My interest in pulmonary imaging research was born of a unique background in hyperpolarized gases and atomic physics, combined with an interest in translational applications to surgery and pulmonary medicine.
My primary research areas include pulmonary MRI, regional structure-function relationships, pathophysiology, translational imaging research and clinical trials. The overall goal of this research is to improve outcomes for patients with lung disease through precise imaging and determination of regional structure-function relationships, using a combination of translational techniques and innovative methodologies.
We have pioneered 129Xe MRI in pediatrics and help lead the 129Xe MRI Clinical Trials Consortium. We also have begun to redefine bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) by imaging-phenotypes, which show a direct relationship to outcomes.
Our research team is comprised of experts in hyperpolarized-gas MRI and in the use of this technique to measure regional lung function, physiology and microstructure. Many of the fellows and junior faculty that I have mentored have won awards and recognition from national and international organizations, such as the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR).
Since my arrival at Cincinnati Children’s in 2013, I’ve served as the director of the Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research (CPIR). Our center offers a multidisciplinary research and training program that combines pulmonary medicine, radiology and neonatology. I also co-lead the Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Center at Cincinnati Children’s, where imaging research has been rapidly translated into clinical care and improved patient outcomes.
PhD: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2002.
Postdoctoral: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2004.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Hyperpolarized gas; pulmonary MRI; translational studies; image-guided pulmonary interventions
Pulmonary Medicine, Imaging, Fibrosis
Intra- and Inter-visit Repeatability of 129 Xenon Multiple-Breath Washout MRI in Children With Stable Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2023; 58:936-948.
MRI assessment and guidance for regionally targeted pulmonary interventions. Pediatric Pulmonology. 2023; 58:2386-2388.
Phase-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Inhaled Xenon Reveals the Relationship between Airflow and Obstruction in Obstructive Sleep Apnea. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2023; 208:e5-e6.
WS13.06 Regional bronchoscopy sampling indicates that Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections persist throughout the lung after elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) due to intra-lung bacterial migration. Journal of Cystic Fibrosis. 2023; 22:s27.
Lung Transplantation for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Chest. 2023; 163:1166-1175.
Inter- and intravisit repeatability of free-breathing MRI in pediatric cystic fibrosis lung disease. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 2023; 89:2048-2061.
Childhood to adulthood: Accounting for age dependence in healthy-reference distributions in 129 Xe gas-exchange MRI. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 2023; 89:1117-1133.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Evaluation of Anatomy and Outcome Prediction in Infants with Esophageal Atresia. Neonatology: foetal and neonatal research. 2023; 120:185-195.
Quantitative Imaging Metrics for the Assessment of Pulmonary Pathophysiology: An Official American Thoracic Society and Fleischner Society Joint Workshop Report. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2023; 20:161-195.
Pulmonary Alveolar Microlithiasis. Orphan Lung Diseases. : Springer Nature; Springer Nature; 2023.