Scan Times
Weblog of the Department of Radiology
January 2009
Awards and Honors II: January 30, 2009
Natesh Parashurama, MD, PhD, postdoctoral scholar in the Multimodality Molecular Imaging Lab, has been awarded a 2009-2010 Dean's Fellowship for his proposal, "Quantitative, Multimodality Molecular Imaging of Spatiotemporally Regulated Cardiac Stem Cell Functions In Vivo." The Dean's Fellowship is designed "to encourage and support young investigators for the first one or two years of postdoctoral (PhD or MD) research training. Dr. Parashurama received his BS in chemical engineering from MIT and his medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Subsequently, he completed his PhD in chemical bioengineering at Rutgers University. While earning his PhD, he completed a three and a half-year graduate fellowship at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Parashurama's research interests include using multimodality imaging of stem cell functions for both enhanced understanding of the biology of stem cells and for translating these techniques to the clinic. These functions include cell homing and differentiation; the application of quantitative molecular imaging tools to study cell proliferation and differentiation; cell function; the cellular micro-environment; cell trafficking; the immune response; and cell-mediated gene therapy. For his prior blog posting, please access http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2008/02/awards_and_hono_28.html.
Awards and Honors I: January 30, 2009
Juergen K. Willmann, MD, assistant professor of radiology (abdominal imaging) and member of the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS), has won the 2008 RSNA Research Award in the category of "Molecular Imaging" and the 2009 Phillip H. Meyers, MD, Research Award of the Society of Gastrointestinal Radiologists. Recipients receive the Phillip H. Meyers, MD, Research Award to facilitate visionary research in medical imaging.
Prior to becoming an assistant professor at Stanford, Dr. Willmann was a research fellow in the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS) while concurrently an assistant professor of diagnostic radiology at the Institute of Diagnostic Radiology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. He received his MD from the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany, and was the chief resident of diagnostic radiology at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. His lab, the Translational Molecular Imaging Lab, focuses on multimodality molecular imaging of angiogenesis and stem cell therapy and the development of new ultrasonic imaging approaches for the early detection of cancer. When he is not working, Dr. Willmann enjoys his life as a new Dad and plays the piano. To read Dr. Willmann's prior award postings, please access http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2008/11/awards_and_hono_61.html; http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2008/05/awards_and_hono_38.html; http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2007/12/awards_and_hono_21.html; and
http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2007/02/awards_and_hono_18.html.
Drs. Gold and Hargreaves Detect Osteoarthritis Using Sodium MRI
Garry Gold, MD, associate professor of radiology (left), and Brian Hargreaves, PhD, assistant professor of radiology (right), have developed imaging techniques using sodium MRI to diagnose osteoarthritis decades before symptoms begin. To read more about their research and to watch a video of Dr. Gold explaining the newest techniques in sodium MRI for osteoarthritis detection, please access http://med.stanford.edu/news_releases/2009/january/sodium.html.
Did You Know?
AVERAGE COST OF RADIOLOGIC EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
AT 57 U.S. HOSPITALS IN 1910
Interest on cost of equipment ($1,102.63=the average in 57 hospitals) at 6%...........................................................$66.15
Depreciation per year, at 12%..................................$132.31
Insurance at approx. $1,000 valuation...........................$17.70
Repairs and improvements, per year.............................$100.00
Electricity, per year (light and power).........................$25.00
Tubes, per year.................................................$75.00
Cost of 2194 plates, all sizes, estimated at 35 cents..........$767.90
Cost of developers at 5 cents per plate........................$109.70
Total cost, per hospital for one year,.......................$1,293.76
(from "X-Ray Work in Radiology" by Stevens, R.; The American Quarterly of Roentgenology 1910;2:107-109).
Awards and Honors: January 28, 2009
Audrey Strain, RT, CT technologist, received the January Wingspread Award from the former recipient, Pablo Rodriguez, CRT, ARRT, for her excellence in Radiology. The Wingspread Award is given by one employee to another who has proven that he or she is a "special performer" by demonstrating exemplary performance in areas such as job knowledge; work ethics; communication skills; inter- and intradepartmental relationships; versatility; and judgment. This award gives employees the opportunity to recognize who among them has gone above and beyond the fulfillment of his or her usual duties. Wingspread awardees can keep the award for as long as they wish or until they discover another "special performer." Monthly awarding of the Wingspread honor is encouraged as part of the Stanford Hospital & Clinics (SHC) departmental staff meetings.
