Research

llustration of new lesion analysis of FLAIR images for a single patient.
“What I find most meaningful about my work as a researcher is fulfilling my search for knowledge and curiousity,” said Celine Taglang, PhD, a researcher in the Cancer Metabolic Imaging and Therapy Lab in UCSF’s Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.
Wen Li, PhD associate professional researcher at the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at UCSF, is first author of “Breast Multiparametric MRI for Prediction of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Response in Breast Cancer: The BMMR2 Challenge” published in Radiology: Imaging Cancer.
For most of us, falling asleep does not feel as simple as flipping a switch.
Twenty years ago, the Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging (CMFI) at China Basin Landing opened its doors with San Francisco’s first 3T MRI and two 1.
Ashley Hastings-Robinson, MD, breast imaging fellow at UCSF, was first author of “The role of digital mammographic surveillance for detection of asymptomatic recurrence in autologous flap reconstructions” published in Clinical Imaging, along with authors Maggie Chung, MD, Jessica Hayward, MD, Kimberly Ray, MD, Elissa Price, MD, Ryan Navarro, MD, Breast Imaging Chief Bonnie Joe, MD, PhD, and faculty mentor Amie Lee, MD.
UCSF researchers Harry (Shenghuan) Sun, Justin Torok, Daren Ma, and Ashish Raj, PhD, with Christopher Mezias of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, published “Spatial cell-type enrichment predicts mouse brain connectivity” in Cell Reports.
Leighton Hinkley, PhD, first author of "Distinct neurophysiology during nonword repetition in logopenic and non-fluent variants of primary progressive aphasia" in Human Brain Mapping uses advanced imaging techniques to better understand neurodegenerative diseases.
Imaging scientists presented ground-breaking radiology research and biomedical imaging innovations at the 20th Annual UCSF Radiology Imaging Research Symposium on Wednesday, Nov.
Faculty researchers in the UCSF Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging have received six NIH diversity supplements over the past year, critical support for achieving our vision of a diverse and inclusive pipeline of innovative, high-performing imaging scientists.
October 3-5, UCSF Radiology & Biomedical Imaging held the Advances in Artificial Intelligence and Novel Imaging Methods Conference showcasing Hyperpolarized C-13, Midfield, and Information Commons.
In another first for Green Radiology, the UCSF Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging and Siemens Healthineers have shown how using sustainable strategies for device delivery can substantially reduce greenhouse gas production in the medical imaging community.
A recent article in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine reports findings of a multi-center retrospective study that compares bone scan with PSMA PET for initial staging of prostate cancer.
Researchers from UCSF’s Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging were recently awarded a $3.
To celebrate Postdoc Appreciation Week, we invited Shalini Chopra, PhD, and Apurva Pandey, PhD, to answer a few questions about their work.
Amie Lee, MD, contributed an editorial to Radiology, the journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) titled “Nipple-sparing Mastectomy in the Era of Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy: The Accuracy of Preoperative MRI.
A team, including researchers from the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, investigated a new imaging tool for monitoring response to therapies in patients with glioblastoma (GBM).
A team of investigators from the Abuabara Lab at UC San Francisco, UCSF Radiology and the University of Arizona reviewed available literature on skin sodium to investigate its connection to total body sodium and to immunity.
There have been growing national efforts to diversify the radiology workforce, but are those efforts having an impact? Xiao Wu, MD, a resident at the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, investigated the question and shared her findings in a journal article and a podcast.
Galateia Kazakia, PhD, and researchers in the Bone Quality Research Lab at UCSF are validating a ‘virtual bone biopsy’ using time-lapse High Resolution peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography (HR-pQCT) for its potential to replace surgical bone biopsy.
Kondapa Naidu Bobba, PhD, is first author of "Evaluation of 134Ce/134La as a PET Imaging Theranostic Pair For 225Ac -Radiotherapeutics," a Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM) article published May 18 that discusses the development of a robust radiolabeling methodology and applied optimized method for utilizing prostate cancer targeting agents PSMA-617 and antibody YS5.
Three UCSF Radiology researchers have received Surbeck Travel Awards to present their research at the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) annual meeting.
On April 13-14th 2023, the HMTRC celebrated its 11th year as a center and its annual Workshop continues to have a national and global impact on the advancement of hyperpolarized carbon-13 MR molecular imaging technology.
Melanie Morrison, PhD, is an assistant professor in residence in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at UCSF, and a core member of the UCSF-UC Berkeley Joint PhD Program in Bioengineering.
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that results from the degeneration of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain.
Today, patients with prostate cancer can be effectively treated with surgery, radiation, or androgen deprivation therapy.
Michael Weiner, MD, Professor in Residence in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at UCSF, is the founder and Principal Investigator (PI) of The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).
People living with HIV (PLWH) have increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing, home confinement, economic challenges, and COVID-19-related illness and deaths significantly impacted mental health in youth.
On September 16, UC San Francisco’s Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging hosted nine members of the German parliament’s health committee.
The accuracy of biopsy sampling, which can miss clinically significant tumors, limits our ability to detect prostate cancer extent and aggressiveness.
Radioligand therapy is an emerging technology in which radiation is selectively targeted to tumors using molecular targeting, enabling effective tumor treatment with minimal toxicity in many cases.
Priyanka Jha, MBBS, associate professor of clinical radiology, recently led a team of investigators who studied the diagnostic performance of the Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS).
