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Primary Faculty – Tenure Track

Ian Corbin, Ph.D.

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.

Anke Henning, Ph.D.

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).

Nan Li, Ph.D.

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.

Jiaen Liu, Ph.D.

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.

Craig Malloy, M.D.

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.

Jae Mo Park, Ph.D.

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.

A. Dean Sherry, Ph.D.

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.

Primary Faculty – Research Track

Kimberly Chan, Ph.D.

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.

Eunsook Jin, Ph.D.

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.

Zoltan Kovács, Ph.D.

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.

Jimin Ren, Ph.D.

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.

Manoj Kumar Sarma, Ph.D.

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.

Binu Thomas, Ph.D.

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.

Janaka Wansapura, Ph.D.

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.

Bei Zhang, Ph.D.

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.

Administrative Team

Juliet Blanco

Juliet Blanco

Department Administrator & Grants Specialist

Brenda Aston

Brenda Aston

Program Coordinator, Core Facility Billing

Bryan Guardiola

Bryan Guardiola

Administrative Associate, Procurement, Travel, Events, Space

Shanagra Jones

Shanagra Jones

Administrative Associate, Human Resource, Chairs Office Support

Core Facility Support & Staff Scientists

Jeannie Baxter, R.N.

Jeannie Baxter, R.N.

Manager, Human MRI Core Facility & Clinical Research

Sara Chirayil, Ph.D.

Sara Chirayil, Ph.D.

Sr. Research Scientist, Chemistry Lab

Kelley Derner, R.N.

Kelley Derner, R.N.

Senior Research Nurse, Human MRI Core Facility

Crystal Harrison, Ph.D.

Crystal Harrison, Ph.D.

Research Scientist, IRB Support & Hyperpolarization

Jennine Leary, R.N.

Jennine Leary, R.N.

Sr. Research Nurse, Human MRI Core Facility

Leticia Lopez

Leticia Lopez

Research Study Coordinator, Human MRI Core Facility

Richard Martin, A.A.S., B.B.A.

Richard Martin, A.A.S., B.B.A.

Biomedical Engineering Specialist, Facilities & Instrumentation

Corey Mozingo, R.T.

Corey Mozingo, R.T.

MRI Technologist, Human MRI Core Facility

Salvadore Pena

Salvadore Peńa, R.T.

MRI Technologist, Human MRI Core Facility

Maida Tai

Maida Tai

Research Assistant II, Human MRI Core Facility

Daniel Tetrick

Daniel Tetrick, R.T.

MRI Technologist, Human MRI Core Facility

Rani Varghese

Rani Varghese, R.T.

MRI Technologist, Human MRI Core Facility

Xiaodong Wen, M.D.

Xiaodong Wen, M.D.

Research Scientist, Preclinical Research & NMR

Qiong Wu, Ph.D.

Qiong Wu, Ph.D.

Director, NMR Metabolomics Core Facility

Trainees

Postdoctoral Researchers

Jaideep Chaudhary, Ph.D.
Jun Chen, Ph.D.
Eleni Demetriou, Ph.D.
Zohreh Erfani, M.D.
Daniel Gendin, Ph.D.
Mai Huynh, Ph.D.
Talon Johnson, Ph.D.
Sung-Han (Hank) Lin, Ph.D.
Muditha Rathnayaka Mudiyanselage, Ph.D.
Deng Zhang, Ph.D.

Graduate Students

Celik Boga
Joseph Bower
Carlos Brambila
James Raynard Dizon
Mahrshi Jani
Shengyue Su