Programs

The list below includes some of the most well-known multidisciplinary biomedical imaging programs and centers at Stanford. These multidisciplinary entities are essential for developing innovative imaging methods for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. In addition to improving health care, these programs and centers provide training at the interfaces of a variety of disciplines, helping our scientists acquire the necessary skills to develop the next generation of imaging technology.

Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine

Founded on the principle that innovation transcends traditional departmental boundaries, Stanford's Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine seeks to integrate laboratory research with clinical medicine by building bridges across the University's diverse academic departments and programs. Scientists at the Beckman Center are investigating recent breakthroughs in high-resolution cell imaging for the study of molecular and structural organization of cells and tissue including confocal, multiphoton, deconvolution, and ratio imaging fluorescence light microscopy.

Visit the Beckman Center for Molecular and Genetic Medicine.

Biomedical Computation

Biomedical computation methods span the analysis of biomedical data, the construction of computational models for biological systems, and the construction of computer systems that help biologists and physicians create and administer treatments to patients. The Program is an undergraduate major that involves many aspects of imaging, such as cancer imaging and therapy; imaging soft tissue biomechanics; developing diagnostic and therapy-planning applications and strategies for the acquisition and visualization of multi-dimensional medical imaging data; imaging the cardiovascular system; neuroimaging; developing and validating computational methodologies for extracting useful information content from anatomic, functional, and molecular images; integrating image-based information with non-imaging biomedical information such as genomics and proteomics; and simulating cancer screening trials and predicting the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of new cancer imaging technologies.

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Bio-X Program

The Stanford University Bio-X Program supports, organizes, and facilitates interdisciplinary research connected to biology and medicine, bringing engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, and other fields together to solve important challenges in bioscience. The Bio-X Program provides an interdisciplinary approach to image acquisition and processing, through a focus on radiological and subcellular biological imaging methods; techniques for managing large image data sets; new types of microscopy; and innovative 3D to 4D image processing, guidance, and response.

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Cancer Biology Program

The Cancer Biology Program is a graduate training program that provides broad research opportunities in basic as well as translational cancer biology. The Program provides a comprehensive understanding of the molecular, genetic, and cellular biological and pathobiological aspects of cancer as well as opportunities to apply this knowledge to problems directly related to cancer etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. Part of the Program's imaging-related research training includes cancer imaging and therapy, such as the in vivo imaging of protease activity; developing functional and molecular imaging techniques in the radiation therapy of cancer; and implementing high throughput genomic and proteomic analysis on clinical pediatric tissue samples to identify molecular targets for imaging and therapy.

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Cancer Imaging Research Program

The Cancer Imaging Research Program works at the forefront of today's revolution in anatomical and molecular imaging (MI) to advance discovery and innovation across all areas of cancer research and care. Program members collaborate between disciplines to develop powerful, new tools for tracking and analyzing the cellular, molecular, and genetic processes of cancer as they occur in patients and animal models. By expanding the reach of researchers and clinicians, these tools are leading to new insights into the underlying principles of cancer etiology and progression, as well as to better patient outcomes through earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment delivery. Cancer imaging research includes imaging instrumentation; multimodal imaging strategies; methods for studying cancer biology and treatment efficacy; nanotechnology diagnostics; and the management of cancer imaging knowledge.

Visit the Cancer Imaging Research Program.

Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technology (CAMRT)

Established in 1995, the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technology (CAMRT) supports excellence in biomedical magnetic resonance imaging. Over the years, the CAMRT has served as an important imaging resource for at least 14 departments and has provided the original structure for the development of the Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging. The Center's investigations include work in functional neuroimaging development; functional microvascular neuroimaging; in vivo spectroscopy and multinuclear imaging; body MR imaging; interventional and open MRI; X-ray guidance of interventional procedures; inverse geometry CT and conventional CT; image display and analysis; imaging bioinformatics; the mathematical and computational modeling of cancer; and proteomics, biomarkers, and nanoparticle platforms for imaging therapeutics.

Visit the Center for Advanced Magnetic Resonance Technology (CAMRT).

Center for the Aging Brain and Cognitive Disorders

The Center for the Aging Brain and Cognitive Disorders is a new collaboration among the Radiology, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Psychology Departments at Stanford. This new collaboration will develop innovative imaging tools and therapies to treat disorders of the aging brain, such as Alzheimer's disease, dementias, neurodegenerative disease, psychiatric disorders, and screening for preclinical cognitive decline.

Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence Focused on Therapy Response (CCNE-TR)

The goal of this Center is to use nanotechnology for the benefit of cancer patient management by developing and validating ex vivo protein nanosensors and in vivo nanoparticles (quantum dots) for molecular imaging to predict which patients will likely respond to a specific anti-cancer therapy and to monitor their response to therapy. Current imaging research projects include the development of a magneto-nano protein chip and multiplex sorter for monitoring tumor markers; the creation of a multiplex nanotube based on protein nano-arrays for cancer research; the multiparameter nanoparticle detection of phosphoproteins; the design of proteomic predictors of clinical outcome of targeted therapies in prostate cancer; the biological modification of quantum dots for in vivo imaging; and the establishment of mouse cancer models for integrated tissue/serum proteomics and molecular imaging.

