Faculty & Staff

Faculty

David Piwnica-Worms, M.D., Ph.D. – Professor and Chair, Cancer Systems Imaging ; Professor, Cancer Biology, Deputy Division Head, Research, Diagnostic Imaging
Research Interests: Molecular Imaging, Signal transduction, Genetically encoded reporters, Bioluminescence, PET
Email:  dpiwnica-worms@mdanderson.org

Mian Alauddin, Ph.D. – Associate Professor
Research Interests: Development of PET probes for in vivo imaging of cancers and their therapy evaluation; Radiolabeling of antibodies and peptides for cancer diagnosis and therapy

Pratip K. Bhattacharya, Ph.D. – Associate Professor
Research Interests: Hyperpolarization: liquid and solid state, real-time molecular and metabolic imaging in vivo, silicon nanoparticle hyperpolarization for targeted MRI and nanochemistry, parahydrogen Induced Polarization and Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

Rivka Colen, M.D. – Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Imaging, Imaging genomics, Radiomics, Radiogenomics, Imaging biomarkers, Quantitative analysis, Cancer imaging, Imaging and –omics, Imaging and big data

Daniel Frigo, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: Understanding how various signaling pathways, such as those regulated by the androgen receptor, CaMKK2, AMPK, mTOR and Myc, drive the progression of prostate cancer. The long-term goal of this work is to exploit these newly uncovered pathways for therapeutic purposes. Interestingly, many of these signaling pathways converge at various metabolic nodes. The end result is a shift in oncogenic metabolism that allows the cancer cells to utilize a diverse array of nutrients to the benefit of the cancer cell.

Seth T. Gammon, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Development of new hyperpolarized MRI agents for study of the adaptive and innate immune systems; Leveraging existing bioluminescent and fluorescent reporters for studying the complex interaction of the innate immune system, tumor biology, and cancer chemotherapeutics; Using quantitative PET/SPECT/CT techniques for imaging of the pharmacodynamics of novel therapies in preclinical animal models; Development of novel methods of extracting new information from existing imaging techniques and contrast agents in the context of tumor progression and intervention in preclinical models

Victor Krasnykh, Ph.D. – Associate Professor
Research Interests: Molecular profiling of tumor biomarkers by imaging; molecular probes development for PET and NIRF; image-guided therapy; tumor-targeted gene delivery

Lucia G. Le Roux, Ph.D. – Instructor
Research Interests: Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathies (CIPN)

Chun Li, Ph.D. – Professor
Research Interests: Development of targeted imaging probes for noninvasive characterization of molecular events; development of novel drug-delivery systems for selective delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents

Steven Millward, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Imaging of apoptosis and autophagy, ovarian cancer metabolism, directed evolution of imaging agents.

Florian Muller, Ph.D. – Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Passenger deletions as targets of personalized therapy and non-invasive diagnostic imaging

Mark D. Pagel, Ph.D. - Professor and Deputy Chair
Research Interests: Imaging the tumor microenvironment; imaging tumor acidosis, enzyme activity, oxygenation and vascular permeability; CEST MRI, PET/MRI and MultiSpectral Optoacoustic Tomography; clinical translation of molecular imaging

Federica Pisaneschi, Ph.D. - Instructor
Research Interests: Radiochemistry, development of radiopharmaceuticals for target radiotherapy and PET imaging

Jun Zhao, Ph.D. – Instructor
Research Interests: Development of novel drug-delivery systems for selective delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents

Joint, adjunct and visiting faculty

Carlos E. Gonzalez-Lepera, Ph.D. – Professor, Nuclear Medicine
Research Interests: Implement and oversee manufacturing of FDA approved PET radiopharmaceuticals; Develop new techniques for cyclotron produced radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals

Vikas Kundra, M.D., Ph.D. – Professor, Diagnostic Radiology, Section of Abdominal Imaging
Research Interest: Imaging of Gene Expression, Gene Therapy and Responsive Therapy

Homer A. Macapinlac, M.D. – Professor, James E. Anderson Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Medicine, Chair, Nuclear Medicine
Research Interests: Early response evaluation in solid tumors (e.g. lung cancer, lymphoma) using various novel PET tracers in comparison to FDG. Novel theranostic multi-tracer techniques using PET/CT or SPECT/CT for pre-therapy dosimetry/patient selection, alpha/beta therapy and post therapy dose estimates in patients with prostate, neuroendocrine and breast cancer. Novel PET/MR techniques to improve multi-parametric image quantification in early recurrence of prostate cancer.

Donald A. Podoloff, M.D., FACR – Professor Emeritus, Medical Director, Center for Advanced Biomedical Imaging – CABI

Dawid Schellingerhout, M.D. – Associate Professor, Radiology, Neuroradiology Head & Neck section
Research Interests: Molecular Imaging of novel gene and cell based therapies, particularly for Central Nervous System (CNS) conditions; Non-invasive mapping of therapeutic gene delivery; Assessment of therapeutic gene expression by imaging; Pharmacological manipulation of gene therapy vector distribution; Focused ultrasound for the disruption of the blood brain barrier; Assessment of PET agents for the delineation of brain tumors

Gomika Udugamasooriya, Ph.D.  – Adjunct Associate Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Associate Professor, Pharmacological & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Houston

Derek West, M.D.  – Adjunct Assistant Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging, The University of  Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Assistant Professor of Radiology and Bioengineering and Nanomedicine, UT Health Science Center Houston

Staff

Marcia M. Richards, M.P.H.
Research Department Administrator
713-792-4963
713-794-5456 (fax)
Email:  mmrichards@mdanderson.org

Dana D. Hedge
Executive Assistant
713-745-8521
Email: ddhedge@mdanderson.org

Elizabeth Roos
Program Manager
713-792-2102
Email: eroos@mdanderson.org

Kristi Mercer, BBA/CPHT
Associate Director, Research Planning & Development
713-792-6884
Email: knmercer@mdanderson.org

Galina Mikheeva, M.S.
Laboratory Manager
713-563-4890 
Email: gmikheeva@mdanderson.org

Noemí L. Gavia, CAP-OM
Sr. Procurement Coordinator
713-563-8811
Email: noemi.gavia@mdanderson.org

Kimberly Giles
Financial Analyst
713-745-2220
Email: kmgiles@mdanderson.org