Message from the Vice-Chair for Research

 “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we can fear less.” Marie Curie, 1867-1934

This quote, attributed to Marie Curie upon learning that she had a terminal blood disease, is so relevant today in our current climate. The Department of Radiology has a diverse group of 30 faculty members dedicated to research and/or education at the level of instructor or above to build greater understanding of the use of imaging in the diagnosis of disease. Our faculty collaborate across UMass Chan basic science and clinical departments, as well as institutions around the world, to apply imaging biomarkers of disease progression, often making clinical trials of novel interventions practical. UMass Department of Radiology is, with the coupling of the Division of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering and the Division of Cell Biology and Imaging, performing multiscale, multimodal imaging research from the cellular level at the nano-scale to organ systems. Moreover, the addition of Translational Anatomy this is a unique environment for our learners, particularly medical students, who now can combine gross-anatomical dissection with cross-sectional imaging.

In the past fiscal year, the Department has supported 25 grants and contracts, 19 of which were NIH funded, and 26 clinical trials. The Department operates 6 core facilities: Advanced MR Imaging (AMRIC), Electron Microscopy Facility, Image Processing and Analysis Core (iPAC), New England Center for Stroke Research (NECStR), Optical Animal Imaging Facility, and the Radiolabeling & Small Animal Translational Imaging Core (RLASTIC). With tremendous institutional, NIH and MLSC support, these cores have numerous imaging resources, including:

1. AMRIC: main imaging modalities include a large bore 3T Philips Ingenia and small bore 7T Bruker BioSpec 70/30 MR instruments.
2. Electron Microscopy Facility: offers a host of EM imaging microscopes and expertise in sample processing, including routine and cryo imaging.
3. iPAC: Comprehensive image analysis services with advanced software and access to 24 GPU processors.
4. NECStR: main imaging instruments are two fully equipped angiography suites housing a Philips Allura FD20 and Azurion FD20 systems for image guided surgery. Also, home to the Gentuity High-frequency Optical Coherence Tomography system, the first system of its kind in the world for intravascular imaging of the brain blood vessels.
5. Optical Animal Imaging Facility: home to an IVIS-100 and IVIS Spectrum CT optical imaging instruments, and the Vevo 3100 ultrasound
6. RLASTIC: operates a new MILABS VECTor6CT for simultaneous PET/SPECT and CT imaging, Bioscan SPECT/CT camera, MOSAIC microPET, and a Li-Cor Pearl Fluorescence imager.

Importantly, it is not only about the equipment and resources – but mostly about the people. Our researchers work seamlessly with multidisciplinary investigators to realize the full potential of imaging data.