Lead by: Martin Diego, MD, PhD
Liver Disease
Contributors:
Next to Cardiovascular disease and cancer the most prevalent and significant systems of the body are the liver and kidney. In the U.S., the fatality rate of liver disease is increasing, building to a pandemic. The goal of our research is to develop MR techniques to replace the need for tissue samples when assessing the metabolic defection in the liver.
Approach: Combine MR imaging and MR SPECT
Recently published papers resulting for our research:
Kidney Disease
Contributors:
Kidney disease represents a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. population. Over the next 15-years, the number of people requiring dialysis and kidney transplant will grow and the expected costs to exceed the total amount spent on healthcare today. We are developing non-invasive MRI based techniques that will be useful for the evaluation of kidney function and disease that may be useful for clinical and research applications.
Approach: utilize contrast profusion, combined with high-speed volumetric MRI, combined with novel kinetic modeling of kidney pathophysiology
Recently published papers resulting for our research:
Radiology (magazine)
Gastrointestinal
Contributors:
One of the more prominent diseases of the gastrointestinal system is inflammatory bowl disease and particularly Crohn’s disease. We have developed on of the largest clinical Crohn’s disease imaging practices based on MRI in the country. This has been combined with developmental projects that have helped to better delineate the utility of MRI to evaluate disease activity and discriminate active inflammation from chronic fibrotic disease.
Approach:
Recently published papers resulting for our research:
Areas of Investigation:
Inversion-Recovery (SPAIR) T2 Fat- suppressed MR Imaging in Active Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Contributors: Unni K Udayasankar MD, FRCR, Thomas Lauenstein MD,
Diego Martin MD, PhD
Evaluate fat-suppressed (FS) T2-weighted (T2W) spectral presaturation attenuated inversion-recovery (SPAIR) imaging in conjunction with post-gadolinium FS T1-weighted (T1W) MRI in active inflammatory bowel disease
Significance: MRI may be used to differentiate active inflammatory disease from fibrotic disease
Pulmonary-Vascular
Contributors:
MR angiography and MR evaluation of the blood flow are techniques that provide unique attributes for the evaluation of a broad spectrum of vascular disease. We are particularly interested in the application of these techniques for the evaluation of pulmonary emboli, assessment of the transplanted lung, vasculitis and altered hepatic blood flow in the setting of acute and chronic liver disease.
Approach: Technical development for this application centers on the development of optimized contrast and fast acquisition, gadolinium enhance MR angiography and use of phase contrast imaging combined with detailed fluid dynamics analysis.
Recently published papers resulting for our research:
Cancer Imaging
Contributors:
Current in developing MRI technique continues to be developed for optimized detection and characterization of cancers affect on the abdominal and pelvic organ systems. Objective includes early detection for improved outcome, tumor characterization as surrogate for biopsy, tumor monitoring after therapy and optimized staging.
Approach: Includes rapid whole body imaging exploration of novel combination with PET, SPECT and tumor profusion.