Jason Hsu, PhD

Assistant Professor
Professional Researcher
View full UCSF Profile

Biography

Jung-Jiin Hsu, PhD, also known as Jason Hsu, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Hsu obtained his BSc in Physics from Tunghai University, Taiwan in 1988, and received his MSc in Physics from the National Taiwan University, Taiwan in 1991. He completed his PhD in Physics from the University of Pittsburgh in 2002, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in Biomedical MRI at the Lucas Center for Imaging, Department of Radiology, Stanford University. He was appointed Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine in 2009. In September 2012, he was recruited to fill the current position at UCSF and has been affiliated with the Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Before starting a career in biomedical research, Dr. Hsu had published a number of first-authored papers in theoretical and computational physics. His current interests lie in the physical and biological basis of MRI for neuro-vascular and cerebral hemodynamic measurements. He has developed a novel MRI technique for the measurement of the MR longitudinal relaxation rate that reduces the time of the measurement from a few minutes required by conventional techniques to a few seconds. The speed makes the measurement of the longitudinal relaxation feasible for dynamic brain imaging, which is being developed for quantitative recording of the brain functional activity to facilitate use of MRI for CNS drug development.

Expertise:
Physics, NMR and MRI, Scientific Computing

Specialty:
NMR/MRI relaxometry, functional neuroimaging, MRI physiological measurement

Professional Interests:
Magnetic resonance physics, imaging instrumentation and experiment design, quantitative and functional MRI, physical and biological basis of MRI

Education and Training:
• Bachelor of Science: Tunghai University, Taiwan - Physics
• Masters of Science: National Taiwan University, Taiwan - Physics
• Doctor of Philosophy: University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Physics
• Postdoctoral Fellow: Lucas Center for Imaging, Stanford University - Biomedical MRI

