methodology for direct imaging of AP in Alzheimer's disease (AD) with x-ray tube and grating-based differential phase contrast CT. This novel imaging method will potentially provide the three-dimensional (3D) visualization of AP in Alzheimer's brain for early diagnosis and therapeutic assessment, which may substantially benefit the preclinical and clinical applications to find the cause of and the cure for AD.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
X-ray phase CT for imaging of biomarker-targeted nanoparticle probes
Principal Investigator: Xiangyang Tang, PhD
Funding Organization: Pilot project of Emory Molecular and Translational Imaging Center
Significance: The immediate goal of this project is to establish the differential phase contrast micro-CT implemented with x-ray tube and grating (namely phase micro-CT) as a modality for longitudinal imaging of small animals using contrast-enhancing targeted nanoparticle (NP) probes in the preclinical applications of early detection, accurate monitoring of targeted delivery of therapeutics and prompt assessment of therapeutic efficacy, while the ultimate goal is to translate the x-ray phase CT enhanced by biomarker-targeted probes into a clinical imaging modality. Our preliminary data have shown that the x-ray phase CT can reach the contrast-to-noise ratio of conventional attenuation CT with potentially two orders of magnitude lower radiation dose at the spatial resolution adequate for small animal imaging. In addition, it is believed that the biomarker-targeted nanoparticle probes can significantly increase the contrast between tumor and surrounding tissues. Hence, the proposed imaging method is anticipated to have significant impact on preclinical applications and eventually translate to clinical applications where differentiation of low contrast soft tissues is essential.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Quantification of the Hemodynamic Environment and Structural Alterations in the Progression of Coronary Artery Disease
Principal Investigator: Lucas H Timmins, PhD
Sponsors: Don P Giddens, PhD; Habib Samady, MD; John N Oshinski, PhD
Funding Organization: American Heart Association (Postdoctoral Fellowship) Significance: The surrounding hemodynamic environment, specifically flow induced wall shear stress, is a strong determinant of susceptibility to atherosclerosis. Furthermore, in the coronary arteries wall shear stress has also been implicated in the rapid progression of atherosclerosis, which likely results in myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. The primary goal of this proposal is to increase the clinical utility and accuracy of detecting rapidly progressing coronary lesions through examination of the blood flow induced mechanical environment. Specifically, this proposal has two Specific Aims: 1) quantitatively compare the geometric and hemodynamic differences in patient-specific 3D angiographic versus intravascular ultrasound reconstructed coronary geometries; 2) quantitatively analyze the focal correlation between wall shear stress (WSS) and coronary artery plaque progression. Accomplishing each of these aims will provide vital information in the early detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease and, potentially, decrease the number of major adverse cardiac events.
Spectral Reconstruction: A New Approach to Tomographic Breast Imaging
Principal Investigator: Ioannis Sechopoulos, PhD
Funding Organization: Emory URC/ACTSI Pilot Grant
Significance: The spectral reconstruction algorithm that will be developed in this project will result in a substantial improvement in tomosynthesis image quality, further improving the sensitivity and specificity of this technology, resulting in a decrease in breast cancer mortality and unnecessary recalls and biopsies on healthy women. In addition, completion of this project will allow for comprehensive clinical testing by performing a patient imaging trial, further development of the reconstruction algorithm for use in contrast-enhanced studies, and adaptation of the reconstruction algorithm for use in dedicated breast CT, another cutting-edge breast cancer imaging technology.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
NIH R01: Molecular Image-Directed, 3D Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy System
Principal Investigator: Baowei Fei, PhD, EngD
Co-Investigators: David Schuster, MD; Weiping Yu, PhD; Tian Liu, PhD; Aaron Fenster, PhD; Viraj Master, MD
Funding Organization: National Institute of Health (NIH)
