February 2008

The Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging Celebrates Over 15 Years of Service

The Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging in 1992 (left) and 2008 (right).

By Julie Ruiz, PhD
(Images courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

At the dedication of the Richard M. Lucas Center for Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Imaging on May 19, 1992, the Nobel Prize winner in chemistry from Zurich, Switzerland, Professor Richard Ernst, envisioned no limits to MR technology: "The only property of the body that one hasn't found with MR is the soul." While we still haven't imaged the soul, our imaging technology has greatly advanced since the opening of the Lucas Center 15 years ago.

The Lucas Center emanated from Dr. Gary Glazer's vision of creating a premier imaging research program to enhance the clinical research efforts of the Department. When he became chair of Stanford Radiology in 1989, the diagnostic radiology offices and research space were limited to one basement corridor in the Grant Building. Dr. Glazer invited Drs. Gary Glover, PhD, and Norbert Pelc, PhD, to Stanford to form a basic science team. They initiated the beginnings of the Radiological Sciences Laboratory (RSL), which was first housed in the Grant Building and then moved to the Lucas Center upon its completion in 1992. Donna Cronister was hired in 1990 as the RSL administrative services manager and became the administrative director for the Lucas Service Center in 1992.

Construction of the Lucas Center began in 1990 funded by the Richard M. Lucas Foundation. Don Lucas, venture capitalist and Stanford graduate, had started the foundation in honor of his older brother, Richard, who died of cancer in 1981. The Lucas Center was finished by 1992, adding approximately 12,500 square feet to our Department. Scientists at the Lucas Center in 1992 conducted 30 research studies using one 1.5T MRI scanner (human); one 4.7T MRI (animal); and one 9T MRI scanner (tissue). The total NIH funding in 1992 was about $1 million.

(Don, Mary, and John Lucas with Peter Bing (L) at the 1992 dedication ceremony for the opening of the Lucas Center. John, Mary, and Don (R) in front of the bust dedicated to Richard M. Lucas.)

By 1993, RSL had doubled the number of its faculty by adding Sandy Napel, PhD, in 1991 and Michael Moseley, PhD, in 1993. Dan Spielman, PhD, joined RSL as a research affiliate in 1990 and became an assistant professor in 1993. There were also two postdoctoral fellows and six scientific staff members including Tom Brosnan, PhD; Lori Pelc, PhD; and Anne Marie Sawyer, RRT.

In the years following its opening, the Lucas Center experienced unprecedented growth. In 1995, Dr. Glover received funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to launch a full-scale academic radiology training program at the Lucas Center: the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technology at Stanford (CAMRT). Funded through 2010, the CAMRT joins the resources of RSL with those of the Electrical Engineering Department's Magnetic Resonance Systems Research Laboratory. From 1997 to 1998, the Lucas Center was expanded, adding 5,000 square feet to its facilities. As part of this expansion, the 3D Medical Imaging Laboratory, which had been in the Grant Building, moved to the Lucas Center, and we became one of the first research programs to install a 3T MR magnet.

(Pictures from the first expansion.)

The second expansion of the Lucas Center occurred between the years 2003 to 2005 and added an additional 20,000 square feet of space, making our Center one of the world's largest academic centers for medical imaging. With the second expansion, the Lucas Center also acquired a 7T whole-body magnet; a cyclotron to produce isotopes; more wet labs and offices for developing our Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS); and a unique education center equipped with the latest technology for fully interactive imaging seminars. Because of its high quality and innovative design, our Center received the 2007 Design Honor Award: Excellence in Architecture from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), San Francisco Chapter (http://www.aiasf.org/Programs/Awards_Program/Design_Awards.htm).

(2004 view of the Lucas Center from the roof during the second expansion.)

After fifteen years and two expansions, the Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging now houses 15 faculty members in RSL; 2 radiology faculty members in the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS); and over 70 graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. During the past year, our scientists conducted over 300 studies on our three magnets (a 1.5T, 3T, and 7T). With the remarkable increase in scanning speed and resolution of the 7T, we are imaging brain structures that have not been visualized before. We have also initiated two new research programs: high-intensity focused ultrasound and hyperpolarized C13 MR.

Since the opening of the Lucas Center, we have expanded our scope beyond MRI to include cellular and molecular imaging, moving us into the era of nanotechnology. To reflect the extension of our scope, the Lucas Center was renamed the "Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging" in 2007. The Richard M. Lucas Center has also grown into a major resource for service in medical imaging. From January 1, 2006, to February 28, 2007, the Lucas Center supplied imaging services to over 70 projects and to 45 principal investigators (PIs).

