Research
The Health Sciences Research Facility (HSRF III) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine houses our Center for Advanced Imaging Research.
The University of Maryland Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine is home to some of the most innovative and cutting-edge technological advances.
The department has heavily invested in creating centers of excellence, acquisition of equipment and recruitment of personnel to build a world-class research program. Our department is now ranked in the top 15 programs in the country with respect to NIH funding.
We use modalities such as advanced MRI, hyperpolarized imaging and focused ultrasound in groundbreaking studies – not only to image disease processes, but also to provide precision treatments for patients.
In addition, our faculty have years of experience leading teams of physicians and engineers in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). We bring AI from bench to bedside by bringing together likeminded people interested in AI in medical imaging across a variety of medicine disciplines, engineering and industrial partners.
Highlights of our Ongoing Research Endeavors
Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR)
Housed in the new HSRF III facility at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR) was created in 2018 to consolidate major research resources in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. CAIR is supported by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other federal and foundation funding.
This state-of-the-art research facility brings together researchers from clinical as well as basic sciences to enhance collaboration and facilitate translation of treatments from animals to human trials. CAIR houses 12 different laboratories that focus on a myriad of clinical and preclinical research studies.
Examples of ongoing research endeavors include the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study (ABCD), biomedical data mining, prospective motion correction for MRI, image-guided drug delivery with blood brain barrier disruption and in-vivo metabolic imaging.
Core for Translational Research in Imaging (CTRIM)
CTRIM is an imaging core managed by the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine under the umbrella of Center for Innovative Biomedical Resources (CIBR) for the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
CTRIM fosters a collaborative environment that facilitates novel innovations in imaging and image-guided therapeutics that can be translated to the clinic. The staff of CTRIM provide assistance for designing experiments and for optimizing imaging techniques along with image processing and analysis expertise.
The core conducts an annual retreat that highlights numerous areas of state-of-the-art research.
Center for Metabolic Imaging and Therapeutics (CMIT)
The CMIT lab is a unique imaging and therapeutic facility that houses our MR-guided focused ultrasound and laser interstitial ablation systems. University of Maryland is a leading center in MR-guided focused ultrasound research. We have performed over 300 successful treatments of conditions such as essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, and neuropathic pain.
We were the first center in the United States to perform thalamic ablation (central lateral nucleus) for neuropathic pain and were also the first center in the United States to reversibly disrupt the blood brain barrier for augmented drug delivery in glioblastoma multiforme. There are multiple active trials underway using this minimally invasive technology for various neuropathological conditions.
University of Maryland Medical Intelligent Imaging (UM2ii) Center
The University of Maryland Medical Intelligent Imaging (UM2ii) Center is a multidisciplinary artificial intelligence (AI) center housed in the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine. UM2ii’s mission is to bring AI from bench to bedside by serving as a central meeting place for likeminded people interested in AI in medical imaging across medicine, engineering and industrial partners.
The UM2ii Center includes a strong research component under Principal Investigator Florence Doo, MD, MA, a clinical radiologist who collaboratively leads teams of physicians, engineers and industry members in AI. Dr. Doo and her teams welcome prospective and current radiology residents to learn more about UM2ii and to get involved in AI research.
Resources and Opportunities for Resident Research
In addition to these research centers, opportunities for research abound in the clinical realm. The University of Maryland Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine offers programs in cardiothoracic imaging, trauma imaging, interventional neuroradiology, interventional radiology, neuroradiology, abdominal imaging and musculoskeletal imaging, amongst others.
Radiology residents are encouraged to participate in various ongoing research projects in the department and to think about starting prospective research projects with faculty mentoring. Our Radiology Research-Education Committee (RREC) consists of numerous faculty mentors who advise prospective mentees.
Our department also has specialized research coordinators and administrative staff. A dedicated research track is available for residents who foresee developing a research-oriented career. This pathway offers up to 12 months of protected time during the four-year Diagnostic Radiology Residency.
Departmental funding is available for residents presenting at national conferences such as the Radiological Society of North America, the Association of Academic Radiology and American Roentgen Ray Society, among others.