Mrs. Strain was first employed at SHC in July of 2001, after graduating from the Foothill College Radiologic Technologies Program in June of 2001. Within one year, she obtained her mammography license and trained in the Stanford Mammography Department. From 2003 to 2004, Mrs. Strain worked for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital as their lead technologist, returning to SHC in 2004 as the lead technologist at the new Cancer Center. Simultaneously, she served as a clinical instructor to the second-year students from Foothill College. After having her first daughter in 2006, Mrs. Strain began her current position in the CT Department as a staff technician, which allows her to spend more time with her daughter by working 16 hours on Saturdays and two additional 8-hour shifts during the week. She also taught at the Foothill College Radiology Laboratory for one quarter but declined further teaching appointments because she did not want to spend more time away from her daughter. On January 14th, Mrs. Strain passed her CT registry exam and is now a licensed CT technologist. She is currently on maternity leave, awaiting the arrival of her second daughter.
(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)
Dr. Chris Beaulieu Named Peet's Customer of the Week
Dr. Beaulieu, chief of musculoskeletal radiology, was recently named Peet's Customer of the Week. "This competes with Obama for the high point of 2009 thus far, and is another prestigious accolade for my CV," he remarked. As a reward for his coffee drinking, Dr. Beaulieu's picture (above) appeared on the wall of Peet's Coffee for the week of January 12th through January 16th. He was also given his choice of a free treat; he chose a carmel macchiato with biscotti.
Imaging Innovations on Video
Five new videos highlighting our new outpatient imaging center and leading-edge techniques in interventional radiology and MRI are now available for viewing through our website at http://radiology.stanford.edu/ or through the links below.
"Welcome to Stanford's Innovative New Center for Medical Imaging"
"Stanford Medicine: Pioneers in Interventional Radiology"
"Stanford Interventional Radiology: A Cancer Survivor's Story"
"Stanford Interventional Radiology: A Definitive Treatment for Deep Venous Thrombosis"
Third Annual Lucas Center Food Drive Exceeds Its Goal
In December, Donna Cronister, administrative services manager, coordinated the Lucas Center food drive with the goal of donating 200 pounds to the Second Harvest Food Bank. The Lucas Center exceeded its goal by 9 pounds of food! We hope to double our collection next year. Our prior two food drives were coordinated by Wendy Baumgardner, research technologist.
Thanks to everyone who participated!
Stanford Hospital & Clinics Radiology Wins Bronze Award for Departmental Food and Fund Drive
Food drive organizer Linn Dee Barrientos, business systems analyst, congratulates everyone who participated in our 2008 Holiday Food and Fund Drive to support Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties! Through the generosity of our Department as well as our encouragement of our supporting ancillary services, we donated a total of 479 pounds as well as $390.00 to the Second Harvest Food Bank. For our efforts, we earned a bronze award, which Ms. Barrientos will be accepting on behalf of our Department at the Second Harvest's "Award and Recognition Event" on Thursday, February 12, 2009, at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (500 Castro Street in Mountain View). There is complimentary parking in the garage under the Center, which can be accessed from Mercy Street. Some street parking is also available. A cocktail reception and hors d'oeuvres will begin at 5:30 PM; the awards ceremony starts at 6:30 PM. For more information, please access http://www.secondharvestfood.org/aboutus/events_2008awards.php.
Ms. Barrientos would like to thank everyone for their generosity: "Our efforts this past holiday season have made a tremendous impact on our community as well as on our camaraderie with each other. Give yourself a round of applause! Because of our ability to motivate ourselves and others, I am very honored to represent Stanford Radiology at the awards banquet on February 12th at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts!"
To read more about Ms. Barrientos' endeavors in organizing our food and fund drive, please access her prior blog article at http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2008/11/stanford_hospit_2.html.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. William H. Marshall
(Image courtesy of Mark Riesenberger)
"If I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants," William Marshall, MD, said of his career, quoting English Physicist Sir Isaac Newton. "I came into radiology at a time when neuroradiology was becoming a burgeoning field. I also had splendid colleagues, residents, fellows, technicians, nurses, and administrators, and my whole career unfolded. Marvelous things happened to me. It was a wonderful ride, and I enjoyed it very much."
During a Stanford career as a professor of radiology (clinical) that spanned more than three decades, . . .