Those who were present at the inception of the Lucas Center shared their impressions. Dr. Glover remembers standing in his Grant Building office just before the move into the new Lucas Center in 1992 and talking with Gary Glazer, MD, who asked him, "Did you ever think we'd get this big?" Gary Glover responded, "No, not to the point of needing a new building." In fact, shortly after the move into the Lucas Center and after each expansion, the Lucas personnel quickly outgrew their space. "The enthusiasm and excitement surrounding our research is fueled by having the best faculty and students in the world and incredible support from Gary Glazer," Gary Glover remarked. "Most radiology research programs do not have the support our lab has received from their Department chairs. Gary has made it easy for me and my colleagues by fostering such a large investment in research. Indeed, he has been the driving force behind the success of our Department's research enterprise. One result of his vision and enthusiasm for research is that we have retained all but one of our faculty over the past 18 years."

Gary Glover has tried to grow the RSL and Lucas Center and still retain a community: "It's harder maintaining cohesion with 90 people as opposed to 10 people, but I think we have succeeded in keeping comradery and closeness." Reflecting back on his years as part of RSL, Tom Brosnan, PhD, also remembers how small the lab was in 1991: "There weren't enough people for a softball team, but every Friday at 5 PM we had a party and everyone brought food. We even had an annual lab ski trip, but the lab is too big for that now." When RSL moved from the Grant Building to the Lucas Center in 1992, Dr. Brosnan thought, "We'll never fill up all of this space!" The biggest change for him has been the significant growth in personnel and in the nature of his projects: "There are more projects to do now, and they are more complex. In retrospect, the work I did initially for RSL seems simpler than what I'm doing now."

In the future, we anticipate "Lucas Three," the third expansion of our Center to support growth in anatomic imaging, molecular imaging, and nanotechnology. We will continue to promote interdisciplinary translational research through our recent "Academic Initiatives": the Stanford Center for Early Neoplasia Detection; the Aging Brain and Cognitive Disorders; and Image-Guided Therapy. Our investments in our translational research efforts have already resulted in the establishment of three NIH-funded centers that complement the efforts of the Lucas Center: the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technology (CAMRT); the In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center (ICMIC); and the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence Focused on Therapy Response (CCNE-TR). As we continue to build better tools for imaging structure and function, we hope to make a large impact on medicine and biology.

Announcements: February 25, 2008

Parking Changes at the School of Medicine: Lots 15 and 16 on March 1, 2008.
The following is a memorandum jointly composed by several campus offices, including the School of Medicine Office of Facilities, Planning, and Management (OFPM), the Diversity and Access Office, and the Office of Parking and Transportation, that describes the changes that will take place on March 1st and the individuals and offices that you should contact with your questions or concerns.

MEMORANDUM . . .

With excitement we announce that on March 1, 2008, the School will break ground on the Learning and Knowledge Center (LKC). The relocation of the RAF Ramp will follow the ground breaking for the Learning and Knowledge Center by a matter of weeks. And then, as many of you are aware, we plan to break ground on the new Stanford Institute of Medicine building toward mid-summer. To accomplish these projects, Whiting-Turner Contracting, our general contractor for all three jobs, has informed us that they will need the entire L-15 and L16 parking lot area.

Effective March 1, 2008: Lot 15 will close displacing all remaining parking between Beckman and the Clark Center. With the closure, both L-15 lottery parking and the "D permit" pilot programs will end. The A-Carpool, Service Vehicle, and metered parking will all be moved out of the L-15 lot. The current entrance to the parking lot at the Clark Center will become a construction and delivery only entrance. There will be a flagman at Campus Drive to greet vehicles entering the delivery and construction area. Due to liability, there will be no exceptions--if your vehicle is not a construction vehicle or a commercial delivery vehicle, please do not get in the queue to enter this parking lot.

Individual Parking:
1. The D-Parking Pilot Program will terminate effective March 1st. Refunds and/or payroll deduction amounts will be adjusted according to how you decide to replace your D parking on March 1st. Please contact the Parking & Transportation Services customer service supervisor at 725-0594 to discuss your future parking preference, adjust your payroll deductions, or refund your unused parking fees.

2. The meters will be moved mostly to the ground level of Parking Structure-1, although there will also be a few spots in the Gates Lot.