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a dilation or “bulging” of the abdominal segment of the aorta, the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Do head knocks eventually lead to Alzheimer’s disease? Many studies have reported this link, but a new large study has unexpectedly found the opposite.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted many research studies, it has also accelerated development and use of remote assessment tools for cognition.
Astrocytomas are tumors that come from astrocytes, known as star-shaped cells that make up the "glue-like" or supportive tissue of the brain, and they can appear in various parts of the brain and nervous system.
A team of faculty and fellows from the Molecular Imaging and Therapeutics (MI&T) section at the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging recently wrote a review on dosimetry in radionuclide therapy for a high-impact journal.
This year, we are grateful for the safe return of in-person events to present and share research, developments and innovations related to radiology and biomedical imaging.
In academic radiology, mentoring is important for mentors and mentees.
After Thanksgiving each year, the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging looks forward to the Radiological Society of North American (RSNA) Annual Meeting.
Researchers at UC San Francisco and UCLA continue to study prostate-specific membrane antigen PET imaging, or PSMA PET, to provide a more effective imaging test for men who have prostate cancer.
Each year, the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging looks forward to the Imaging Research Symposium, an opportunity to highlight the breadth and depth of innovative research being done in the department.
2D and 3D digital mammography - which is better for breast cancer screening? The tomosynthesis mammographic imaging screening trial (TMIST), sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, aims to see which technology performs best in women who have no symptoms.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in pregnant women, however there is limited data on breast imaging in symptomatic pregnant women at this time.
Two faculty members in the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging recently received funding from National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Cancer Institute (NCI) for an exciting research project to study hyperpolarized (HP) carbon-13 (13C) metabolic MRI in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy (RT).
Exciting news from the 2021 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC)! The UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging is pleased to announce that Michael Weiner, MD, professor in residence, received the Henry Wisniewski Lifetime Achievement Award.
This post was authored by Suzanne Leigh, senior public information representative with UCSF News.
Down syndrome is one of the most common genetic conditions in the U.
Carotid endarterectomy (CEA), also known as carotid artery surgery, removes plaque buildup from inside a carotid artery in a patient’s neck.
April is Parkinson's Awareness Month! Parkinson’s disease occurs when brain cells that make dopamine − a chemical that coordinates movement − are damaged.
Symptoms of Gulf War Illness (GWI), a chronic, multi-symptomatic disorder affecting returning military veterans of the Persian Gulf War (1990–1991) have been difficult to treat.
This post was authored by Elizabeth Fernandez, senior public information representative with UCSF News.
Spinal CSF-venous fistulas are one type of spinal leak and a cause of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH).
Nola Hylton, PhD and Duan Xu, PhD have been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows, Class of 2021.
In 2018 a large nationally representative survey study alerted readers to the potential link between use of smartphones and increases in depressive and suicide-related symptoms among U.
We are writing with the news that our long-time colleague, mentor, teacher, and friend Harry K.
The UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging is pleased to announce that Ronald Arenson, MD, professor emeritus and longtime chair received a Gold Medal at the 2020 Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Annual Meeting.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is defined as amyloid plaques, tau tangles and degeneration of nerve cells in the brain leading to memory problems, cognitive decline and dementia.
According to the American Cancer Society, about two out of every three breast cancer cases are hormone receptor-positive.
Hyperpolarized carbon-13 metabolic MRI (HP 13-C MRI) is a relatively new type of imaging study which offers novel metabolic information and contrast, unlike conventional MRI which provides primarily anatomical information.
Neurological symptoms are increasingly recognized as potential manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection, even in patients with mild or absent respiratory symptoms.
Because treatment for prostate cancer is highly individualized, molecular imaging technologies are helping to improve the ways in which prostate cancer is diagnosed and treated.
On August 6, 2020, Van Halbach, MD, clinical professor of Radiology, Neurological Surgery, Neurology, and Anesthesiology at UC San Francisco gave the Grant Hieshima Luminary Lecture at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) Annual Meeting.
Enrique Menendez, MD, director of research administration at the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging will retire on September 2, 2020.
Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are very common, and ACL injuries increase the risk of developing post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis and total knee replacement (TKR).
Glioblastoma is the most common form of brain cancer, yet it remains challenging to treat.
The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)’s Research & Education Foundation recently completed reviews of its 2020 grant applications.
Despite viral suppression, individuals living with HIV face increased rates of stroke and neurocognitive impairment compared with the general population.
  Myriam Chaumeil, PhD came to UC San Francisco as a postdoctoral scholar, mentored by Sabrina Ronen, PhD.
During surgical planning conference, Jesse Courtier, MD noticed a recurring challenge – surgeons often have difficulty translating radiology information into real-world patient care for surgical planning.
Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common musculoskeletal disorder in the U.
There have been numerous studies to date that have shown the outstanding research and potential clinical value of hyperpolarized carbon-13 MR (HP 13C MRI).
A hip fracture can cause life-threatening complications.
Srikantan Nagarajan, PhD has been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows.
Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) disease is common; approximately 200,000 people in the U.
Hip osteoarthritis can be a painful and debilitating condition.
