Cardiovascular Imaging T32

Current Fellows

Fatemeh Ostadhossein, PhD
10/1/2019 – 3/31/2022

Project: Smart Nanoprobes for the Detection of Hypoxic Regions in Ischemia, Teratoma Formation, and Stem Cell Apoptosis

Mentor: Joseph Wu, MD, PhD

My long-term goal in research is to achieve comprehensive solutions to biomedical challenges via fundamentally engineering biomaterials/ nanomaterials demonstrating the enormous potential for mimicking in vivo conditions. My current research interest is geared towards harnessing the power of these materials on the nano and macroscale for cancer immunotherapy.

Rahel Woldeyes, PhD
9/1/2019 – 2/28/2022

Project: Visualizing the Structures and Subcellular Organization of Macromolecules Inside Cardiomyocytes Using Cryo-Electron Tomography

Mentor: Wah Chiu, PhD

Using cutting-edge advances in cryo-electron tomography, I will establish a new platform for studying cardiomyopathy integrating the spatial scales from the near atomic to cellular level.  By connecting structural and cardio biology, my project aims to accelerate our understanding of mechanisms leading to cardiovascular disease.

Domenico Mastrodicasa, MD
7/1/2020 – 6/30/2022

Project: High-Temporal and Spatial Resolution 4D-CT Angiography in Patients with Aortic Dissection

Mentors: Dominik Fleischmann, MD; Koen Nieman, MD, PhD

The goal of this project is to develop a new 4D-CT angiography protocol that will allow for the assessment of the detailed morphology of aortic dissection combined with functional information. The combination of morphology and function is fundamental to understand the development of false lumen aneurysm formation, to develop individualized risk prediction models, and to conceive new treatment strategies in patients with aortic dissection.

Ebrahim Mostafavi, PhD
2/1/2021 – 1/31/2023

Project: Development of in vitro clinical trials in a dish (Organoids, bioengineered heart tissues, vascular grafts) for cardiovascular disease modeling and drug screening

Mentor: Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD

The goal of this project is to integrate advanced biomaterials, biology, nanotechnology, and cardiovascular imaging techniques to engineer 3D in vitro cardiac tissues models that can overcome some of the key limitations impeding heart regeneration/repair after myocardial infarction (MI). My long-term goal in research is to design and develop various in a dish 3D models (i.e., cardiovascular organoids, 3D bioprinted constructs, vascular grafts) for cardiovascular disease modeling and drug screening, as well as CRISPR/Cas gene-editing for cardiovascular diseases

Past Fellows

Gennifer Smith, PhD
9/1/2019 – 8/30/2020

Project: Risk Stratification of Atherosclerotic Plaques Through DNA Methylation Profiling

Mentors: Shan Wang, PhD, and Sarah Heilshorn, PhD

Currently an Assistant Professor at the University of San Francisco

Sangkyun Cho, PhD
4/1/2019 – 3/31/2021

Project: Reversal of Myofibroblast Differentiation and Cardiac Fibrosis by Cooperative Chemo-mechanical Signaling

Mentors: Francois Haddad, MD, and Joseph Wu, MD, PhD

Recipient of NIH F32 grant. Currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.

Adam Bush, PhD
07/01/2017 – 06/30/2019

 

Project: Cardiovascular Blood Oxygenation and flow MRI in Congenital Heart Disease Detection

Mentors: Shreyas Vasanawala, MD, and John Paul, PhD

Currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford Cardiovascular Institute

David T. Paik, PhD
11/1/2016 - 10/31/2017

Project: To determine the effects of low-dose radiation on cellular responses in patients undergoing cardiac CTA; and determine novel gene expression signatures for radiosensitivity in response to low dose radiation.

Recipient of K99/R00 grant. Currently an Instructor at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute.