Publications

Jin RR, Wong NML, Ma J, Fang JT, Lin CM, Toh CH, Wu KY, Hsu JL, Huang CM, Lee SH, Lee TMC. A psychoneuroimmunological underpinnings of the relationship between childhood trauma, loneliness, and depression in older adults. Transl Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 29; 15(1):328.
Cheng YH, Lee SC, Chen YC, Chen JH, Yu RL, Lee WJ, Hsu JL, Chen CS, Fuh JL. Normative study of the Taiwanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in community-dwelling individuals in Taiwan. J Chin Med Assoc. 2025 Aug 01; 88(8):617-623.
Ma J, Chen M, Liu GH, Gao M, Chen NH, Toh CH, Hsu JL, Wu KY, Huang CM, Lin CM, Fang JT, Lee SH, Lee TMC. Effects of sleep on the glymphatic functioning and multimodal human brain network affecting memory in older adults. Mol Psychiatry. 2025 May; 30(5):1717-1729.
Cheng YW, Lin YJ, Lin YS, Hong WP, Kuan YC, Wu KY, Hsu JL, Wang PN, Pai MC, Chen CS, Fuh JL, Hu CJ, Chiu MJ. Application of blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in clinical practice: Recommendations from Taiwan Dementia Society. J Formos Med Assoc. 2024 Dec; 123(12):1210-1217.
Sun X, Wang WJ, Lang J, Yang R, Shen WJ, Sun L, Hsu JM, Chan LC, Li CW, Xia W, Ke B, Yao G, Huang K, Lee PC, Koller PB, Hung MC. Inhibition of Galectin-9 sensitizes tumors to anthracycline treatment via inducing antitumor immunity. Int J Biol Sci. 2023; 19(14):4644-4656.
Sung YL, Huang HL, Lin CC, Kröger T, Hsu WC, Hsu JL, Lin YE, Shyu YL. Experiences of family caregivers of persons living with dementia with and without a smart- clothes assisted home nursing program during the heightened COVID-19 alert. BMC Geriatr. 2022 08 23; 22(1):697.
Hsu CH, Hsu JL, Tsai SY. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness associated with specific brain region volumes in bipolar disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2022 07; 146(1):98-100.
Tsai SY, Sajatovic M, Hsu JL, Chung KH, Chen PH, Huang YJ. Peripheral inflammatory markers associated with brain volume reduction in patients with bipolar I disorder. Acta Neuropsychiatr. 2022 Aug; 34(4):191-200.
Chang HI, Chang YT, Huang CW, Huang KL, Hsu JL, Hsu SW, Tsai SJ, Chang WN, Lee CC, Huang SH, Chang CC. Structural Covariance Network as an Endophenotype in Alzheimer's Disease-Susceptible Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms and the Correlations With Cognitive Outcomes. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021; 13:721217.
Siow TY, Toh CH, Hsu JL, Liu GH, Lee SH, Chen NH, Fu CJ, Castillo M, Fang JT. Association of Sleep, Neuropsychological Performance, and Gray Matter Volume With Glymphatic Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Neurology. 2022 02 22; 98(8):e829-e838.
Huang HC, Lai YJ, Liao CC, Yang WF, Huang KB, Lee IJ, Chou WC, Wang SH, Wang LH, Hsu JM, Sun CP, Kuo CT, Wang J, Hsiao TC, Yang PJ, Lee TA, Huang W, Li FA, Shen CY, Lin YL, Tao MH, Li CW. Targeting conserved N-glycosylation blocks SARS-CoV-2 variant infection in vitro. EBioMedicine. 2021 Dec; 74:103712.
Hsu JL, Chen SH, Hsiao IT, Lu CS, Yen TC, Okamura N, Lin KJ, Weng YH. Author Correction: 18F-THK5351 PET imaging in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy: associations with core domains and diagnostic certainty. Sci Rep. 2021 Feb 09; 11(1):3825.
Hsu JL, Chen SH, Hsiao IT, Lu CS, Yen TC, Okamura N, Lin KJ, Weng YH. 18F-THK5351 PET imaging in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy: associations with core domains and diagnostic certainty. Sci Rep. 2020 11 10; 10(1):19410.
Huang KL, Hsiao IT, Ho MY, Hsu JL, Chang YJ, Chang TY, Liu CH, Chang CH, Wu YM, Wu KY, Wey SP, Yen TC, Okamura N, Lee TH, Lin KJ. Investigation of reactive astrogliosis effect on post-stroke cognitive impairment. J Neuroinflammation. 2020 Oct 17; 17(1):308.
Chang YT, Hsu JL, Huang SH, Hsu SW, Lee CC, Chang CC. Functional connectome and neuropsychiatric symptom clusters of Alzheimer's disease. J Affect Disord. 2020 08 01; 273:48-54.
Shih EJ, Lee WJ, Hsu JL, Wang SJ, Fuh JL. Effect of vitamin D on cognitive function and white matter hyperintensity in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2020 Jan; 20(1):52-58.
Liu CH, Hsiao CT, Chang TY, Chang YJ, Kuo SH, Chang CW, Chen CJ, Chen CF, Cheng PL, Chin SC, Chiu TF, Hsu JL, Hsu PW, Lee TH, Liao CH, Lin CJ, Lin LH, Seak CJ, Sung PS, Yang TC, Wu YM. Brain computerized tomography reading in suspected acute ischemic stroke patients: what are essentials for medical students? BMC Med Educ. 2019 Sep 18; 19(1):359.
Wu KY, Hsiao IT, Chen CH, Liu CY, Hsu JL, Huang SY, Yen TC, Lin KJ. Author Correction: Plasma Aβ analysis using magnetically-labeled immunoassays and PET 18F-florbetapir binding in non-demented patients with major depressive disorder. Sci Rep. 2019 May 17; 9(1):7701.
