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
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
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