3. A-Carpool parking spaces will be relocated to Parking Structure-1 and the L-18 Stockfarm surface lot.

4. A-permit holders, who were formally lottery permit holders, will find parking in Parking Structures-1 and -4 in addition to the Stockfarm and Jordan Quad surface lots and along Welch Road.

Until you feel comfortable with your new parking area, allow yourself a bit more time.

Disability Parking:
Disability parking is available in the following areas:

1. Quarry Extension Lot (L-9)--Located on Campus Drive West

2. Parking Structure 1--Campus Drive West and Roth Way

3. MSOB--Near the Medical School Office Building

4. Parking Structure 2--near Via Ortega and Panama

5. Parking Structure 4--Pasteur & Blake Wilbur Drive

6. Street parking along Welch Road near the Lucas Center

7. Gates Lot--on Campus Drive & North Service Road near Gates Computer Science

Additionally, we will monitor parking utilization in the disabled spaces alongside Pasteur Drive, Welch Rd, in the MSOB Lot and Parking Structure-4 garage. Should disabled parking in these areas be consistently utilized, we will explore increasing disabled parking spaces in nearby areas.

If you have further questions or concerns regarding disability parking, please contact the Diversity & Access office at (650) 725-0326 or diversity.access@stanford.edu.

Shuttle Information:
There are two Marguerite Shuttle lines that stop on Pasteur Drive, behind Edwards (the "Hospital Fountain" stop): the "B Line" (Clockwise (BCW) and Counter-Clockwise (BCCW)) and the "C" line. Both run every 15 and 30 minutes respectively from PS-5 and the Stockfarm lot [L-18]. For a shuttle schedule, please access
http://transportation.stanford.edu/marguerite/MargueriteSched.shtml.

For parkers in the PS-5 garage, there are Marguerite buses that will get you around the medical school, hospital, and elsewhere on campus. In fact, it takes only three minutes for the bus to get from the parking lot to the "Hospital Fountain" stop. Because there are two lines on the same route, you wouldn't have to wait more than eight minutes for a bus, often less than that. Both lines offer wheelchair lifts or and/or lowering in the front to ease boarding.

We apologize in advance for the inconvenience and added time that the changes to the L-15 and L-16 parking lots are likely to cause you. When the LKC and site work are complete, there will be a new small parking area at the front of the school. This lot will be primarily disabled and metered parking and should hold approximately 40-45 vehicles.

Deliveries: Deliveries will be possible at each of the following places. There will be only a few spots at any particular place so we suggest that you find a time and place wherein you are able to park in proximity to your destination and deliver according to that schedule.

1. The MSOB Lot accessible from Welch Rd will accommodate roughly three delivery trucks at one time.

2. The Lucas turnaround accessible from Welch Rd will accommodate one,
possibly two trucks at one time but is not meant for long-term parking.

3. The Quarry Rd Parking Lot accessible via Roth Way from Campus Drive
has been re-modeled to support three large trucks parked on the diagonal and 10 smaller delivery vehicles. These small delivery vehicle spots are also available for small contractors.

4. The former entrance to the Medical School parking lot will be open
for deliveries. To the right of the entrance alongside the Clark Center is an area that will support three delivery trucks. Towards the center of the parking lot in front of the Whiting-Turner trailer is space for six to eight more delivery vehicles and even closer to the center there is space for about four more delivery vehicles. It is important not to cram these areas or it will be impossible to turn around and leave. Additionally, one parking spot towards the center of campus will be assigned to the Praxair truck as it requires a spot for up to six hours a day. If you are a small contractor, the loading zone areas may be used to drop off materials and tools; however, there is no parking allowed at any time.

If you have further questions about the LKC and/or Connective Elements
projects themselves, please contact Maggie Saunders (madaca@stanford.edu) or
Paul Forti (pforti@stanford.edu) or go to http://lkc.stanford.edu/.

Announcements I: February 22, 2008

The MIPS Molecular Imaging Seminar Series Presents Mark M. Davis, PhD: Monday, February 25, 2008, in the Alway Building, Room M114, the reception will be from 4:30 to 5:00 PM, followed by the seminar from 5:00 to 5:45 PM and the discussion from 5:45 to 6:00 PM. Dr. Mark M. Davis is the Burt and Marion Avery Family Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. He will be presenting a talk entitled "Biochemistry by Other Means: Using Imaging to Deconstruct T Cell Recognition." His talk is sponsored by the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS); hosted by Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD; and supported by Philips. If you have questions, please contact Susan Singh.

