Vanderbilt’s Li Min Chen, M.D., M.S., Ph.D., associate professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, has been named a Distinguished Investigator of the Academy of Radiology Research.
Chen is one of 38 imaging researchers honored for their significant contributions to scientific progress and medical innovation.
“The recipients of this Award have made significant contributions to the field of imaging research that rank them in the top 10 percent of radiology department faculty nationwide,” said Reed Omary, M.D., M.S., Carol D. and Henry P. Pendergrass Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences and chair of the department at Vanderbilt and co-chair of the Academy of Radiology Research’s Distinguished Investigator Council.
Chen, who joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2003, focuses her research on understanding cortical mechanisms underlying pain and touch perception and how this information — such as magnitude, location and quality — is processed and represented by networks in cortical regions of the brain.
“It is a great honor to be named a distinguished investigator. I want to thank Vanderbilt for giving me the opportunity for advancing my research,” Chen said. “I am also grateful for the resources my department and imaging institute provided and the encouragement I received from my colleagues, particularly our department chair, Dr. Omary, and Imaging Institute director Dr. (John) Gore, over the years.”
The Academy of Radiology Research is an alliance of academic radiology departments, professional imaging societies, patient advocacy groups, and industry partners.
Its mission is to raise the profile of imaging research and increase the federal government’s imaging research budget.