Nicole De Jesus, PhD
1/1/2016 - 12/31/2017

 

Project: Tools for mending broken hearts: non-invasive imaging assessing stemcell based therapy for treatment post myocardial infarction and heart failure

Currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Radiology, at Stanford

Mirwais Wardak, PhD
8/3/2015 - 8/2/2017

Project: Methods to Enhance the Value of Positron Emission Tomography for Cardiac Disease Detection and Therapy Monitoring

Currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Radiology, at Stanford

Edward Lau, PhD
2/1/2017 - 6/30/2017

Project: Leveraging mass spectrometry-based imaging modalities to visualize the localization and expression of cell-surface protein markers on iPSC-CM in the context of in vitro iPSC-CM maturation.

Recipient of a K99 grant. Currently a faculty member at Univ of Colorado School of Medicine.

Ian Ying-Li Chen, MD, PhD
7/1/2014 - 12/31/2016

Project: A Novel Split Reporter Strategy for Interrogating the Regulation of SNAP29 Homodimerization in Starvation-Induced Autophagy

Recipient of Stanford Women & Sex Differences Center Seed Grant and Stanford Translational Research and Applied Medicine Grant. Currently an Instructor at the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford

Sandra DePorter, PhD
9/22/2014 - 8/31/2016

Project: Engineered Multispecific Proteins to Target Angiogenesis and Inflammation for Diagnosis and Treatment of Vascular Diseases

Currently an Investigator II at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Foundation

Hossein Bahrami, MD, PhD
7/1/2013 - 8/31/2015

Project: Inflammatory Markers Associated with Subclinical Coronary Artery Disease in HIV Infected Patients

Recipient of NIH K23 grant. Currently an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School. Currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at USC

Nicholas Mordwinkin, PhD
7/1/2013 - 6/30/2014

 

Project: Modeling diabetic cardiomyopathy mechanism using human pluripotent stem cells

Currently a Director of Corporate Strategy at Ultragenyx Pharmaceutic al, Inc.

Mai T. Lam, PhD
7/1/2011 - 6/30/2013

Project: Optimizing Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Using Bioengineering Approaches and Molecular Imaging

Currently an Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering, at  Wayne State University

Raiyan T. Zaman, PhD
10/1/2011 - 9/30/2013

Project: Catheter-based optical imaging system to detect 18F-FDG in atherosclerotic plaque

Recipient of AHA Fellowship and NIH K99. Currently an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School

Paul Jaegu Kim, PhD
7/1/2011 - 6/30/2013

Project: In-Vivo Manganese-Enhanced MRI of Embryonic Stem Cell Viability in Murine Myocardial Injury 

Recipient of Cardiology Fellowship, Stanford Translational Research and Applied Medicine Pilot Grant, Heart Failure Society of America Clinical Research Fellowship Award, Mentored KL2 Award. Currently an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego Health, David Geffen School of Medicine

Catherine N. Dao, MD
7/13/2009 - 7/12/2011

Project: 3D Echo and Cardiac CT evaluation of the aortic valve/root in patients undergoing surgical and percutaneous aortic valve replacement

Currently a Physician (Cardiologist) in the Washington Hospital Healthcare System, Fremont, CA

Hadas Shiran, MD
7/1/2011 - 6/30/2013

Project: Non-invasive assessment of the aortic wall in patients with Marfan syndrome to optimize timing of intervention 

Recipient of Marfan Foundation grant. Currently a Cardiologist / Stanford Affiliate; Internal Medicine (Cardiovascul ar Disease) physician at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose

Hochong H. Wu, PhD
10/1/2009 - 9/30/2011

Project: Accelerated MRI acquisition techniques to provide 3D whole-heart cardiac and coronary imaging

Currently an Assistant Professor, Radiological Sciences, at UCLA

Natesh Parashurama, MD, PhD
7/1/2009 - 6/30/2011

Project: Quantitative multimodality molecular imaging of spatiotemporally regulated cardiac stem cell function

Currently an Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering and Medicine, at the University at Buffalo, Schools of Engineering and Medicine

Ryan Spilker, PhD
7/1/2009 - 5/20/2011

Project: Predicting outcomes of extracranial-to-intracranial bypass in Moyamoya with MRI and patient-specific hemodynamic models

Currently working for Siemens Healthineers, Greater Boston Area