Announcements II: February 21, 2008

Haas Center and the Tradition of Public Service at Stanford: Tuesday, February 26th, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in Building 320, Room 105, of the Geology Corner. The founding director of the Haas Center, Catherine Milton, will be delivering a talk on the Haas Center and the tradition of public service at Stanford sponsored by the Stanford Historical Society. Ms. Milton is currently a visiting fellow at the John Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities in the School of Education. For questions, please contact Charlotte Kwok Glasser at (650) 725-3332 or stanfordhist@stanford.edu.

Announcements I: February 21, 2008

"Representing Uncertainty via the Logarithm of Odds": Monday, February 25th, at 1:00 PM in the Clark Center S360. Kilian Pohl, PhD, from Harvard Medical School will be delivering a lecture on "Representing Uncertainty via the Logarithm of Odds." In this talk, Dr. Pohl will describe a new representation for capturing the uncertainty of objects in images based on the logarithm of odds. This representation addresses several problems in vision as it provides an intrinsic, probabilistic representation for combining and deforming objects. He will show how this representation preserves the statistical characteristics of interpolated shapes, which is an important aspect for many longitudinal neuroscience studies. He will also use the technology in order to solve the mean-field approximation in the level set framework. Conventional likelihood models are combined with a curve length prior on boundaries, and an approximate posterior distribution on labels is sought via the mean field approach. Optimizing the resulting estimator by gradient descent leads to a level set style algorithm where the level set functions are the logarithm of odds encoding of the posterior label probabilities. Applications with more than two labels are easily accommodated. The label assignment is accomplished by the maximum a posteriori rule, so there are no problems of "overlap" or "vacuum."

BIOGRAPHY:
Kilian Pohl received his doctorate in computer science from the Medical Vision Lab at MIT and is currently an instructor for Harvard Medical School. His main research area is computational image analysis with an emphasis on studying statistical models from a Bayesian perspective. Kilian has been the recipient of several awards such as last year's Medical Image Analysis--Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention (MICCAI) '06 Best Paper Prize for his publication, "Using the Logarithm of Odds to Define a Vector Space on Probabilistic Atlases." For more details about his research, please visit his website at http://people.csail.mit.edu/pohl.

The Movie Sequence at Lucas

Dear Colleagues,

We all know that, besides Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, there was Charles Spencer Chaplin. The former was awarded the Nobel Prize for good reasons; the latter, for whatever obscure reasons, was not. The two and their respective image offspring, the plain X-ray and the animated film, were never competitors, but rather, as history has well documented, lively counterparts on the imaging screen. With the overwhelming presence of the first kind of mostly static images in our lives, and the frightening absence of the second kind of images, the "Movie Sequence" was recently imagined by the signatories listed below while they were at the Zibibo Bar in downtown Palo Alto.

The "Movie Sequence" started on February 6, 2008, at the Lucas Center and featured Twelve Angry Men by Sidney Lumet. This Wednesday, February 20th, at 6 PM, Loves of a Blonde will be shown in the Lucas Learning Center. Loves of a Blonde is written and directed by Milos Forman. For a movie summary/review, please see http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/30393/Loves-of-a-Blonde/overview. If you like, please bring something to snack on and/or something to share. Also, the movie is in Czech, so bring you glasses if you need them to read subtitles. If you have questions, please contact Erika Rubesova, MD; Chardonnay Vance, MS; or Ulrich Willi, MD.

The "Movie Sequence" shall, from now on, take place every first and third Wednesday of the month at 6 PM (the film will play at 6:15 PM) in the Learning Center at Lucas as a private event and free of charge. Black and white classics of various cultural backgrounds will be shown, critically selected and emotionally balanced by the signatories who consider themselves as such. Everybody, whether or not she or he might be interested in a balanced imagination, is very welcome.

Stanford, February 19, 2008

Erika Rubesova, Chardonnay Vance, Ulrich Willi

For the "Movie Sequence" online calendar, please visit
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=movie.sequence%40gmail.com&ctz=A

Rex Newbould's Farewell Party Pictures

On Friday, January 25th, our Department wished Rex Newbould, PhD, research associate, farewell after three years of service. He is currently working at GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) Clinical Imaging Centre in London, England, under another Lucas Center alumnus, Alex De Crespigny.

To view pictures from his party, please access
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaNG7ZqzbN2LCJg&emid=sharview&linkid=link5.

