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
Imaging in Pediatric Lung Disease: Current Practice and Future Directions. Clinics in Chest Medicine. 2024; 45:569-585.
Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Lung Magnetic Resonance Imaging Phenotype in Moderate and Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia-Pulmonary Hypertension. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2024; 210:318-328.
Comparison of weighting algorithms to mitigate respiratory motion in free-breathing neonatal pulmonary radial UTE-MRI. Biomedical Physics and Engineering Express. 2024; 10.
Tracheomalacia Reduces Aerosolized Drug Delivery to the Lung. Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery. 2024; 37:19-29.
Feasibility of Home Spirometry for Early Identification of Pulmonary Dysfunction after HSCT in the Transpire Research Study. Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. 2024; 30:s138-s139.
Success and Feasibility of Multiple Breath Washout: Prospective, Multi-Center Results from the Transpire Study. Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. 2024; 30:s142-s143.
Evaluation of regional lung mass and growth in neonates with bronchopulmonary dysplasia using ultrashort echo time magnetic resonance imaging. Pediatric Pulmonology. 2024; 59:55-62.
Insights into pulmonary phosphate homeostasis and osteoclastogenesis emerge from the study of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis. Nature Communications. 2023; 14:1205.
Improved donor lung size matching by estimation of lung volumes based on chest X-ray measurements. Pediatric Transplantation. 2023; 27:e14594.
Initial feasibility and challenges of hyperpolarized 129 Xe MRI in neonates with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 2023; 90:2420-2431.