NIH Postdoctoral fellowship 1999-2001, University of Florida
(http://www.ufl.edu);

National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov)/ NIBIB
(http://www.nibib.nih.gov) R01 Grant 2002-2005

Research Interests

Our research in the MRI physics lab is centered on one of the most advanced imaging technologies, MRI, and its biomedical applications. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging technique to produce high quality images of the human/animal body. MRI is based on magnetic resonance of nucleus (e.g. 1H or proton) to obtain chemical and physical information about molecules. In medical practice, MRI is used to distinguish pathological tissue (such as a tumor) from normal tissue. MRI scan is harmless since it uses strong magnetic fields and non-ionizing radiation in the radio frequency range, compared to CT scans and X-rays which involve doses of ionizing radiation. Also, MRI provides a high contrast resolution of the soft tissue.

The research is divided into the following directions:

1. Experimental MR Physics: This research focuses primarily on radio frequency transmit/receive coil design, application of super-paramagnetic iron oxide nano-particles as MRI contrast agent, multinuclear spectroscopy (31P), measurement and correction of magnetic field.

2. Computational MRI Physics: Computational MRI physics is the study and implementation of numerical algorithms in order to solve problems in MRI physics based on a quantitative theory, such as Monte Carlo simulation. In addition, electromagnetic (EM) simulation using finite difference in time domain (FDTD) method is also our research interest.

3. MR applications in biomedicine: MRI has been applied extensively in medical imaging, such as early detection/diagnosis of tumor, human brain imaging (functional MRI), diffusion tensor imaging, etc.

4. Access to the state-of-the-art MRI technology: In my lab, graduate students will have an opportunity to learn how to use the state-of-the-art 3 Tesla magnet (manufactured by General Electric Healthcare) located at the BioImaging Research Center (BIRC) on UGA campus, and perform computational /experimental MR physics research.

Recent Publications

Jae-Min Lee, Jing Hu, Jian-Bo Gao, Bruce Crosson, Kyung K Peck, Christina E Wierenga, Keith M McGregor, Zhao, Q. Keith White. Discriminating brain activity from task-related artifacts in functional MRI: Fractal scaling analysis simulation and application. NeuroImage 40 (2008), 197-212.

Yanasak N, Allison JD, Zhao Q, Hu TC-C, and Dhandapani K. "Non-Uniform Gradient Prescription for Precise Angular Measurements Using DTI" Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv Int Conf Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv. 2008;11 (Pt 1):866-73.

Yanasak, N., Allison, JD., Hu, TC, and Zhao, Q. The Use of Novel Gradient Directions with DTI to Synthesize Data with Complicated Diffusion Behavior. Medical Physics (accepted)

Liu, YJ, Zhang, ZY, Zhao, Q., Zhao, YP. Revisiting the Separation Dependent Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering. Applied Physics Letters, 93(17), 173106, 2008.

Yanasak, N., Zhao, Q., Allison, J., and Hu, T. Use of novel gradient directions to synthesize complex diffusion geometries: when a hot dog is a pancake. Medical Physics, 34(6): 2359, 2007

Cheng, H., Zhao, Q., Duensing, R., Edelstein, B. et. al. "SmartPhantom: an fMRI simulator", Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 24(2006): 301-313.

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