Dual-energy CT (DECT) is not new, in fact, says Benjamin Yeh, MD, it has been around just as long as computed tomography (CT) has.
Placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) disorders have become a significant life-threatening disease with rising incidence and high maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality.
Parental leave policies are a frequent topic in the news, including in the field of internal medicine.
In the emergency department (ED), non-contrast head CTs are routinely acquired for patients with neurologic symptoms.
For Heather Greenwood, MD and her sister, Eleni Greenwood, MD, MSc, their connection to breast cancer is very personal.
Faculty, staff and trainees at the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging have just returned from Chicago where they attended the Radiology Society of North America (RSNA)’s 105th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting.
The statistic that about one in every four women will experience intimate partner violence (IPV) in their lifetime in the United States (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)) is alarming, but one that needs to be brought up during Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October and also all year-round.
This post was authored by Laura Kurtzman, senior public information representative with UCSF News.
Vaping-related lung illnesses and deaths have made headlines in the health and science arena recently as the number of cases of severe lung disease is increasing on a seemingly daily basis, with 1299 confirmed cases and 26 deaths as of October 8th, 2019.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 50 million adults in the U.
The use of medical imaging in the United States has increased a lot over the last two decades, and imaging rates during pregnancy have not been quantified in a large, multisite setting… until now.
Besides skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men, according to the American Cancer Society.
It is with a very heavy heart that I write to share the sad news that Rahul Desikan, MD, PhD passed away late yesterday afternoon after a 2 ½ year, hard-fought battle with a rapidly-progressive form of ALS.
Parkinson’s is a disease that develops in part of the midbrain known as the substantia nigra when the cells producing dopamine start to die off.
The UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging had a strong presence at the recent Society for Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting held June 22-25, 2019 in Anaheim, CA.
Large, national, multicenter research studies such as the IDEAS (Imaging Dementia - Evidence for Amyloid Scanning) Study can produce highly credible, large-scale evidence and results.
Even as Rahul Desikan, MD, PhD battles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) himself, he continues the rigorous lines of questioning that led him to become a leading investigator focused on neurogenerative diseases.
"Artificial intelligence, or AI, is everywhere.
“If a crystal ball could reveal your personal risk for developing heart disease or breast cancer or Alzheimer's disease, would you pay to take a look?” This was a question asked by Rahul Desikan, MD, PhD, and Leo Sugrue, MD, PhD, in an opinion piece recently published in Scientific American.
Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer is the most common type of breast cancer diagnosed today.
Treatment of patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer is guided by disease location and extent.
It is with a very heavy heart that I share with you that Sarah J.
Amyloid PET imaging is a diagnostic technique that determines whether patients with memory complaints have amyloid plaques in the brain, an indicator of Alzheimer's disease.
Hyperpolarized (HP) carbon 13 (13C) MRI is an emerging molecular imaging technique that is actively undergoing clinical translation at multiple institutions.
We know that many anticancer drugs are poisonous, leaving doctors with the careful task of administering enough chemotherapy to stop the growth of cancer cells while minimizing any damage to a patient's other organs.
Traditionally, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been used to treat patients with bone metastasis.
Osteoarthritis is a common disease with limited treatment options at this time.
Osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and lower back pain are diseases that often affect the elderly.
For the last 25 years, Thomas Link, MD, PhD has focused his research on degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system, in particular on osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
“Technology in general, and machine learning specifically, are going to change how we know radiology,” says Valentina Pedoia, PhD, assistant professor in the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.
Scientists at UC San Francisco have just conducted the first-in-human Phase I study of CTT1057 in patients with localized and metastatic prostate cancer.
By unveiling the genetic basis of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), UCSF Radiology faculty Rahul Desikan, MD, PhD, Leo Sugrue, MD, PhD, and their team in the Laboratory for Precision Neuroimaging at UCSF are seeking to improve our understanding of the causes of ALS, stratify individuals based on their genetic risk, and identify new targets for treating this devastating neurodegenerative disease.
A collapse of the lung due to air in the chest, known as pneumothorax, can be a life- threatening emergency.
At the end of this month, most of the radiology community will be heading to Chicago for the Radiology Society of North America’s 104th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, running from November 25th through November 30th.
Alzheimer’s disease remains a diagnosis made on clinical grounds.
Radiomics is an emerging discipline in radiology.
Among neurologic disorders, neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) stand out for their debilitating impact on patients, families and society.
A new study by researchers at UC San Francisco looked at follow-up imaging for women with non-metastatic breast cancer across the country.
Research leaders and scientists from the UC San Francisco Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging have just returned from Vancouver, BC.
Researchers from UC San Francisco have identified two previously unrecognized genetic risks that are significantly associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - one of which is also a risk factor for frontotemporal dementia (FTD), another neurodegenerative disease which typically weakens a different set of brain functions.
Researchers from UC San Francisco have discovered a new link between frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and immune dysfunction.
Our research with advanced imaging aims to help the children suffering from juvenile arthritis that we are treating today, as well as children in the future.