Visit the Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence Focused on Therapy Response (CCNE-TR).

The Child Health Research Program

Our mission is to foster and facilitate the highest quality clinical and translational research and clinical trials in Children's Services at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital (LPCH) and Stanford, while enhancing young investigator, trainee, and mid-level faculty research performance by providing services, expert consultation, and support for mentoring and career development. Child health imaging studies include the neuroimaging of brain function in preterm infants; diagnostic MRI for evaluating Takayasu's arteritis in children; and high resolution CT imaging in cystic fibrosis pulmonary disease.

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The Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (iCME)

Stanford in engineering applications and the physical, biological, and earth sciences to focus and guide the development of modern research and educational enterprise in computational mathematics. iCME's central research mission is the development of sophisticated algorithmic and mathematical tools, which impact many different applied disciplines. Imaging research in the iCME Program includes investigations in nanotechnology and the application of computational and advanced imaging methods to study the cardiovascular system. In addition, research is being done in developing adaptive algorithms in a more general setting for array and distributed sensor imaging in random media.

Visit the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering (iCME).

The In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center at Stanford (ICMIC)

The ICMIC brings together more than 50 faculty from 21 different departments from across the Stanford campus. As only one of eight in vivo cellular and molecular imaging centers in the country, ICMIC studies disease by connecting preclinical models with clinical management through advances in multimodality molecular imaging. ICMIC imaging research focuses on the development and validation of sensors for imaging protein phosphorylation in living subjects; multimodality imaging of oncogene-induced tumorigenesis; dual biotherapy for the treatment of malignancy; and PET imaging of brain tumor angiogenesis and anti-angiogenic treatment.

Visit the In Vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center at Stanford (ICMIC).

Magnetic Resonance Systems Research Laboratory (MRSRL)

The MRSRL is a medical imaging group in the Electrical Engineering Department with a long history of developing new methods for improved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For over 20 years, PhD students and research staff of the MRSRL have investigated a wide range of MRI technologies and applications, often working with clinicians and scientists at Stanford and around the world. The MRSRL has a 1.5T MRI scanner for full-time research with a focus on developing novel sequences and early preclinical/human validation.

Visit the Magnetic Resonance Systems Research Lab (MRSRL).

Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS)

The Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS) was established as an interdisciplinary program to bring together scientists and physicians who share a common interest in developing and using state-of-the-art imaging technology and developing molecular imaging assays for studying intact biological systems. The goals of the Program are to fundamentally change how biological research is performed with cells in their intact environment in living subjects and to develop new ways to diagnose diseases and monitor therapies in patients. Areas of active investigation include cancer research, microbiology/immunology, developmental biology, and pharmacology using imaging technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), digital autoradiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), optical bioluminescence, optical fluorescence, and ultrasound.

Visit the Molecular Imaging Program at Stanford (MIPS).

The Network for Translational Research in Optical Imaging (NTROI)

NTROI is a translational research program comprised of an interdisciplinary team of investigators that combines imaging technology development with biomarker discovery for the early detection of cancer in the esophagus. In this project, a unique endoscopic imaging tool that performs a noninvasive "optical biopsy" of esophagus tissues is being developed for detecting pre-cancerous conditions in the esophagus. The combination of developing an advanced imaging technology, which greatly improves upon current in vivo imaging techniques, as well as the development of biomarkers specifically formulated for use with this imaging technology to locate pre-cancerous tissues, is an extremely powerful strategy that can be applied to early cancer detection in other hollow organs.

Visit the Network for Translational Research in Optical Imaging (NTROI).

Physics-Based Simulation of Biological Structures (SIMBIOS)

SIMBIOS provides infrastructure, software, and training to help biomedical researchers understand biological form and function as they create novel drugs, synthetic tissues, medical devices, and surgical interventions. Driving biological problems include RNA folding, myosin dynamics, cardiovascular dynamics, and neuromuscular biomechanics. Research projects include image-based musculoskeletal modeling; MRI of joint cartilage; and medical image analysis and visualization, such as computer aided detection (CAD) algorithms for detecting colonic polyps from CT images.

Visit the Physics-Based Simulation of Biological Structures (SIMBIOS) Program.

Program in Neuroethics

The Program in Neuroethics, housed within the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics, is focused on the intersection of neuroimaging and biomedical ethics. The diverse issues at the core of the Program's research include ethical, social, and legal challenges presented by advanced functional neuroimaging capabilities; the emergence of cognitive enhancement neurotechnologies and pharmacology; and legal issues raised by neuroscience. The Program works closely with Stanford's Center for Law and the Biosciences and its members participate in the MacArthur Foundation's Law and Neuroscience Program.

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Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging

The Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging is one of the few centers in the world with major centralized resources devoted to research in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), spectroscopy (MRS), and X-Ray/CT imaging. The Center has pioneered MRI/MRS/X-Ray/CT technology while developing new techniques that benefit patients with stroke, cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders. The Center supports collaborative and original research using volunteers and patients as well as intact animal models. The Center builds on a long-standing and very close working relationship between faculty and students of the Radiological Sciences Laboratory (RSL), members of the Magnetic Resonance Systems Research Laboratory (MRSRL) in the Department of Electrical Engineering, and faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and residents from the Department of Radiology at Stanford University Medical Center and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

Visit the Richard M. Lucas Center for Imaging.

Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research (BMIR)

Stanford's BMIR is the academic home to scientists and trainees who develop and evaluate new methodologies for acquiring, representing, processing, and managing knowledge and data related to health, health care, and the biomedical sciences. Our faculty, students, and staff investigate novel computational, statistical, organizational, and decision-making methods to support information-intensive problems in all areas of biomedicine. BMIR scientists concentrate on developing semantic methods for searching for annotated images; creating methods to describe the semantic content in images using ontologies; and designing tools to compose ontology-based descriptions of image content.

Visit the Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research (BMIR).

Stanford Center for Clinical Informatics (SCCI)

The Stanford Center for Clinical Informatics was established in 2005 as one of three Strategic Centers at the School of Medicine. The Center focuses on applying informatics expertise and innovative information technology solutions to support the School's clinical and translational research mission. Offerings to researchers include: free consultation service, access to the STRIDE clinical data warehouse with clinical data from millions of patient encounters, cohort discovery tool, data review tool, data management tools, and custom software consulting and development.

Visit the Stanford Center for Clinical Informatics (SCCI).

Stanford Center for Early Neoplasia Detection

The Stanford Department of Radiology, the Stanford NCI-designated Cancer Center, and the Canary Foundation have united to support research in early cancer detection to establish the Stanford Center for Early Neoplasia Detection. The Center fosters many biomedical imaging directions including new methods for imaging cancer gene therapy; cell trafficking and apoptosis; novel instrumentation for imaging breast cancer; and new interactive, 3-D models for the combined analysis of a patient's biochemical and anatomical data. The Center will advance molecular diagnostics by emphasizing molecular imaging to detect disease at its earliest and most treatable stage.

Stanford Center for Image Systems Engineering (SCIEN)

The Stanford Center for Image Systems Engineering (SCIEN) is a partnership between the Stanford School of Engineering and technology companies developing imaging systems for the enhancement of human communication. The mission of SCIEN is to support multidisciplinary training, research, and collaboration in technologies leading to novel imaging systems that capture, process, transmit, and render visual information. Projects include mobile imaging; the analysis and processing of images; image compression; biostatistics applied to medical images; and medical imaging, such as the use of diffusion tensor imaging and functional MRI to study human brain development.

Visit the Stanford Center for Image Systems Engineering (SCIEN).

Stanford Genome Technology Center (SGTC)

The Stanford Genome Technology Center develops new technologies to address important biological questions and to increase the throughput and decrease the cost of large-scale DNA sequencing and genomic analyses. The Center also designs and builds instrumentation and participates in the international consortium sequencing the genome of the model eukaryote: Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Investigations involve topics such as the use of proteomic analysis and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for early disease detection and the discovery of new human disease models by employing spectroscopy and MRI.

Visit the Stanford Genome Technology Center (SGTC).

Stanford Stroke Center

The Stanford Stroke Center, one of the first comprehensive multidisciplinary centers of its kind, was established in 1992 to develop new approaches to diagnose and treat stroke. The Stanford Stroke Center brings together physicians from multiple specialties, including neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology, internal medicine, and emergency medicine to provide comprehensive evaluation and management of patients with cerebrovascular diseases. A few of the many Stroke Center imaging projects include using MR imaging and biochemical markers to predict the outcome of patients who have suffered hypoxic-ischemic brain injury due to cardiac arrest; imaging cerebral perfusion with MRI and Xenon CT; using diffusion- and perfusion-weighted MRI to expand the treatment window for ischemic stroke; and advanced MRI techniques to image vascular malformations and aneurysms.

Visit the Stanford Stroke Center.

Stanford/VA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

The Stanford/VA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center conducts leading research into the causes and treatment of Alzheimer's disease, a progressive disorder of the brain that affects approximately four million Americans. The Center's multidisciplinary staff includes clinicians and researchers from the Stanford University Department of Psychiatry and from the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Scientists at the Center work on Alzheimer's disease (AD) imaging projects such as the computed tomographic measurement of regional brain cerebrospinal fluid volumes in Alzheimer's patients; the structural MRI correlates of recognition memory in AD; and the structural brain correlates of verbal and nonverbal fluency measures using MRI in AD.

Visit the Stanford/VA Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Systems Biology of Cancer - Integrative Cancer Biology Program (ICBP)

Our goal is to develop the computational tools that will aid in the discovery of molecular perturbations implicated in cancer initiation and progression. By revealing the molecular pathways of cancer, our work promises to advance the basic knowledge of the disease and enable the development of molecularly targeted therapies that will ultimately reduce cancer mortality. Current imaging studies include transforming tumors from dependence to independence of MYC (the initiating oncogene) by using molecular imaging studies; simulating cancer screening trials and predicting the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of new cancer imaging technologies; and developing imaging assays to monitor fundamental cellular events in living subjects.

Visit the Systems Biology of Cancer - Integrative Cancer Biology Program (ICBP).