Awards and Honors: February 19, 2008

The research of the Cardiovascular Molecular Imaging Lab was recently featured on the cover of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine (December 1, 2007, v. 48:12). The cover highlights their work on the comparison of imaging techniques for tracking cardiac stem cell therapy. To view their abstract from the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, please access http://jnm.snmjournals.org/cgi/content/full/48/12/1916. Members of the lab research cardiovascular molecular imaging of stem cell transplantation and gene therapy using different molecular markers.

New Faculty Hires and Promotions: February 12, 2008

Justus Roos, MD, was appointed as an assistant professor of radiology in 2008. Dr. Roos began at Stanford in January 2005 as a research fellow and became a research associate in our Department in January 2006. Prior to Stanford, he was an attending radiologist at the University Hospital, Zurich. Dr. Roos completed his residency in diagnostic pathology at the University Hospital, Geneva, and diagnostic radiology at the University Hospital, Zurich. His current research focuses on CT applications, with two main scholarly concentrations: the computer-aided detection of pulmonary nodules in chest CT scans and cardiovascular CT visualization. One of his major projects includes the development and validation of new 3D post-processing methods of CT angiography data in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease. In 2006, Dr. Roos received the Hounsfield Award from the Society of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance (SCBT/MR) for his scientific research. When he is not working, Dr. Roos enjoys spending time with his wife and two children as well as pursuing his hobbies: alpine skiing, playing tennis, mountain biking, cooking, and dancing.

Awards and Honors: February 12, 2008

The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) recently featured research from the Multimodality Molecular Imaging Lab (MMIL) and the Yock lab on the cover of their February 5, 2008, V. 51:5 issue. To view their abstract from this issue on the noninvasive imaging of reporter genes after percutaneous delivery in swine, please access http://content.onlinejacc.org/cgi/content/full/51/5/595. Members of MMIL are developing imaging assays to interrogate cells for mRNA levels, cell surface antigens, intracellular proteins, and protein-protein interactions using technologies such as micro positron emission tomography (microPET), bioluminescence optical imaging, fluorescence optical imaging, micro computerized axial tomography (microCAT), ultrasound, and photoacoustics.

Awards and Honors: February 8, 2008

Natesh Parashurama, MD, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the Multimodality Molecular Imaging Lab (MMIL), has received two awards: a Speaker and Travel Award for the Stem Cell Bioengineering Conference (American Institute of Chemical Engineers AICHE) and a 2008-2009 Dean's Fellowship for his proposal, "Molecular Imaging of the Cardiac Stem Cell Niche." Dr. Parashurama received his BS in chemical engineering from MIT; his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo; his PhD in chemical engineering from Rutgers University, New Jersey; and a three-year graduate research fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Parashurama's research interests include applying quantitative molecular imaging tools to study cell proliferation and differentiation; cell function; the cellular micro-environment; cell trafficking and homing; the immune response; and cell therapy-mediated gene therapy.

Awards and Honors: February 6, 2008

Hao Peng, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the Molecular Imaging Instrumentation Laboratory (MIIL), has been awarded a 2008-2009 Dean's Postdoctoral Fellowship for his proposal, "Investigation of a Miniature PET Camera Insert Dedicated to Simultaneous PET/MRI Mammography and MRI-guided Biopsy." Dr. Peng completed his BS and MS degrees at Wuhan University, China, in applied physics. He received his PhD at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, from the Medical Physics Program. Dr. Peng's current research interests include the creation of breast cancer-dedicated positron emission tomography (PET) cameras using avalanche photodiode (APD) and cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT) semiconductor detectors as well as the development of a simultaneous PET/MRI dual modality scanner that can improve diagnosis accuracy and facilitate MRI-guided biopsy. When he is not working, he loves to play tennis and basketball.

Awards and Honors: February 5, 2008

Zibo Li, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the Molecular Imaging Probe Laboratory (MIPL), has received the Benedict Cassen Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM), which is granted to recipients who have an excellent record and exceptional research ability. Dr. Li's research focuses on the development of novel tracers (peptides, proteins, growth factors, antibodies, and antibody fragments-based) for near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence, MRI, SPECT, and PET imaging of small animal tumor xenografts and, potentially, of cancer patients.