Meet Chemist & Metabolic Imaging Expert Celine Taglang, PhD

“What I find most meaningful about my work as a researcher is fulfilling my search for knowledge and curiousity,” said Celine Taglang, PhD, a researcher in the Cancer Metabolic Imaging and Therapy Lab in UCSF’s Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging.

The Predictive Power of Multiparametric MRI in Breast Cancer

The BMMR2 Challenge assembled eight teams from four countries to develop imaging-based models with high performance for predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer.

The Transition from Wake to Sleep: Watching Cortical Synchronicity and Information Flow

The complex process of drifting from wakefulness to sleep is governed by the brain’s cortex, and new research from UCSF imaging scientists advances our understanding of this important phenomenon.

Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation: UCSF’s Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging

In 2003, the Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging (CMFI) at China Basin Landing opened its doors with San Francisco’s first 3T MRI and two 1.5T clinical scanners, followed a few years later by a cyclotron which launched our in-house radiopharmaceutical program. Since then, the CMFI has been at the forefront of 3T research and major advances in theranostics and precision medicine. 

New Clinical Research: The Importance of Screening Mammography in Monitoring Flap Reconstruction After Mastectomy

There has been a substantial rise in mastectomy rates for the treatment of breast cancer in the United States over the last decade.

Spatial Cell-type Enrichment Predicts Mouse Brain Connectivity

UCSF researchers Harry (Shenghuan) Sun, Justin Torok, Daren Ma, and Ashish Raj, PhD, with Christopher Mezias of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, published “Spatial cell-type enrichment predicts mouse brain connectivity” in Cell Reports. 

Advancing Alzheimer's Research Through Neuroimaging

Leighton Hinkley, PhD, first author of "Distinct neurophysiology during nonword repetition in logopenic and non-fluent variants of primary progressive aphasia" in Human Brain Mapping uses advanced imaging techniques to better understand neurodegenerative diseases. The research focused on Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), a condition within the Alzheimer's disease spectrum. In a recent interview Hinkley, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), explains his team's neuroimaging research.

20th Annual Research Symposium Highlights Biomedical Imaging Innovations

Imaging scientists presented ground-breaking radiology research and biomedical imaging innovations at the 20th Annual UCSF Radiology Imaging Research Symposium on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Genentech Hall in Mission Bay.

Radiology Investigators Awarded NIH Diversity Supplements in 2022-23

The National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) awards diversity supplements to increase diversity in the research.

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