Imaging Physics Faculty
In addition to our clinical services for the imaging equipment used in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer throughout the institution, our world-renowned faculty are also recognized leaders in science and education related to biomedical imaging. We conduct research in virtually all aspects of medical imaging, often in collaboration with other MD Anderson faculty. Our faculty includes international leaders in the field of radiation dose reduction and patient safety.
Many are innovators and have had a significant impact on the field. They are regularly recognized by their professional peers and have received accolades and awards from prestigious organizations. Our faculty members receive funding from highly competitive grant programs and are sought after for speaking engagements worldwide.
Department Leadership
John D. Hazle, Ph.D. - Chairman, Professor, Bernard W. Biedenharn Chair in Cancer Research
Research Interests: Image guided therapy, MR temperature imaging, pre-clinical imaging, novel early detection technologies (Magnetic Relaxometry Research Lab and Small Animal Imaging Facility)
Kristy K. Brock, Ph.D. - Director of the Image-Guided Therapy Program, Professor
Research Interests: Investigating biomechanical models for image registration, image guided therapy, therapy response assessment (Morfeus Lab)
Thomas K. Nishino, Ph.D. - Director of Clinical Operations, Associate Professor
Research Interests: 2-D and 3-D image processing methods for the extraction of pertinent, clinical data used by radiologists and clinicians to assess anatomy, pathology and physiologic activity in the human body
John Rong, Ph.D. - Section Chief of Radiological Physics, Professor
Research Interests: CT scanner performance, image quality evaluation, radiation dose reduction
Osama R. Mawlawi, Ph.D. - Deputy Chair, Section Chief of Nuclear Medicine Physics, Professor
Research Interests: PET/CT image acquisition and formation, quantification accuracy in PET/CT imaging, motion artifacts in PET/CT imaging, kinetic modeling
Konstantin Sokolov, Ph.D. - Section Chief of Research, Professor
Research Interests: Applications of nanotechnology and biophotonics in early detection, diagnosis/prognosis, and treatment of cancer (Biomedical Optics & NanoDiagnostics (BOND) Lab)
R. Jason Stafford, Ph.D. - Section Chief of Magnestic Resonance & Ultrasound Physics, Professor
Research Interests: MRI, image-guided interventions, image-guided therapy, thermal therapy
Richard E. Wendt, Ph.D., III - Education Programs Director, Professor
Research Interests: Radiopharmaceutical internal dosimetry and beta-emitting brachytherapy
Clinical & Research Faculty
Moiz Ahmad, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Research Interests:
James A. Bankson, Ph.D. - Professor
Research Interests: Use of engineering principles (RF engineering, systems engineering, electromagnetics, signal and image processing) to refine, optimize, and extend methods to characterize disease non-invasively using magnetic resonance imaging, spectroscopy, and spectroscopic imaging (Magnetic Resonance Systems Lab and Small Animal Imaging Facility)
Richard Bouchard, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: Clinical photoacoustic-ultrasonic (PAUS) and acoustic radiation force (ARF)-based elasticity imaging technologies, preclinical (i.e., murine model) PAUS imaging of molecular (i.e., nanoscale) theranostic probes (Photoacoustic Imaging Research Lab)
William Erwin, M.S. - Senior Medical Physicist
Research Interests: Development of quantitative radionuclide imaging and radionuclide dosimetry techniques for treatment planning of therapy with internally administered radionuclides
David Fuentes, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: Development, implementation, and validation of high performance human assisted computational tools for image-guided interventions (Computational Research Lab)
William R. Geiser, M.S. - Senior Medical Physicist
Research Interests: Dosimetry in mammography, phantoms for FFDM and breast tomosynthesis
Ping Hou, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: MRI, MRI pulse sequence design and implementation, perfusion imaging, functional MRI, MRI quality assurance
Ken-Pin Hwang, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Research Interests: MR for treatment planning, geometric accuracy and assessment for MRI, synthetic MR imaging, pulse sequence design and image reconstruction
Aaron Kyle Jones, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: Dosimetry for radiological imaging Protective garments Applications of dual energy CT
S. Cheenu Kappadath, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: Advance clinical NM, PET, and CT imaging by applying physics, engineering, and mathematics. Specific topics include: liver-directed Yttrium-90 microsphere therapy; molecular breast imaging; quantitative imaging with SPECT, PET, and CT; and patient-specific dosimetry (Kappadath Lab)
Rick Layman, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: CT, nuclear medicine, dual energy CT, and quantitative imaging
Ho-Ling Anthony Liu, Ph.D. - Professor
Research Interests: Quantitative MRI for characterizing tumor microenvironment, functional MRI for pre-surgical planning and intra-operative evaluation
Xinming Liu, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: CT radiation dose management, CT protocol management and optimization, medical image quality measurement and evaluation, digital radiography and digital mammography, digital imaging detector techniques, biomedical instrumentation
Jingfei Ma, Ph.D. - Professor
Research Interests: Development of novel MRI pulse sequences and image reconstruction algorithms; clinical applications of MRI; quantitative MRI for cancer characterization and therapy assessment; methods for management of chemical shift, motion, and other artifacts in MRI
Gary V. Martinez, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Research Interests: MRI and MRSI pulse-sequence development for improved quantitative diagnostic imaging, developmental reconstruction approaches, application of AI to quantitative image analysis, and tandem acquisition/reconstruction strategies such as MR fingerprinting.
Tinsu Pan, Ph.D. - Professor
Research Interests: Dynamic tumor imaging and cardiac imaging with PET/CT, low dose lung screening with CT
Brian A. Taylor, Ph.D. - Associate Professor
Research Interests: Advanced neuroimaging and quantitative MR imaging.
Chris M. Walker, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Research Interests:
Jia Wu, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Artificial Intelligence, Tumor Microenvironment and Imaging (Wu Laboratory)
Joshua P. Yung, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Image processing and measuring for MRI quality assurance and control testing, development and use of MRI for monitoring and verification of ablative therapies
Joint, Adjunct & Visiting Faculty
Joint Faculty
Pratip Bhattacharya, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
Sang Hyun Cho, Ph.D. - Professor, Radiation Physics
Laurence Court, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Radiation Physics
David Jaffray, Ph.D. - Chief Technology & Digital Officer, Professor, Radiation Physics
Mark "Marty" Pagel, Ph.D. - Professor, Cancer Systems Imaging
Jihong Wang, Ph.D. - Professor, Radiation Physics
Adjunct Faculty
George Kagadis, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, University of Patras, Greece
Mia Markey, Ph.D. - Professor, University of Texas - Austin
Tom Yankeelov, Ph.D. - Professor, University of Texas - Austin