Mark DiFrancesco, PhD

Assistant Director, Pediatric Neuroimaging Research Consortium
Assistant Professor, UC Department of Radiology

About

Biography

I’m a physicist and neuroimaging researcher in the Imaging Research Center at Cincinnati Children’s. I study the brain using advanced imaging methods, including structural, functional and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). I’m also interested in lung structure, lung perfusion and methods of studying brain perfusion and microstructural and microvascular integrity.

After completing my PhD training in 1989, I spent 15 years in the medical device industry. I joined Cincinnati Children’s as a neuroimaging researcher in 2004. Since then, I’ve contributed to clinical and basic research by applying my skills as a physicist and brain researcher to multidisciplinary projects that require collaboration from a variety of clinical investigators.

Together, we’re working to understand the mechanisms of disease and other conditions that may contribute to neurodegeneration and cognitive dysfunction. We also seek to characterize common underlying processes of brain disease, such as neuroinflammation.

Services and Specialties

Research Areas

Radiology

Publications

1180-P: Regional Grey Matter Volume and Brain Function in Obese Youth with and without Type 2 Diabetes. BRADY, R; SHAH, AS; DIFRANCESCO, MW. Diabetes. 2025; 74.

1182-P: Cognitive Function in Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes—Distinguishing Diabetes vs. Obesity. SHAH, AS; BEEBE, D; BRADY, R; RUSK, S; ALTAYE, M; DIFRANCESCO, MW. Diabetes. 2025; 74.

The relationship between brain perfusion and structure in youth with obesity, with and without type 2 diabetes: A pilot study. Brady, RP; Shah, AS; Altaye, M; Redel, JM; Beebe, DW; DiFrancesco, MW. NeuroImage-Clinical. 2025; 47:103828.

POS1400 PERIVENTRICULAR ABNORMALITY GRADIENTS OF RELAXOMETRY AND SUSCEPTIBILITY METRICS BY NEUROIMAGING: COMPARING LUPUS AND MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS. DiFrancesco, M; Wilson, E; Brunner, H. Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 2025; 84:1421-1422.

Prognostic application of lesion network mapping to epilepsy surgery outcomes in pediatric tuberous sclerosis complex. Miecznikowski, KB; Greiner, HM; Leach, J; Rozhkov, L; Mangano, FT; Krueger, DA; DiFrancesco, MW. Epilepsia. 2025; 66:1854-1864.

INTERNATIONAL EFFORT IN HARMONIZING COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT RESEARCH IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS. Barraclough, M; Mckie, S; Rittner, L; Knight, A; Katz, P; Hanly, J; Legge, A; Mackay, M; Dobrowolski, C; Brunner, H; Parker, B; Bruce, I; Touma, Z; Appenzeller, S. The Journal of rheumatology. 2025; 52:39-40.

VOLUME AND DYNAMIC BLOOD FLOW OF THE CHOROID PLEXUS IN NEUROINFLAMMATORY DISEASE. DiFrancesco, M; Brunner, H. The Journal of rheumatology. 2025; 52:106-107.

Pulmonary 129 Xe Ventilation MRI Predicts Severe Exacerbations in People With CF. Matheson, AM; Bdaiwi, AS; Willmering, M; DiFrancesco, MW; Cleveland, ZI; Woods, JC. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2025; 211:a7088.

A greater modulation of the visual and fronto-parietal networks for children in a post-media versus pre-media exposure group. Farah, R; Shchupak, G; Holland, S; Hutton, J; Dudley, J; DiFrancesco, M; Altaye, M; Horowitz-Kraus, T. Acta Paediatrica: promoting child health. 2024; 113:1876-1883.

1151-P: Brain Networks Evaluated via Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging May Underlie Cognitive Findings in Youth with Type 2 Diabetes. BRADY, R; SHAH, AS; DIFRANCESCO, MW. Diabetes. 2024; 73.