PhD
Professor, Physics and Astronomy
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Epidemiology Research Program
Area of Interest
Our lab develops innovative methodologies for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy, with a focus on enhancing sensitivity and contrast specificity through the manipulation of nuclear spin dynamics. A core area of our research is nuclear spin hyperpolarization—particularly using spin-exchange optical pumping (SEOP) of noble gases like xenon—to amplify weak NMR signals for applications ranging from fundamental physics to biomedical imaging. We are also advancing ultralow-field MRI by integrating it with hyperpolarization techniques to address challenges associated with low signal-to-noise ratios. In parallel, we design and build custom low-field MR hardware to enable transparent spin detection and provide hands-on training opportunities. One of our earlier biomedical applications has been the detection of lung metastases using targeted contrast agents combined with hyperpolarized gas imaging. More recently, we have focused on the detection of brown adipose tissue using hyperpolarized xenon MRI and xenon-enhanced CT, which has enabled noninvasive quantification of tissue volume and thermogenic activity.
