People

Ian Corbin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Internal Medicine

The nanomedicine research program in the Corbin Lab integrates molecular imaging technology with state-of-the-art image-guided drug delivery to develop novel approaches for cancer management. The lab uses catheter-based interventional radiologic procedures in preclinical animal models of cancer to enable locoregional treatment of experimental therapies, minimizing systemic toxicities and maximizing tumor drug exposure. Multidisciplinary approaches are adopted from the fields of drug delivery, bioengineering, chemistry, and tumor biology. The program rests on the premise that today’s innovations drive tomorrow’s medicines.

• Ian.Corbin@utsouthwestern.edu
• Corbin Lab

Anke Henning, Ph.D.

AIRC Director and Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Radiology

The Henning Lab develops novel metabolic MRI methodology for non-invasive visualization and quantification of disease-related changes in human tissue. Specific foci are ¹H, ³¹P, ¹³C and ²H magnetic resonance spectroscopy and chemical exchange saturation transfer imaging at ultrahigh field (7T, 9.4T), as well as the development of respective enabling technology (RF coils, B₀ shimming, sequences, pulse design, image reconstruction).

• Anke.Henning@utsouthwestern.edu

Nan Li, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Neuroscience & Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

The Li neuroimaging Lab (LNAB) aims to develop novel whole-brain MRI imaging methods to integrate molecular and system neuroscience while solving brain science problems in health and diseases. Specifically, LNAB works to understand the neural mechanisms of reward, decision, and learning in rodents.

• nan.li@utsouthwestern.edu
• N-Lab site

Jiaen Liu, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Radiology

The Liu Lab pushes the clinical outcome of medical imaging by developing robust and accurate high-resolution MRI methods that are sensitive to tissue health. We aim to achieve this goal through the integration of novel MRI acquisition and image reconstruction, ultrahigh magnetic field, biophysical modeling, and clinical collaboration.

• Jiaen.Liu@utsouthwestern.edu
• Biomedical Imaging Research Lab (BiMIR)

Craig Malloy, M.D.

Professor
Medical Consultant Human MRI Core Facility

Abnormal metabolic states may cause human disease, and many diseases cause substantial alterations of normal metabolic pathways. Understanding these alterations provides opportunities for both diagnosis and treatment, but interactions among myriad processes make it virtually impossible to measure with current clinical approaches. Our goal involves probing and understanding metabolism in human diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and others. We intend to provide clinicians with actionable metabolism information about individual patients.

• Craig.Malloy@utsouthwestern.edu
• Malloy Lab

Jae Mo Park, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Biomedical Engineering, Radiology, Electrical Engineering (UTD)

The Park Lab develops imaging methods that assess real-time metabolism noninvasively and investigates in-vivo metabolism of rodents and humans using dynamic nuclear polarization and ¹³C/¹⁵N NMR. Ongoing projects include developments of novel pulse sequences and ¹³C/¹⁵N-labeled probes, as well as investigation of cellular metabolism in cancer, neurological diseases, cardiomyopathies, and metabolic syndromes.

• JaeMo.Park@utsouthwestern.edu
• Park Lab

A. Dean Sherry, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Radiology, Chemistry (UTD)

The Sherry Laboratory works on the design and implementation of various types of MRI probes for measuring physiological and biological function. Recent discoveries include paraCEST agents for imaging tissue pH and hypoxia, gadolinium-based probes for detecting Zn₂+ release from β-cells and prostate, and hyperpolarized probes for imaging metabolic processes in vivo.

• Dean.Sherry@utsouthwestern.edu

Kimberly Chan, Ph.D.

Instructor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Psychiatry

Dr. Chan's research focuses on developing methods for accelerating and increasing the reliability of proton MR spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging acquisitions in the human brain at clinical and ultrahigh field strengths. It applies these methods to evaluate potential biomarkers that help diagnose, treat and understand mood disorders such as major depressive disorder.

• Kimberly.Chan@UTSouthwestern.edu

Eunsook Jin, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Internal Medicine

The Jin Lab studies metabolic dysregulations associated with metabolic syndrome using a combination of stable isotopes (¹³C and ²H) and NMR spectroscopy. They develop NMR methods to investigate in vivo intermediary metabolism and apply them in volunteers and rodent models to elucidate alterations in obesity, diabetes, fatty liver, or cancer.

• Eunsook.Jin@UTSouthwestern.edu

Zoltan Kovács, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center

The Kovács Lab focuses on the synthesis of hyperpolarized ¹³C-labeled agents to monitor metabolic pathways by magnetic resonance spectroscopy/imaging. Dr. Kovacs develops tracers based on ultralow gamma nuclei (¹⁵N, ⁸⁹Y and ^107,109Ag) as MR sensors of biomarkers (pH, redox). His group also looks at novel diaCEST agents that exhibit extremely shifted ¹H CEST signals.

• Zoltan.Kovacs@UTSouthwestern.edu
• Kovács Lab

Jimin Ren, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Radiology

The Ren Lab aims to develop and apply ³¹P/¹H MRS methods for probing in vivo metabolism in the human brain and skeletal muscle.  Research interests include ATP energetics, NAD redox, fat distribution, membrane phospholipids, Mg and Pi states, and mitochondrial (dys)function in exercise intolerance, insulin resistance, heart failure, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

• Jimin.Ren@UTSouthwestern.edu

Manoj Kumar Sarma, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Radiology

Dr. Sarma's research focuses on developments of novel magnetic resonance methods and technology to elucidate in vivo metabolism and function of normal and pathological states. His clinical research expertise encompasses brain imaging in HIV, OSA, diabetic, brain tumor, hepatic encephalopathy, and imaging of the prostate and breast cancer.

• ManojKumar.Sarma@UTSouthwestern.edu

Binu Thomas, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
MRI Physics consultant Human MRI Core Facility

The Thomas lab aims to understand markers of brain health by measuring cerebral blood flow, oxygen metabolism, cerebrovascular dilation non-invasively using MRI and their association with cognition in health and disease. His group studies mechanisms of brain changes in aging, Alzheimer’s disease, obesity, brain injury and benefits of exercise.

• Binu.Thomas@UTSouthwestern.edu

Janaka Wansapura, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Director Pre-Clinical MRI Research Core Facility

As the technical director of the pre-clinical MRI core facility, Dr. Wansapura oversees the operation of preclinical MRI scanners while consulting with new investigators on developing MRI protocols, pulse programs, and analysis software. His research interests include cardiac and kidney functional imaging as well as Radiomics and MR fingerprinting techniques, which have potential applications in preclinical imaging.

• Janaka.Wansapura@UTSouthwestern.edu

Bei Zhang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Advanced Imaging Research Center, Radiology

The RF laboratory in AIRC develops application-specific coils to facilitate research projects and performs basic physics research to understand the interaction of RF waves and tissues to improve the sensitivity and safety of RF coils.

• bei.zhang2@utsouthwestern.edu