Dr. Marshall performed procedures, such as air encephalation, that he eventually replaced with angiograms, CT scans, and MRI studies, which were more accurate, much safer, and more easily tolerated by patients. Along with Les Zatz, MD, who was the first to develop neuroradiology at Stanford, Dr. Marshall was co-chief of the neuroradiology section for two years and served as the neuroradiolgy section chief for seventeen years. In addition, he published 36 refereed journal papers and was the chair of the Radiation Producing Machines Committee for twenty-two years, which was established for the protection of patients and the University.
Dr. Marshall's other accomplishments began early in his career and included winning a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Rochester in New York to study chemical engineering. After his third year as an undergraduate, he began medical school at the University of Rochester and was again awarded a full-tuition scholarship. Upon completing medical school and then an internship at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Marshall served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps.
While stationed in the Red Sea, he wrote to his medical school mentor, Dr. Lucy Frank Squires, about possible residency programs. She encouraged him to apply to the residency program at Stanford, which was then headed by Dr. Henry Jones: "I went to talk with Dr. Jones, and he kept telling me about Stanford's other exceptional applicants. I thought I didn't have a chance, so I was delighted when he sent me a letter of acceptance!"
During his residency at Stanford, Dr. Marshall received an American Cancer Society Fellowship to study at the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital in New York where he saw a great volume of cases in neuro with Dr. Juan Taveras; in pediatrics with Dr. David Baker; and in chest with Dr. Kent Ellis. Returning to Stanford, Dr. Marshall participated in the first percutaneous coronary and renal angiographies under the direction of Herbert Abrams, MD: "We would come in the night before the procedure and make the catheters over steam, placing them in a dish of fluid. They were really floppy and hard to control, but they worked. When Herb was absent, I would keep the program running, which for a third-year resident was a tremendous opportunity. I am much indebted to Dr. Abram's continuing support down through the years."
After residency, Dr. Marshall was a radiologist for two years at the Palo Alto Medical Clinic and the Veterans Administration Hospital and then became an instructor in the Stanford Radiology Department. At that time, the idea of neuroradiology was popular on the East Coast and in Europe, but it was just beginning on the West Coast. Dr. Zatz decided that Stanford needed a separate section of neuroradiology, and he enlisted Dr. Marshall to help him: "Dr. Zatz was interested in how things worked while I was interested in how to apply them, so we made a good team."
During his career, Dr. Marshall took advantage of the opportunities offered by Stanford, which included important collaborations: "We wanted to work with the neurosurgeons and pathologists. Dr. Jake Hanbery, chief of neurosurgery, welcomed me into the operating room. Before each procedure, I would study and interpret their patients' films, and I would show the neurosurgeons in advance what the problems might be so they could plan their procedures. Once in the operating room, I could see whether my information was correct. It was the moment of truth. This collaborative support was important for the growth of our section. Similarly, we would go to the Pathology Department once a week, and the chief of neuropathology, Dr. Lucian Rubinstein, would make slices of brains in the exact same way the brains had been scanned so that we could compare the slices and scans. The pathologists were always astounded when we were able to find things they couldn't see because the slices only showed the brain surface, while our scanned images showed what was within the brain tissue."
University life offered many opportunities for growth, which included travel. During the Vietnam War, Dr. Marshall took a four-month unpaid leave of absence to serve as a surgeon/radiologist in civilian hospitals in DaNang, Vietnam, through the Volunteer Physicians for Vietnam Program. "I enlisted as a surgeon because they didn't want a radiologist. The equipment was terrible. They overexposed their patients in making the films, sometimes for as long as 45 seconds, and they under-processed the films. I was able to make high quality films in as little time as a second to one-tenth of a second. Once I demonstrated that I could increase the film quality and increase the level of clinical information, they sent me to all the county hospitals in that sector. The medical students from Hue were very eager to learn modern radiology, and they kept demanding that I hold teaching sessions every Saturday morning. They wanted the sessions to be three-hours long." During a sabbatical sponsored by the Swedish Medical Research Foundation, Dr. Marshall also traveled to Sweden to study cerebral circulation disease at the University of Lund, Sweden, with Sten Cronquist, MD, and then to Norway to study with Per Amundsen, MD. He later travelled to the University of Stellenbosch and Cape Town University in Cape Town, South Africa, as a visiting professor, and he combined this travel to South Africa with a surfing trip.