Significance: Prostate cancer affects one in six men in the US. Every man over the age of 45 is at risk for prostate cancer. Systematic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy is the standard method for a definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer. More than 1.2 million prostate biopsies are performed annually and the medical cost is more than two billion dollars each year. However, this technique has a significant sampling error and is characterized by low sensitivity (39-52%). The current biopsy approach can miss up to 30% of prostate cancers. As a negative biopsy does not preclude the possibility of a missed cancer, both the physicians and patients face challenges in making treatment decisions. This project is to develop a molecular image-directed, 3D ultrasound-guided system for targeted biopsy of the prostate. When completely developed, the multimodality molecular image-guided biopsy device will be able to improve prostate cancer detection. The image-guided system will be able to be used not only for biopsy but also for brachytherapy, radiofrequency thermal ablation, cryotherapy, and photodynamic therapy.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Premier MRMC Reader Study Protocol
Principal Investigator: Carl D'Orsi, MD
Funding Organization: ACR Image Metrix, LLC and ICAD
Significance: The purpose of the truthing study of full field digital mammography (FFDM) data is to establish the reference standard for a subsequent stand alone performance assessment and a multiple reader, multiple case (MRMC) study assessing the safety and efficacy of the SecondLook Premier Computer-Aided Detection (CAD) system. The truthing study applies to the truthing process, which provides "ground truth" data for mammography cases.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
An Innovative Ultrasound-Based Prospective-Gating Technique for Cardiac Computed Tomography
Principal Investigator: Srini Tridandapani, PhD, MD
Funding Organization: National Institute of Health (NIH)/ National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
Co-Investigators: Carolyn Meltzer, MD; Stefan Tigges, MD; Xiangyang Tang, PhD;Nelson Chen, PhD; Oliver Brand, PhD, GaTech; James McClellan PhD, GaTech
Significance: Catheter coronary angiography, while the current gold standard for evaluation of coronary arteries, is nonetheless highly invasive and has major associated medical complications and an unacceptably high rate of 'normal' diagnostic findings. To overcome this procedure's risks and to reduce the associated high costs, realtime ultrasound could be used as a gating signal to drastically reduce motion artifacts in cardiac computerized tomography. This will lead to a reliable, rapid, low-radiation dose, non-invasive alternative technique for evaluating coronary arteries, and potentially significantly decrease health care costs.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -
* - *
The MRI Virtual Liver Biopsy - Chronic Liver Disease Fibrosis Measurement
Principal Investigator: Diego R. Martin, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator: Allen R. Tannenbaum, PhD (Biomedical Engineering at GT)
Alton B. Farris III, MD (Pathology)
Pilot Grant Funding Organization: Coulter-Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI)
Significance: Our team has been working on the development of an MRI Virtual Liver Biopsy Toolkit. Earlier related accomplishments have been HISTO (patent pending) a 15-sec spectroscopy acquisition that is semi-automated, providing a highly accurate and reproducible measure of hepatic lipid and iron, two important liver metabolites involved in acute and chronic liver disease. This proposal is directed to develop a new tool, as part of the virtual biopsy toolkit, for non-invasive, fast, safe and automated measurement of hepatic fibrosis (HF). Our objective is to develop a clinically practical, quantitative method for automated liver contrast-enhanced MRI post-processing analysis for accurate and reproducible measurement of HF in CLD. Successful completion of our proposal will represent a major forward step in non-invasive diagnostics with application for longitudinal monitoring of liver fibrosis for patients with liver disease.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
An Imaging-Based Method to Plan Cardiac Pacemaker Lead Placement
Principal Investigator: John N. Oshinski, PhD
Co-Investigator: Michael S. Lloyd, MD (Cardiology)
Funding Organization: Coulter-Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI)
Significance: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) using a bi-ventricular pacemaker is an important treatment option for patients with drug-refractory heart failure and evidence of ventricular dyssynchrony. However, using current selection criteria and implantation, 30-40% of patients undergoing CRT are not responsive to the treatment. Because CRT is invasive, costly, has significant associated risks, and requires lifelong need of a pacing device, there is a clear need for better methods to optimize the treatment.