Dr. Lawrence "Rusty" Hofmann Featured in AuntMinnie.com

By Julie Ruiz, PhD

Rusty Hofmann, MD, chief of interventional radiology, was recently featured in an AuntMinnie.com article by Edward Susman, "Imaging Set to Play Pivotal Role for Delivering Molecular Therapeutics." The article is based on Dr. Hofmann's presentation at the 2008 International Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ISET) meeting in which he highlighted the importance of imaging in molecular therapeutics: "In human trials, there is no way to monitor the appropriate site to inject the drugs, to monitor delivery of the drugs, to monitor how the drugs traffic in the body, and no way to monitor how those drugs engraft." The injection of molecular agents in combination with imaging guidance can help resolve these problems by improving drug delivery. For the full text of "Imaging Set to Play Pivotal Role for Delivering Molecular Therapeutics," please access http://www.auntminnie.com/print/print.asp?sec=sup&sub=adv&pag=dis&ItemId=79852&d=1.

ISET celebrated its 20th anniversary at the 2008 conference in Hollywood, Florida. Attended by leaders in interventional cardiology, interventional radiology, and vascular specialties, this conference provides the most current noninvasive techniques for the diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases through live case demonstrations. Conference presentations included ground-breaking research on topics such as gender differences in the endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms; outpatient uterine fibroid embolizations; the benefits of treating pregnant women who have DVT; and the use of anti-platelet therapy to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in PAD patients.

(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)

Announcements: February 1, 2008

Special Research Conference with Dr. Bitton: Monday, February, 4, 2008, at 4:00PM in the Lucas Learning Center (Lucas expansion, basement level), P083.
The MIPS Molecular Imaging Seminar Series Presents Robin P. Choudhury, MA, DM, MRCP: Monday, February 4, 2008, in the School of Medicine's Alway Building, room M114, at 4:30-5:15 PM, followed by a discussion from 5:15-5:30 PM, and a reception from 5:30-6:00 PM.

Special Research Conference with Dr. Bitton: Monday, February, 4, 2008 at 4:00PM in the Lucas Learning Center (Lucas expansion, basement level), P083. Dr. Rachel Bitton will be presenting a talk entitled "A High Frequency Array-Based Photoacoustic Microscopy System for Non-Invasive Vascular Imaging." Dr. Bitton recently received her PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Southern California. Please find the abstract for her talk below. If you have questions, please contact Donna Cronister.

ABSTRACT:
The development of new approaches to biomedical imaging is fueled by the manifest need for high speed, high resolution, non-invasive techniques able to visualize high contrast tissue structures such as microvessels. Laser induced high frequency photoacoustic microscopy is a hybrid imaging modality based on the intrinsic optical properties of biological tissue and ultrasonic detection at high frequencies (>20MHz). In this talk, a novel design for a photoacoustic imaging system using a 30MHz transducer array and 16 channel custom receive electronics is presented. This system is able to produce photoacoustic images of phantoms, as well as small animal microvasculature in-vivo. The applications for this type of photoacoustic microscopy can extend to real-time high frequency imaging, functional imaging, and multi-modal capabilities by overlaying ultrasonic and photoacoustic images, while offering a unique prospect to visualize cancer-related angiogenesis.

The MIPS Molecular Imaging Seminar Series Presents Robin P. Choudhury, MA, DM, MRCP: Monday, February 4, 2008, in the School of Medicine's Alway Building, room M114, at 4:30-5:15 PM, followed by a discussion from 5:15-5:30 PM, and a reception from 5:30-6:00 PM. Dr. Choudhury is a Wellcome Trust Intermediate Clinical Research Fellow and honorary consultant radiologist at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. She will present a seminar entitled "Microparticles of Iron Oxide for Molecular MRI." Please find her abstract below. Her talk is sponsored by the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS); hosted by Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD, and Edward Graves, PhD; and supported by Philips. If you have questions, please contact Susan Singh.

ABSTRACT:
Micro-particles of iron oxide (MPIO) have been used for cellular imaging and tracking. For some molecular imaging applications, the size of these particles would preclude delivery to the site of interest. However, for imaging endovascular targets, MPIO possess several positive attributes. Firstly, MPIO conveys a payload of iron that is orders of magnitude greater than ultra-small particles of iron oxide (USPIO). Secondly, the effects of MPIO on local magnetic field homogeneity, and therefore detectable contrast, extend a distance many times their physical diameter. Thirdly, once bound to endothelium, MPIO remain intravascular, thereby allowing bound MPIO to be readily distinguished from the vessel wall. Finally, conjugated MPIO may offer a generic tool for imaging endothelial-specific markers across a range of vascular pathologies. Accordingly, we have adopted a MPIO-based approach for targeted MRI and applied this to the detection of adhesion molecules on the arterial endothelium (atherosclerosis and brain inflammation) and activated platelets (arterial thrombosis and cerebral malaria).