T32 Program Potential Projects

UCSF has an international reputation for advanced abdominal imaging, and potential projects include imaging of gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancers, liver disease and metabolic disorders, and new contrast agent development.

• John Kurhanewicz, PhD - Prostate imaging, hyperpolarized MR imaging
• Z. Jane Wang, MD - Hyperpolarized MR imaging in kidney cancers and diffuse kidney disease, pancreatic cancer imaging
• Benjamin Yeh, MD - CT contrast agent development, dual energy CT
• Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD - Hyperpolarized MR imaging, liver disease

Sections & Research Interest Groups

• Abdominal Imaging Section
• Body RIG

UCSF has a robust Cardiovascular and Thoracic Imaging research program with potential projects ranging from advanced cardiovascular CT and MRI to high resolution CT of diffuse lung disease.

• David Saloner, PhD - Cardiovascular MRI
• Brett Elicker, MD - Thoracic imaging, high resolution CT of diffuse lung disease, lung cancer imaging

Sections & Research Interest Groups

• Cardiac and Pulmonary Imaging Section
• Cardiovascular RIG

Musculoskeletal Imaging Research is performed in close collaboration with Orthopedic Surgery, Epidemiology, Endocrinology and Rheumatology. It focuses on metabolic bone disease, inflammatory and degenerative arthropathies and degenerative spine disease.

• Thomas M. Link, MD, PhD - Osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, cartilage imaging, bone HIFU
• Sharmila Majumdar, PhD - Osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, cartilage imaging, bone HIFU
• Richard Souza, PhD - Cartilage imaging and physical activity

Sections & Research Interest Groups

• Musculoskeletal Radiology Section
• Musculoskeletal RIG

Research in Neuroradiology covers a whole spectrum of diseases and ranges from Alzheimer’s disease and brain tumors to traumatic brain injury and pediatric brain disease.

• Soonmee Cha, MD - Brain tumors
• Cynthia Chin, MD - Spine imaging and interventions
• Daniel Cooke, MD - Neuro interventional radiology
• Bill Dillon, MD - HIFU and spine interventions
• Dieter Meyerhoff, PhD - Substance abuse and brain dysfunction
• Christopher Hess, MD, PhD - Pediatrics, neurodegenerative diseases
• Steve Hetts, MD - Neuro interventional radiology
• Randall Higashida, MD - Neuro interventional radiology
• Pratik Mukherjee, MD, PhD - Traumatic brain injury, cognitive neuroimaging, DTI
• David Saloner, PhD - Neurovascular imaging
• Norbert Schuff, PhD - Parkinson's disease and neuroimaging of neurodegenerative disease
• Michael Weiner, MD - Alzheimer’s disease
• David Wilson, MD, PhD - C-13 MR spectroscopy, Neuro Pet imaging

Sections & Research Interest Groups

• Neurointerventional Radiology Section
• Neuroimaging RIG

Multiple nuclear medicine projects in developing methods for incorporating PET-CT into radiation treatment planning for cancers of the lung, prostate, head and neck. These projects are currently being conducted in cooperation with the UCSF Department of Radiation Oncology and will allow the post-doctoral trainee to develop expertise in the clinical and physics aspects of both nuclear medicine and radiation therapy.

Radioimmunotherapy projects investigating the use of radiolabeled antibodies in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. These projects will be conducted in cooperation with UCSF Oncology and will provide the post-doctoral trainee with expertise in the planning and dosimetry of radioimmunotherapy as well as the opportunity to perform research related to this cutting-edge technology.

Projects investigating the use of PET-CT in determining response to chemo- and/or radiation - therapy. These projects will allow the post-doctoral trainee to gain experience in various quantitative aspects of PET imaging and to interact closely with colleagues in UCSF Oncology.

• Miguel Pampaloni, MD - PET in Oncology
• Thomas Hope, MD - Prostate imaging, PET/MRI
• Robert Flavell, MD, PhD - PET and hyperpolarized MRI probe development
• Henry VanBrocklin, PhD - PET tracers

Sections & Research Interest Groups

• Nuclear Medicine
• Body RIG

MR-guided HIFU was recently installed at UCSF and is used for treatment of uterine fibroids and bone tumors. It can be used for treatment of prostate tumors and spine facet arthropathy.

• William Dillon, MD - HIFU and spine interventions
• Matthew Bucknor, MD - Bone
• Sharmila Majumdar, PhD - Bone, Spine