In the implementation of CRT, the position of the left ventricular (LV) pacing lead has a significant role in determining patient response. Having the LV pacing lead at the location of latest contraction improves patient response. Currently, no methodology or software exists to plan the LV lead position. Therefore, the overall goals of this project are: 1) to develop and validate MRI-based software methodology to plan and locate the LV pacing lead in the area of latest contraction, and 2) to test the methodology on a group of 20 patients undergoing CRT.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Molecular Imaging for Photodynamic Therapy of Head and Neck Cancer
Principal Investigators: Baowei Fei, PhD
Co-Investigators: Ronald Voll, PhD (Radiology), Georgia Chen, PhD (Winship Cancer Institute)
Pilot Grant Funding Organization: NIH/NCI SPORE in Head and Neck Cancer Program at Emory University
Significance: In this proposed research, we focus on utilizing photodynamic therapy (PDT) for treating head and neck cancer and on the development of molecular imaging to detect and predict PDT treatment effect at a very early stage. The second-generation PDT drug Pc 4 is currently under clinical trials for treating skin cancer. This project will be the first study on Pc 4-PDT of head and neck cancer in animal models and important for future testing of Pc 4-PDT head and neck cancer in human patients. If translated to clinic, the imaging-based early assessment approach would be able to help clinicians to select the most appropriate patients for an optimal dose and treatment schedule.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Visualization of Acute Atherothrombosis using a Nanoparticle Based Magnetic Resonance Contrast Agent
Principal Investigators:John Oshinski, PhD, Hui Mao, PhD, and David Ku, PhD
Funding Organization: Center for Translational Cardiovascular Nanomedicine (CTCN)
Significance: Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques and the subsequent acute atherothrombosis formation is now regarded as the event that leads to the majority of heart attacks, strokes, and sudden cardiac deaths. Methods to study the biomechanics, biochemistry, and physiology of acute thrombosis are limited. One of our co-investigators has developed a whole-blood perfusion system with a glass tube stenosis that proceeds to acute thrombosis in <30 minutes. Currently, the system can only be studied by direct optical visualization. The purpose of this study is to develop a magnetic nanoparticle imaging probe that binds to activated platelets and would allow visualization of acute thrombosis inside of the MRI scanner in a realistic vessel model. The long term goal is development of an molecular MR contrast agent that enables visualization to atherothrombosis and hemorrhagic vulnerable plaques in vivo.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
NIH Career Development Award K01 Recipient:
Nachwa Jarkas, PhD, Assistant Professor-RT
Project Title: New PET Ligands for Brain Serotonin Transporter in Neuropsychiatry Disorders
The proposed research will focus on the design, synthesis, in vitro pharmacological characterization, and in vivo imaging in nonhuman primates of fluorine-18 (18F) labeled ligands, for the potential in vivo imaging of the SERT in patients with neuropsychiatric and drug addiction disorders.
The Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01) provides support for a sustained period for intensive research career development under the guidance of an experienced mentor, or sponsor, in the biomedical, behavioral or clinical sciences leading to research independence. The expectation is that through this sustained period of research career development and training, awardees will launch independent research careers and become competitive for new research project grant (R01) funding.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Virtual MRI Biopsy of Diffuse Liver Disease: Non-Invasive Correlation with Histology and
Measurement of Hepatocytes Dysfunction
Principal Investigator: Diego Martin, MD, PhD
Co-Investigator: Gaye Raye, MS, RN, NP-C
Funding Organization: Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Significance: Liver disease resulting in hepatitis is next to cardiovascular and tumor as causes of mortality in the US. Hepatitis mostly occurs due to abnormal accumulation of hepatic lipids, viral hepatitis, alcohol and hepatotoxic drugs. Clinical management and clinical research depends on having the ability to determine the presence and degree of hepatitis. The only method currently considered accurate is liver biopsy, which is associated with the risk of pain, bleeding and death. One of the major areas of development in our Body MR Imaging Sciences Program has been reducing dependency on invasive biopsies with non-invasive virtual biopsy using safe, fast and relatively cost-effective MR-based techniques. We have established ourselves as leaders in the application of MR for evaluation of liver diseases. We have ongoing investigation of macrovascular flow changes in hepatitis using computational flow dynamic modeling and development of clinically practical methods for quantification of hepatic fat and iron; where liver disease and progression to hepatitis and fibrosis is amongst the most common diffuse liver disease in the US. Methods for non-invasive evaluation of liver disease that correlates to histopathological changes of inflammation and fibrosis would be a major clinical advancement and could facilitate research and therapy monitoring of current and new treatments. This research will develop a statistical modeling and classification framework that uses MR images to perform automated noninvasive biopsies, as surrogates for invasive liver biopsies, to detect and quantify hepatitis.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Supplement to the Translational Technology Resource Program of the ACTSI to Advance Innovation through Imaging
Principal Investigators: Carolyn Meltzer, MD (Project PI); David Stephens, MD (ACTSI PI)
Co-Investigators: Stuart Zola, PhD; Mark Goodman, PhD; John Votaw, PhD; Leonard Howell, PhD;
Larry McIntire, PhD; Xiaoping Hu, PhD; Gary Gibbons, MD; Doug Eaton, PhD; Marc Overcash
Funding Organization: NIH, National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Significance: The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) awarded $1.6 millilon in supplemental funding to the ACTSI, which has utilized the funding to award two suplemental stimulus grants. Both of these grants have been awarded at Emory, one to in the School of Public Health and the other to Dr. Carolyn Meltzer in the Radiology Department.
