Detecting Life at the Cellular and Molecular Levels

The rapidly growing field of biomedical imaging enables one to visualize physiological structures, measure biological functions, and evaluate cellular and molecular events without requiring invasive procedures. Opportunities in imaging span all of the major, and emerging, modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); positron emission tomography (PET); single photon emission coherence tomography (SPECT); ultrasound imaging; optical coherence tomography (OCT); computed (x-ray) tomography; bioluminescence imaging; fluorescence imaging; and other optical imaging methods including novel technologies like cryo-imaging.

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University is a recognized leader in biomedical imaging research, and our research program serves as a cornerstone for a number of interdisciplinary programs, including cancer detection, gene therapy, nanotechnology, drug delivery and understanding of metabolic diseases like diabetes. Our research program aims to define medical imaging technology and applications that will be used both in the laboratory and in the clinical setting now and in the coming decade. By providing a program with strength in instrumentation and devices, computational algorithms, new imaging compounds, and novel clinical applications, we are confident that our program will continue to lead imaging innovation. Applicable skills include: chemistry, numerical methods and programming, electronics, physics, optics, biomedical engineering, digital systems, physiology, biology, and/or design. To achieve this mission, our imaging research includes, but is not limited to: developing new imaging modalities that provide unprecedented spatial resolution in the clinical setting; new computer algorithms and hardware that will lead to improvements in image quality, exceeding those over the past two decades; and using genetic information to develop new chemical compounds that reveal tumor margins or become active only in the presence of unique biological markers.

Biomedical Imaging Faculty

Primary Faculty	Research Interests	Email Address
BASILION, James	High resolution imaging of endogenous gene expression; definition of "molecular signatures" for imaging and treatment of cancer and other diseases; generating and utilizing genomic data to define informative targets; strategies for applying non-invasive imaging to drug development; novel molecular imaging probes and paradigms.	james.basilion@case.edu
DUERK, Jeffrey L. >>	Magnetic resonance imaging; rapid magnetic resonance imaging pulse sequence development; image reconstruction from non-rectilinearly sampled data; the development of image guided interventional MRI procedures including percutaneous cancer and cardiovascular procedures	jeffrey.duerk@case.edu
ROLLINS, Andrew M.	Biomedical diagnosis; novel optical methods for high-resolution; minimally invasive imaging; tissue characterization and analyte sensing; real-time microstructural and functional imaging using optical coherence tomography	rollins@case.edu
WILSON, David L.	Medical image processing; image segmentation, registration, and analysis; quantitative image quality of X-ray fluoroscopy and fast MRI; interventional MRI treatment of cancer	dlw@case.edu
YU, Xin	Cardiovascular physiology; magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy; characterization of the structure-function and energy-function relationships in normal and diseased hearts; small animal imaging and spectroscopy.	xin.yu@case.edu
Research Faculty	Research Interests	Email Address
BROOME, Ann-Marie	Molecular imaging of complex signatures in cancer; in vivo and in vitro imaging of cellular mechanisms in differentiation, inflammation, and carcinogenesis; and signaling of chemotactic peptides in epithelia	ann-marie.broome@case.edu
HU, Zhilin	Applied optics, including optical remote sensing biomedical imaging and laser spectroscopy; optical instrumentation, including theoretical modeling to system and components design for applications in clinical gastrointestinal endoscopies, pulmonary studies, skin and cardiac diseases, and disease prevention	zxh5@case.edu
Associated Faculty	Research Interests	Email Address
DEAN, David	Computer-assisted surgery; skull (bone) tissue engineering; photodynamic therapy of glioma; automated radiosurgery treatment planning	david.dean@case.edu
EXNER, Agata	Innovative applications of biocompatible polymers and other biomaterials in imaging and interventional radiology	agata.exner@case.edu
FISHER, Elizabeth	Quantitative image analysis for monitoring multiple sclerosis.	fishere@ccf.org
FLASK, Christopher	MR imaging; spectroscopy acquisition; reconstruction algorithms to assess molecular mechanisms of cancer and diabetes	christopher.flask@case.ed
GRISWOLD, Mark	Magnetic resonance imaging: parallel imaging, hardware design, rapid acquisitions.	mark.griswold@case.edu
LEE, Zhenghong	Quantitative PET and SPECT imaging, multimodal image registration, 3D visualization, molecular imaging and small animal imaging systems.	zxl11@case.edu
MUZIC, Raymond	Quantitative PET and SPECT imaging, multimodal image registration, 3D visualization, molecular imaging and small animal imaging systems.	raymond.muzic@case.edu
RZESZOTARSKI, Mark S.	Radiological imaging; magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound.	msr7@case.edu
THOMAS, James	Cardiac imaging, image processing, echocardiography, MRI, and cardiac CT imaging; cardiac mechanics and valvular dysfunction; structural and fluid dynamics modeling of the cardiovascular system cardiac alterations and telemedicine in manned space flight	thomasj@ccf.org
TKACH, Jean	Neuro MRI imaging in human and animals; emphasis in functional, diffusion and perfusion MR imaging techniques and applications	jean.tkach@case.edu
WANG, Yanming	Develop molecular probes and conduct in vivo preclinical and clinical imaging studies in neurology, oncology, and cardiology	yanming.wang@case.edu
ZIADY, Assem	Self-assembling, non-viral gene-therapy; proteomics in cystic fibrosis; redox mediated inflammatory signaling in the lung; imaging with non-viral DNA nanoparticles to localize in small animals and to measure reporter gene expression	agz2@case.edu

Affiliated Labs and Centers

•	Biomedical Imaging Laboratory
•	Biophotonics Imaging Laboratory
•	Cardiovascular Research and Imaging Laboratory
•	Case Center for Imaging Research
•	Neurological Surgery Imaging Laboratory