Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS)

Researchers in the Vanderbilt are nearing completion of an ingenious undertaking that may be a highpoint of their careers — a non-addictive alternative for relieving chronic pain.

Vanderbilt researchers report that when people who are having their brains scanned by fMRI perform a task, like wiggling their fingers, certain signals increase in white matter throughout the brain, which has long been thought to play a lesser role the more the brain's more energetic gray matter.

An MRI method developed by Vanderbilt researchers uses imaging data to derive cell size and could be added to clinical practice for better monitoring of breast cancer treatment response.

Vanderbilt researchers identified optimal MRI parameters for estimating the severity of polycystic kidney disease, a common inherited disorder that can lead to end-stage renal failure.

A new Master of Imaging Science program at Vanderbilt will immerse students in the full spectrum of biomedical imaging and provide hands-on clinical and research experience.

The macrostructure — volume, area and length — of the brain’s white matter is useful for studying aging and could be a sensitive marker for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Vanderbilt researchers reported.

Katie Davis, DO, assistant professor of Radiology, has been named section chief of Breast Imaging, a position she has held in an interim capacity since 2021.