These funds will help further integrate the data archiving infrastructure across the Center for Systems Imaging (CSI) and at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, pilot a Molecular Imaging Fellowship and mentorship of interdisciplinary investigators, and institute an ACTSI Translational Technologies & Resources (TTR) Imaging Consultation Service and Advisory Group to strengthen partnerships that translate from animal model to human. Their work will involve significant involvement with both Morehouse School of Medicine and Georgia Tech investigators.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Rb-82 PET Simulation Platform for Prompt Gamma Characterization
Principal Investigators: Ioannis Sechopoulos, PhD
Co-Investigators: Jon Nye, PhD; John Votaw, PhD
Funding Organization: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
Significance: The purpose of the project is to develop and validate an advanced positron emission tomography (PET) simulation platform based on Monte Carlo methods and use it to characterize the prompt gamma signal included in Rubidium-82 (Rb-82) scanning. Rb-82 PET scanning is used for myocardial perfusion imaging for diagnosis of obstructive coronary artery disease. The prompt gamma signal degrades the reconstruction quality, significantly lowering the specificity of the imaging technique. This increase in false positive cardiac PET studies may result in unnecessary cardiac catheterization procedures, with their resultant risk to the patient, inconvenience, and increased healthcare cost. The development of a Rb-82 PET simulation platform and characterization of the prompt gamma signal will aid in the development of an image processing algorithm to improve the reconstruction quality of the PET images, leading to more accurate cardiac diagnoses.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Motion Correction and Quantitative Image Analysis for Kidney MR Imaging
Principal Investigators: Baowei Fei, PhD; Diego Marin, MD
Co-Investigators: John Votaw, PhD; Xiaofeng Yang, MS
Funding Organization: Atlanta Clinical & Translational Science Institute/ URC Emory University
Significance: Progressive diseases of the kidney and development of renal failure requiring dialysis or renal transplantation is becoming an alarming healthcare issue in the United States. The prevalence of obesity is the largest of any nation with estimates of 23% of the population meeting clinical definition for obesity. Diabetes and hypertension related to obesity have also been increasing. The current incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dialysis is 45,000 and 23,000 new cases per year, respectively.Treatment of endstage renal disease is transplantation, but transplants may fail acutely and subacutely due to surgical and immunological complications, or chronically due to immunological rejection or anti-rejection medication toxicity. Therapies are being formulated for the major causes of progressive renal disease and for improving kidneytransplant survival, however, there is a lack of non-invasive comprehensive reproducible clinical tests that are readily available. Safe, noninvasive, fast and repproducible imaging technique of renal structure and function may provide a better alternative to fulfill the important unmet clinical need.
The overarching aim is to improve outcomes of therapy and kidney transplant survival by improving monitoring of disease and measurement of treatment effects. We will develop an MRI technology comprised of comprehensive modules including rapid image acquisition technique, automatic image processing and motion correction algorithms, and statistical and quantitative analysis components that may be packaged and made immediately available to the clinical centers caring for renal disease patients.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
A Comparison Study of Breast Tomosynthesis Images Reconstructed
Principal Investigators: Mary Newell, MD
Funding Organization: Hologic, Inc.
Significance: The primary goal of this project is to compare the area under the ROC curves of tomosynthesis as a diagnostic tool when using 1-mm and 5-mm thick reconstructions. This will be achieved by performing a retrospective study of the tomosynthesis images reconstructed to both thicknesses, using the results of the standard clinical diagnostic workup (including repeat mammograms, magnification mammography, and ultrasound, according to the current standard of care) as the gold standard.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
- Drs. John Votaw, Carolyn Meltzer, Mark Goodman and Xiaoping Hu (left to right) collaborate to formulate an action plan for the P50 grant.
NCI awards Emory a $7.5 million, P50 for Cancer Imaging
Principal Investigators: Carolyn Meltzer,MD; Mark M. Goodman; PhD, Xiaoping Hu, PhD
Funding Organization: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The four projects covered by the grant are:
o Clinical studies of an amino acid PET probe being tested
with prostate cancer patients. The probe could help
doctors identify which tumors require aggressive treatment
and which do not. Goodman, an expert in developing PET
reagents, calls this project "an example of the bench-to-
bedside capabilities of our investigative team."
o Laboratory studies of tiny iron particles linked to proteins that specifically bind breast cancer cells. The iron
particles could be useful because they generate a strong MRI signal, but their small size means they have
novel properties that require extensive evaluation before use in humans.
o Generation of PET probes that target squamous cell carcinomas, the most common cancer of the head and
neck. The probes will be designed to bind molecules that allow the cancer cells to metastasize and invade
lymph nodes, so they could detect cells with the most metastatic potential.
