Residency & Fellowships-Research

The Department of Radiology is actively engaged in research in a number of areas and currently ranks 17th nationally in funding to radiology departments from the National Institutes of Health. A major departmental research effort is the investigation of clinical applications of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. The department has a strong program in basic research and development in high field MRI that is focused on developing techniques to assess organ metabolism for clinical applications. The Rogers Magnetic Resonance Center at UT Southwestern houses an outpatient clinical MR facility as well as several MR research labs. The Meadows Advanced Imaging Center, opened in 1991, is situated adjacent to Parkland Hospital and Zale Lipshy University Hospital. With four bays, it houses three 1.5T and one 3T units, including a rapid imaging device and clinical spectroscopic capabilities.

Since 2005, the M. R. and Evelyn Hudson Foundation has supported the Radiology Residency Research Forum. The Residency Research Forum consists of lectures presented by local faculty consisting of various translational and clinical research topics. In 2006, topics included molecular imaging, cardiac imaging, update of breast screening research, diffusion tensor imaging with MR, and fetal MR.

In addition to this effort, the M.R. and Evelyn Hudson foundation sponsored our residents at national conferences, where six of our residents presented abstracts and four of our residents attended radiology subspecialty meetings. Information gained by these residents was shared with fellow residents by way of formal presentations.

There are numerous opportunities in the department for residents to participate in research. Many of our faculty are willing to mentor residents in their research interests. We have leading scientists in the area of neuroradiology including Dr. Phillip Purdy (whose interests include spinal interventional techniques, stroke, and Gulf War Syndrome) and Dr David Chason (whose studies include clinical applications of angiographic and volume CT and interventional neuroradiology). Dr. Ron Peshock is a cardiac imaging expert with a particular interest in MR and CT. Dr. Bart Dolmatch has performed important research in the area of device development for vascular interventional radiology. Dr. Diane Twickler has interests in MR of the fetus and maternal complications of pregnancy. Dr. Nancy Rollins is conducting research in applications of diffusion tensor imaging in the pediatric brain. Dr. Phil Evans, Chief of Breast Imaging, has been actively involved in ACRIN Clinical trials. Dr. Paul Weatherall has done extensive MR clinical studies of the breast, musculoskeletal system and abdomen.

In the basic science and translational research arena, Dr. Orhan Oz is conducting basic research in estrogen control of bone metabolism using in vivo (transgenic animals) and in vitro (cellular and molecular biology) approaches and is the coordinator of the molecular imaging series for diagnostic radiology. Dr. Ralph Mason is the Director of the Cancer Imaging on campus and the Co-Director of the Southwestern Small Animal Imaging Resource SW-SAIR with particular interest in prognostic radiology and tumor physiology.

Many research projects involve collaboration between the clinical and basic science staff, and interested residents are encouraged to participate. Dedicated research time can be arranged for residents who are interested in pursuing an academic career. There are currently 25 full-time Ph.D. scientists on the faculty, specializing in such areas as radiological physics, radiation biology, biochemistry, radiochemistry, biomedical engineering, computer science, and biomedical magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy. A complete radiology research laboratory with x-ray, angiography, surgical suite, nuclear medicine, and nuclear chemistry facilities is available, as well as state-of-the-art technology for image processing, computer vision, and computer graphics.

Residents interested in committing to dedicated basic science research during their radiology training may apply to the Physician Scientist Training Program. The PSTP will provide individuals selected for the program with highly individualized mentorship, the opportunity to train in the research laboratories of one of our internationally renowned faculty and up to three years of salary support during the years of their research training.

The department offers a graduate program leading to both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in radiological sciences. This program maintains active research laboratories investigating numerous topics, including the effects of radiation, computer applications in radionuclide cardiology and emission tomography, and the medical applications of new physical concepts and instrumentation. The physics section includes a well-equipped machine shop capable of producing a wide variety of phantoms and other research aids.