The Nuclear Cardiology Research & Development Lab has produced well-known tools such as the Emory Cardiac Toolbox. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. and has been so for the past 80 years. Nuclear cardiology has played a key role in improving our ability to assess heart health by measuring myocardial perfusion, function, metabolic integrity and the effects of disease processes, monitor the effectiveness of therapy and predict patient outcomes. The group is involved in a variety of innovative projects aimed at improving the ability to use software tools for greater diagnostic and prognostic accuracy and confidence.
- Ernest Garcia, PhD
Director, Nuclear Cardiology R & D
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.
First Place Poster
The poster authored by Russell D. Folks, Dr. David Cooke, Dr. Ji Chen and Dr. Ernest V. Garcia 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.
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."
Listen and Download the podcast with Dr. Garcia.
Read the complete article in the Rad Report
Visit the Better World Project
Fabio Esteves, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Director of Nuclear Cardiology
On September 13, at the annual American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC) meeting, Dr. Fabio Esteves presented findings from a multicenter study on myocardial perfusion imaging suggesting images from a novel ultrafast cardiac (UFC) gamma camera are comparable to those from standard dual-detector cameras. The presentation is a result of a collaborative effort of researchers from Emory; the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN; and Rambam University in Haifa, Israel; and has attracted the attention of Aunt Minnie, a community site for radiology professionals.
The article can easily by located by searching Dr. Esteves' name on the Aunt Minnie site.
Development of I-123 BMIPP normal databases and criteria for abnormality implemented in the ECTb quantification tools.
PI: Ernest V. Garcia, PhD
Co-Investigators: Russell D. Folks, BS, CNMT, Cesar A. Santana, MD
Purpose: To develop a database of patients to define the normal distribution of BMIPP in myocardium, and regional thresholds below which distribution is defined as abnormal. Thresholds will be varied according to the patient’s calculated risk of acute coronary syndrome. To validate the thresholds in 1) a retrospective and 2) a prospective population.
Significance: This project will improve I-123 BMIPP cardiac SPECT imaging by producing quantitative images which can be interpreted with higher sensitivity and specificity.
Detecting Changes in Myocardial Perfusion and Function
PI: Tracy L Faber
CoInvestigators: Ernest Garcia, Russell D Folks, Eldad Haber, C. David Cooke, Jakob Vinten-Johansen
Purpose: Quantitative alignment and comparison of serial SPECT and PET studies of myocardial perfusion
Significance: To improve assessment of improvement or degradation in myocardial perfusion with time or treatment.
Phase Analysis of ECG-Gated Cardiac SPECT and PET Studies to Measure Left-Ventricular Dyssynchrony
PI: Ji Chen, PhD
Co-Investigators: Ernest V. Garcia, PhD, Tracy L. Faber, PhD, C. David Cooke, MSEE, Russell D. Folks, BS, CNMT
Purpose: Measuring left-ventricular dyssynchrony from ECG-gated cardiac SPECT and PET studies in order to improve diagnosis and treatment of heart failure patients.
Significance: This project will improve prediction of heart failure patients' responses to cardiac resynchronization therapy and evaluation of the outcome of the treatment.
Deconvolution of Septal Penetration for I-123 mIBG Cardiac SPECT Imaging
PI: Ji Chen, PhD
Co-Investigators: Ernest V. Garcia, PhD, Russell D. Folks, BS, CNMT, Liudmila Verdes, MD
Purpose: Improving image quality and measurement of the heart-to-mediastinum ratio of I-123 mIBG cardiac SPECT imaging by deconvolution of septal penetration
Significance: This project will improve the diagnostic accuracy of I-123 mIBG cardiac SPECT imaging by producing images with higher quality and measuring heart-to-mediastinum ratios more accurately.
3D Fusion and Visualization of Quantified Cardiac CTCA and Nuclear Perfusion Imagery
PI: Tracy L Faber
CoInvestigators: Ernest Garcia, Eldad Haber, Anthony Yezzi (at GaTech), Jakob Vinten-Johansen, Cesar Santana, Paolo Raggi, Gopi Sirineni, C David Cooke, Russell D. Folks, Arthur Stillman, Habib Samady, Fabio Esteves
Purpose: Explicit alignment of coronary arteries from CTCA with perfusion
distributions from SPECT and PET, with integration of quantitative information.
Significance: To improve diagnosis of CAD and minimize the necessity for invasive coronary angiography
Folks RD, Savir-Baruch B, Garcia EV, Verdes L, Taylor AT. Development of a Relational Database to Capture and Merge Clinical History with the Quantitative Results of Radionuclide Renography. J Nucl Med Technol 2012;40:236-243.
Chen J, Garcia EV, Bax JJ, Iskandrian AE, Borges-Neto S, Soman P. SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging for the assessment of left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony. J Nucl Cardiol. 2011 May 13. [Epub ahead of print]
Stillman AE, Oudkerk M, Bluemke D, Bremerich J, Esteves FP, Garcia EV, Gutberlet M, Hundley WG, Jerosch-Herold M, Kuipjers D, Kwong RK, Nagel E, Lerakis S, Oshinski J, Paul JF, Underwood R, Wintersperger BJ, Rees MR. Assessment of acute myocardial infarction: current status and recommendations from the North American Society for Cardiovascular Imaging and the European Society of Cardiac Radiology. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging. 2010.
Nettie Sutton
Department of Radiology
Emory University Hospital
1364 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30322
E-mail: nsutton@emory.edu