o Laboratory studies of a fluorescent dye that specifically accumulates in cancerous cells, which could lead
to better diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Automatic Ventricular Boundary Detection From Cardiac CT
Principal Investigators: Tracy Faber, PhD & Anthony Yezzi, PhD
Funding Organization: Emtech Biotechnology, INC
Significance: The overall goal is to improve the care of cardiac patients through automatic functional analysis of cardiac CT studies. As a first step to this, we propose to develop and validate software for detecting LV and RV boundaries from cardiac CT.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
3D Fusion and Visualization of Quantified Cardiac CTCA and Nuclear Perfusion Imagery
Principal Investigator: Tracy Faber, PhD
Co-Investigators:Liudmilla Verdes; Paolo Raggi, MD; Ernest Garcia, PhD; Eldad Haber, PhD; Jakob Biten-Johansen, MD; Arthur Stillman, MD; Habib Samad, MD; Fabio Esteves, MD; Anthony Yezzi, PhD
Funding Organization: NIH R01
Significance: The long term goal of the project is to develop accurate and automatic fusion methods for integrating coronary artery data from CT Coronary Angiography (CTCA) with myocardial perfusion data from nuclear medicine. This explicit integration will increase accuracy for diagnosing coronary artery disease, while reducing the number of more invasive coronary angiography exams currently used for this purpose, ultimately improving the overall care of patients as well as reducing the overall cost of diagnosis.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
MRI Patient Selection and Treatment Planning in CRT
Principal Investigator: John Oshinski, PhD
Co-Investigators: Jana Delfino, PhD; Brandon Fornwalt, PhD; Angel Leon, MD; David Delurgio, MD
Funding Organization: American Heart Association
Significance: Currently 30-40% of subjects undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) involving a bi-ventricular pacemaker do not respond to the treatment. This low response rate is thought to be due to either:
1) a lack of underlying mechanical dyssynchrony in the heart,
2) a larger burden of scar in the heart, or
3) the inability to place a pacing lead in an area of viable tissue. In this study, we combine MRI cine imaging to detect mechanical dysynchrony with an MRI map of myocardial viability overlaid with coronary vein locations. This complete picture will allow better patient selection for CRT (thereby increasing response rate), and will allow pre-procedure planning of the location of the placing lead in an area of viable tissue.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Evaluation of UFC Spect Camera
Principal Investigator:Earnest Garcia, PhD
Co-Investigators:Fabio Esteves, MD; Anwar Khan, MD
Funding Organization: GE Healthcare, Ltd.
Significance: The study proposes to investigate the important clinical question of whether the diagnostic accuracy for coronary artery disease (CAD) of myocardial perfusion imaging ( MPI) studies acquired with the device are comparable to the accuracy from conventional acquisition and protocols and/ or whether these results may be improved if new acquisition protocols are developed.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
A Pilot Study of the Utility of the Novel Amino Acid Radiotracer
Principal Investigator:David Schuster, MD
Co-Investigators:Jonathan Nye, PhD; Daniel Miller, MD; Andrew Young, MD, PhD; Mark Goodman, PhD
Funding Organization: Nihon Medi- Physics LTD
Significance: The specific hypothesis in this proposal is that anti-[18-F] FACBC will accumulate in malignant lung tumors, allowing visualization
with PET-CT.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Monitoring with Dedicated Breast Computed Tomography
Principal Investigators:Carl D'Orsi, MD;
Ioannis Sechopoulos, PhD
Funding Organization: Internal Seed Grant, Emory Molecular and Translational Imaging Center (NIH P20)
The goal of the proposal is to use a dedicated breast CT system to closely monitor the changes in size and blood flow of breast tumors in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. For this, a prototype dedicated breast CT system, to be installed in June in the Breast Imaging Center, will be used. This system will be only the second prototype clinical system of its kind in the world. Its isotropic high resolution, high contrast, low dose capabilities bring about a wide variety of new approaches to breast cancer detection and treatment that will be investigated here at Emory.
The ultimate aim of this work, for which this grant is just an initial first step, is to be able to adjust the chemotherapy treatment according to imaging-based monitoring of tumor response. Today most patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy are treated with a certain pre-determined number of treatment cycles, each separated by a fixed amount of time, with varying results due to each individual tumor's response to the chemotherapeutic drugs. Breast CT monitoring could result in a personalized therapy regimen, in which non-responders are identified in a short period of time so that other treatment options are sought. Further, treatment can be terminated early for complete responders, for whom the additional cycles do not provide any additional benefits.