Overall, Dr. Marshall's greatest satisfaction has been providing opportunities for his trainees: "My trainees were excellent and wonderful people, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with them. They thought I knew more than they did, so I had to go home and read the journals and come back in the morning fresh. They kept me fresh and on my toes!"
Since he retired in 1993, Dr. Marshall enjoys spending time with his family: his wife, Jane; son, Herb; and daughter, Jenny. Jane was the unofficial secretary for the neuroradiology section: "She handled all the schedules; kept us all on track for the seventeen years I served as chief of the neuroradiology section; and held annual dinners for the outgoing trainees in our home." While Dr. Marshall was president of the Western Radiological Society, Jane also organized the annual meeting for the Society.
Although he still enjoys water skiing, snow skiing, and racquetball, Dr. Marshall gave up motorcycling due to crashes. Four or five times a week, he walks to the dish with Henry Jones, MD: "He was my professor, then my colleague, and now he's my friend. It's a friendship that has endured for fifty years."
New Staff Hires and Promotions: January 8, 2009
Alice Gardner, MM, recently joined our Department as an administrative associate in the Abdominal Imaging Section. Prior to coming to California in 2004, Ms. Gardner lived for most of her adult life on the back roads of rural Vermont, raising her family in a picturesque valley while running a home business growing and drying flowers. In Brattleboro, Vermont, she worked at the School for International Training as an administrative manager for their master's programs. After moving to California, Ms. Gardner worked for over two years as a seminar and program coordinator at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto. She earned her master's degree in management from Cambridge College in 2000.
Although she lived in Vermont for most of her life, Ms. Gardner grew up in Connecticut and also spent seven years in Scotland at the Findhorn Foundation. From a young age, she has been interested in spirituality and in 2002, after discovering the teachings of Eckhart Tolle, she spent five days at a retreat led by Mr. Tolle and subsequently authored a book about her experiences entitled Life Beyond Belief.
According to Ms. Gardner, her four years in California have been great: "I am thoroughly enjoying the wonderfully temperate climate here, as well as the social environment with my friends, family, and as a member of the Stanford community. I enjoy nature photography very much, and I have included some of my recent photos for the blog. Also, my last name, Gardner, is very fitting because I really am a gardener; I am certificated by the Royal Horticultural Society in England, and I enjoy the year-round flowers and plants in California a lot. I love the great outdoors and enjoy camping, walking, biking to work, and just plain being outdoors."
Did You Know?
In the years following the 1895 discovery of the X-ray when radiology was beginning to develop as a specialty, some radiologists charged less for a negative result than a positive one. In 1896, radiologist Dr. William James Morton at New York City Hospital wrote the following after examining a patient referred to him for a possible kidney stone: "Like all physicians' services a negative result is harder to charge for than a positive one." Because he did not find a kidney stone, Dr. Morton reduced his fee by $25 (Technology in the Hospital by Howell, J; Baltimore, Maryland: John Hopkins University Press, 1995: 128).
New Faculty Hires and Promotions: January 5, 2009
Rebecca Fahrig, PhD, has been promoted to associate professor (research) of radiology. Prior to joining our Department, Dr. Fahrig completed her PhD in medical biophysics at the University of Western Ontario and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. She has won numerous awards including selection as a School of Medicine Faculty Fellow for 2008; the Greenfield Award for the Best Paper (nonradiation dosimetry) published in Medical Physics in 2005; the Fellowship Research Trainee Prize (along with Zhu, PhD, candidate) from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Physics Subcommittee; and the Faculty Scholar in Translational Research Award from the Baxter Foundation. Dr. Fahrig's research focuses on imaging for guidance of minimally invasive procedures. She works on software and hardware that permit the use of a C-arm system for both fluoroscopy and CT imaging, and she has extended the applications of C-arm CT to retrospectively gated 3D/4D cardiac imaging in the interventional suite. Dr. Fahrig is also developing an MR-compatible X-ray fluoroscopy system, including a new rotating-anode X-ray tube for use in the fringe fields of 1.5T and 3.0T magnets. For her prior award posting, please access http://radiology.stanford.edu/blog/archives/2008/04/awards_and_hono_36.html.
Did You Know?
The cardiovascular imaging group pioneered the noninvasive imaging of the heart and blood vessels in the body. Studies that once required catheterization can now be conducted noninvasively.
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