Tsai SY, Gildengers AG, Hsu JL, Chung KH, Chen PH, Huang YJ. Inflammation associated with volume reduction in the gray matter and hippocampus of older patients with bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord. 2019 02 01; 244:60-66.
Huang KL, Hsu JL, Lin KJ, Chang CH, Wu YM, Chang TY, Chang YJ, Liu CH, Ho MY, Wey SP, Yen TC, Okamura N, Hsiao IT, Lee TH. Visualization of ischemic stroke-related changes on 18F-THK-5351 positron emission tomography. EJNMMI Res. 2018 Jul 16; 8(1):62.
Lee JJ, Chang WN, Hsu JL, Huang CW, Chang YT, Hsu SW, Huang SH, Lee CC, Lien CY, Chang CC. Diffusion kurtosis imaging as a neuroimaging biomarker in patients with carbon monoxide intoxication. Neurotoxicology. 2018 09; 68:38-46.
Li CW, Lim SO, Chung EM, Kim YS, Park AH, Yao J, Cha JH, Xia W, Chan LC, Kim T, Chang SS, Lee HH, Chou CK, Liu YL, Yeh HC, Perillo EP, Dunn AK, Kuo CW, Khoo KH, Hsu JL, Wu Y, Hsu JM, Yamaguchi H, Huang TH, Sahin AA, Hortobagyi GN, Yoo SS, Hung MC. Eradication of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells by Targeting Glycosylated PD-L1. Cancer Cell. 2018 02 12; 33(2):187-201.e10.
Wu KY, Hsiao IT, Chen CH, Liu CY, Hsu JL, Huang SY, Yen TC, Lin KJ. Plasma Aβ analysis using magnetically-labeled immunoassays and PET 18F-florbetapir binding in non-demented patients with major depressive disorder. Sci Rep. 2018 02 09; 8(1):2739.
Wen MC, Heng HSE, Hsu JL, Xu Z, Liew GM, Au WL, Chan LL, Tan LCS, Tan EK. Structural connectome alterations in prodromal and de novo Parkinson's disease patients. Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2017 Dec; 45:21-27.
Cáceda R, Prendes-Alvarez S, Hsu JJ, Tripathi SP, Kilts CD, James GA. The neural correlates of reciprocity are sensitive to prior experience of reciprocity. Behav Brain Res. 2017 08 14; 332:136-144.
Hsu JL, Hsu WC, Chang CC, Lin KJ, Hsiao IT, Fan YC, Bai CH. Everyday cognition scales are related to cognitive function in the early stage of probable Alzheimer's disease and FDG-PET findings. Sci Rep. 2017 05 11; 7(1):1719.
Chang YT, Hsu SW, Tsai SJ, Chang YT, Huang CW, Liu ME, Chen NC, Chang WN, Hsu JL, Lee CC, Chang CC. Genetic effect of MTHFR C677T polymorphism on the structural covariance network and white-matter integrity in Alzheimer's disease. Hum Brain Mapp. 2017 06; 38(6):3039-3051.
Chung KH, Huang SH, Wu JY, Chen PH, Hsu JL, Tsai SY. The link between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and orbitofrontal cortex in euthymic bipolar disorder. Neuropsychobiology. 2013; 68(3):168-73.
Hsu JL, Chen WH, Chiu HC. Cortical sensory loss in a patient with posterior cortical atrophy: a case report. Neurocase. 2004 Feb; 10(1):48-51.
J.-J. Hsu; K. T. Chung; K.-N. Huang. 4Po series of lithium. Physical Review A 49, 4466–4472 (1994).
J.-J. Hsu; K. T. Chung. Binding energy and Auger electron energies of 1s2s2p3 6So of the beryllium anion. Journal of Physics B 28, L649–L653 (1995).
H. Yun; M. E. Patton; J. H. Garrett; G. K. Fedder; K. M. Frederick; J.-J. Hsu; I. J. Lowe; I. J. Oppenheim; P. J. Sides. Detection of free chloride in concrete by NMR. Cement and Concrete Research 34, 379–390 (2004).
J.-J. Hsu; K. T. Chung. Electron affinities of 1s22s2p 3Po and 1s22p2 3P of beryllium. Physical Review A 52, R898–R901 (1995).
J.-J. Hsu; I. J. Lowe. Encoding to the longitudinal magnetization for MR imaging and flow velocity mapping. Journal of Magnetic Resonance 183, 41–49 (2006).
J.-J. Hsu; G. H. Glover. Mitigation of susceptibility-induced signal loss in neuroimaging using localized shim coils. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 53, 243–248 (2005).
J. P. Hamilton; G. H. Glover; J.-J. Hsu; R. F. Johnson; I. H. Gotlib. Modulation of subgenual anterior cingulate cortex activity with real-time neurofeedback. Human Brain Mapping 32, 22–31 (2011).
J.-J. Hsu; G. H. Glover; G. Zaharchuk. Optimizing saturation–recovery measurements of the longitudinal relaxation rate under time constraints. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 62, 1202–1210 (2009).
J.-J. Hsu; G. H. Glover. Rapid MRI method for mapping the longitudinal relaxation time. Journal of Magnetic Resonance 181, 98–106 (2006).
J.-J. Hsu; G. Zaharchuk; G. H. Glover. Rapid methods for concurrent measurement of the RF-pulse flip angle and the longitudinal relaxation time. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 61, 1319–1325 (2009).
J.-J. Hsu; I. J. Lowe. Signal recovery in free induction decay imaging using a stimulated spin echo. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 47, 409–414 (2002).
J.-J. Hsu; I. J. Lowe. Spin–lattice relaxation and a fast T1-map acquisition method in MRI with transient-state magnetization. Journal of Magnetic Resonance 169, 270–278 (2004).
J.-J. Hsu; K. T. Chung; K.-N. Huang. Term values of 1s2s2p 4Po for lithiumlike ions. Physical Review A 44, 5485–5491 (1991).