Jean Tkach, PhD

Medical Physicist, Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging
Professor, UC Department of Radiology

jean.tkach@cchmc.org

About

Biography

Jean Tkach, PhD, received her undergraduate and graduate training in biomedical engineering. She is an MRI physicist by training who has been involved in MRI research since 1985.

Dr. Tkach joined the Cincinnati Children's faculty in the Fall of 2010. Throughout her career, the majority of her effort has been dedicated to the development, implementation, optimization and application of novel MRI acquisition techniques to address clinical as well as more fundamental research questions. The majority of these efforts have been dedicated toward neuroimaging. However, she has also been actively involved in research to advance the fields of cardiac, body and musculoskeletal MR imaging. Although most of Dr. Tkach's work has been directed toward human imaging, she also has been actively involved in multiple animal MR imaging studies.

Dr. Tkach’s research currently focuses on the development and implementation of state of the art MRI acquisition techniques optimized for (and to best address the most relevant clinical needs of) the neonate that exploit new technology being developed for this purpose. Most recently, Dr. Tkach received the Caffey Award for the Best Basic Science Research Paper at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the International Society for Pediatric Radiology.

Dr. Tkach is also is a consultant on the Circulatory System Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Interests

Neonatal MR acquisition technique development, optimization and application

Services and Specialties

Radiology and Medical Imaging

Research Areas

Center for Translational Fibrosis Research

Publications

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Pulmonary Vascularity in Preterm Infants with Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Mukthapuram, S; Donaher, A; Higano, NS; Rowe, JA; Tkach, JA; Woods, JC; Kingma, PS. Neonatology: foetal and neonatal research. 2025; 122:76-83.

Quantifying brain development in the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study: The magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy protocol. Dean, DC; Tisdall, MD; Wisnowski, JL; Feczko, E; Gagoski, B; Alexander, AL; Edden, RA E; Gao, W; Hendrickson, TJ; Howell, BR; Zöllner, HJ; Fair, DA; Smyser, CD; Elison, JT. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. 2024; 70:101452.

MR and Ultrasound Elastography for Fibrosis Assessment in Children: Practical Implementation and Supporting Evidence-AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review. Serai, SD; Franchi-Abella, S; Syed, AB; Tkach, JA; Toso, S; Ferraioli, G. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2024; 223:e2330506.

MRI and Blood-based Biomarkers Are Associated With Surgery in Children and Adults With Ileal Crohn's Disease. Dillman, JR; Tkach, JA; Fletcher, JG; Bruining, DH; Lu, A; Kugathasan, S; Alazraki, AL; Knight-Scott, J; Stidham, RW; Adler, J; Anton, CG; Imbus, RA; Dudley, JA; Denson, LA. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 2024; 30:2181-2190.

Magnetic resonance imaging T1 mapping of the liver, pancreas and spleen in children. Debnath, P; Tkach, JA; Saad, M; Vitale, DS; Abu-El-Haija, M; Trout, AT. Abdominal Radiology. 2024; 49:3963-3974.

Prospective characterization of intestinal MRI intravoxel incoherent motion in pediatric and young adult patients with newly diagnosed small bowel Crohn's disease. Alves, VD P V; Mahalingam, N; Tkach, JA; Towbin, AJ; Imbus, R; Denson, LA; Dillman, JR. Abdominal Radiology. 2024; 49:3325-3336.

Brain Injury Outcomes after Adjuvant Erythropoietin Neuroprotection for Moderate or Severe Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: A Report from the HEAL Trial. Wisnowski, JL; Monsell, SE; Bluml, S; Goodman, AM; Li, Y; Comstock, BA; Heagerty, PJ; Juul, SE; Wu, YW; Mckinstry, RC; Rollins, N; Rao, R; Vesoulis, Z; Vesoulis, Z. Developmental Neuroscience. 2024; 46:285-296.

Evaluation of 3D T1-weighted spoiled gradient echo MR image quality using artificial intelligence image reconstruction techniques in the pediatric brain. Nagaraj, UD; Dillman, JR; Tkach, JA; Greer, JS; Leach, JL. Neuroradiology: a journal devoted to neuroimaging and interventional neuroradiology. 2024; 66:1849-1857.

Accelerated Cine Cardiac MRI Using Deep Learning-Based Reconstruction: A Systematic Evaluation. Pednekar, A; Kocaoglu, M; Wang, H; Tanimoto, A; Tkach, JA; Lang, S; Taylor, MD. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2024; 60:640-650.

Evaluation of T2W FLAIR MR image quality using artificial intelligence image reconstruction techniques in the pediatric brain. Nagaraj, UD; Dillman, JR; Tkach, JA; Greer, JS; Leach, JL. Pediatric Radiology: roentgenology, nuclear medicine, ultrasonics, CT, MRI. 2024; 54:1337-1343.