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Radiology and Radiological Science

The Division of Cancer Imaging Research

The Division of Cancer Imaging Research promotes preclinical and clinical multi-modal imaging applications to understand and effectively treat cancer. The team’s work is dedicated to the applications of molecular imaging to understand and target cancer and the tumor environment.

For contact information


The Division of Cancer Imaging Research

Dr. Zaver Bhujwalla provides an overview of the The Division of Cancer Imaging Research within the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. The overall mission of the division is to promote preclinical and clinical multi-modal imaging applications to understand and effectively treat cancer.

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About Us

 Our Team

cancer imaging team group shot

Zaver M. Bhujwalla, Ph.D.
Director and Professor

Dmitri Artemov, Ph.D.
Professor

Elena Artemova, Ph.D.
Budget Analyst

James Barnett
Ph.D. Student 

Gary Cromwell
Laboratory Coordinator

Jordan Durner
Sr. Administrative Coordinator

Sairam Geethanath, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Kristine Glunde, Ph.D.
Professor

Sudath Hapuarachchige, Ph.D., M.S.
Assistant Professor 

Jiefu Jin, Ph.D.
Instructor

Yoshi Kato, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor

Puneet Khandelwal, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Balaji Krishnamachary, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Shahid Malik Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Yelena Mironchik
Research Specialist 

Laura Neuberger
Administrative Manager

Arvind P. Pathak, Ph.D.
Professor

Marie-France Penet Vidaver, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Venu Raman, Ph.D.
Professor

Janaka Senrathna, Ph.D.
Instructor

Raj Kumar Sharma
Research Associate 

Meiyappan Solaiyappan, Ph.D.
Research Associate

Caitlin Tressler, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Farhad Vesuna, Ph.D.
Instructor

Paul T. Winnard, Ph.D.
Research Associate

Santosh Yadav, Ph.D.
Research Associate

Xiaogu Yang, Ph.D.
Research Technologist

Saleem Yousf, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow

Our Research

Division faculty pursue a broad spectrum of multimodality molecular and functional imaging research that spans basic research to preclinical and clinical applications. Cancers investigated include breast, prostate, pancreatic, brain and ovarian cancer. Research focus areas include understanding and targeting the tumor microenvironment and cancer induced cachexia and developing theranostic imaging for precision medicine. Novel targets and pathways such as DDX3, COX-2, enzymes in choline metabolism, and hypoxia targeting are being investigated with molecular and functional imaging to understand cancer and develop effective image-guided treatments. Novel advances are being made in mass spectrometry imaging, as well as microscopic imaging of tumor vasculature.

Dmitri Artemov Lab

The Artemov lab is within the Division of Cancer Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. The lab focuses on 1) Use of advanced dynamic contrast enhanced-MRI and activated dual-contrast MRI to perform image-guided combination therapy of triple negative breast cancer and to assess therapeutic response. 2) Development of noninvasive MR markers of cell viability based on a dual-contrast technique that enables simultaneous tracking and monitoring of viability of transplanted stems cells in vivo. 3) Development of Tc-99m and Ga-68 angiogenic SPECT/PET tracers to image expression of VEGF receptors that are involved in tumor angiogenesis and can be important therapeutic targets. 4) Development of the concept of “click therapy” that combines advantages of multi-component targeting, bio-orthogonal conjugation and image guidance and preclinical validation in breast and prostate cancer models.

Principal Investigator

Dmitri Artemov, PhD

Department

Radiology and Radiological Science

Research Areas

Kristine Glunde Lab

The Glunde lab is within the Division of Cancer Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. The lab is developing mass spectrometry imaging as part of multimodal molecular imaging workflows to image and elucidate hypoxia-driven signaling pathways in breast cancer. They are working to further unravel the molecular basis of the aberrant choline phospholipid metabolism in cancer. The Glunde lab is developing novel optical imaging agents for multi-scale molecular imaging of lysosomes in breast tumors and discovering structural changes in Collagen I matrices and their role in breast cancer and metastasis.
Lab Website

Principal Investigator

Kristine Glunde, PhD

Department

Radiology and Radiological Science

Research Areas

Marie-France Penet Lab

The Penet lab is within the Division of Cancer Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. The lab research focuses on using multimodal imaging techniques to better understand the microenvironment and improve cancer early detection, especially in ovarian cancer. By combining MRI, MRS and optical imaging, we are studying the tumor microenvironment to understand the role of hypoxia, tumor vascularization, macromolecular transport and tumor metabolism in tumor progression, metastasis and ascites formation in orthotopic models of cancer. We also are studying the role of tumor-associated macrophages in tumor progression.
Lab Website

Research Areas

The Pathak Lab

The Pathak lab is within the Division of Cancer Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. We develop novel imaging methods, computational models and visualization tools to ‘make visible’ critical aspects of cancer, stroke and neurobiology. Our research broadly encompasses the following areas: Functional and Molecular Imaging; Clinical Biomarker Development; Image-based Systems Biology and Visualization and Computational Tools. We are dedicated to mentoring the next generation of imagers, biomedical engineers and visualizers. Additional information can be found at www.pathaklab.org or by emailing Dr. Pathak.
Lab Website

Principal Investigator

Arvind Pathak, PhD

Department

Radiology and Radiological Science

Research Areas

Venu Raman Research Lab

The Raman laboratory is within the Division of Cancer Imaging Research in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Science. The focus of the laboratory is bench-to-bed side cancer research. We integrate molecular and cellular biology, developmental biology, cancer biology, molecular imaging techniques to study cancer formation and progression. Many of the projects in the lab investigate dysregulated genes in cancer and the translatability of this information to a clinical setting. One such project is to functionally decipher the role of a RNA helicase gene, DDX3, in the biogenesis of multiple cancer types such as breast, lung, brain, sarcoma, colorectal and prostate. Additionally, using a rational drug design approach, a small molecule inhibitor of DDX3 (RK-33) was synthesized and its potential for clinical translation is being investigated.

Principal Investigator

Venu Raman, PhD

Department

Radiology and Radiological Science

Research Areas

Zaver M. Bhujwalla Lab – Cancer Imaging Research

Dr. Bhujwalla’s lab promotes preclinical and clinical multimodal imaging applications to understand and effectively treat cancer. The lab’s work is dedicated to the applications of molecular imaging to understand cancer and the tumor environment. Significant research contributions include 1) developing ‘theranostic agents’ for image-guided targeting of cancer, including effective delivery of siRNA in combination with a prodrug enzyme 2) understanding the role of inflammation and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in cancer using molecular and functional imaging 3) developing noninvasive imaging techniques to detect COX-2 expressing in tumors 4) understanding the role of hypoxia and choline pathways to reduce the stem-like breast cancer cell burden in tumors 5) using molecular and functional imaging to understand the role of the tumor microenvironment including the extracellular matrix, hypoxia, vascularization, and choline phospholipid metabolism in prostate and breast cancer invasion and metastasis, with the ultimate goal of preventing cancer metastasis and 6) molecular and functional imaging characterization of cancer-induced cachexia to understand the cachexia-cascade and identify novel targets in the treatment of this condition.
Lab Website

Research Areas

Contact Information

Zaver M. Bhujwalla, Ph.D.
Director of the Division of Cancer Imaging Research
Director of Johns Hopkins University's In-vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center Program
Professor of Radiology and Oncology
Phone: 410-955-9698

Laura Neuberger
Administrative Manager
Phone: 410-502-0174

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Russell H. Morgan Dept. of Radiology and Radiological Science
Division of Cancer Imaging Research
720 Rutland Avenue
208 Traylor Building
Baltimore, MD 21205, USA