Impact Statements

2023 Women in Neuroradiology Leadership Award
Impact Statement
Thank you again for the Women in Neuroradiology Leadership Award and the opportunity to attend the RLI Summit in Boston. I found the meeting to be highly educational and inspirational. I had an opportunity to meet and network with many academic and private practice radiologists from across the country. I am certain that the tools I learned about the business and finances of radiology, the art of negotiation, and leadership skills will be extremely useful to me in my career.

Nikdokht (Niky) Farid, MD
UC San Diego Health

2022 Foundation of the ASNR Grant Program Recipient
Impact Statement
Improved imaging biomarkers will continue to push the boundaries of clinical care for neurological diseases. My research is focusing on develop standardized measures of brain perfusion, known to be of high importance in the setting of acute ischemic stroke. As more and more patients with stroke are taken directly for mechanical thrombectomy catheter angiography derived imaging markers has the potential to provide timely information to guide treatment.
The Foundation of the ASNR grant has provided important initial resources for me to perform this work during the transition from a busy fellowship to junior faculty.

Henrik Ullman, MD, PhD
Washington University, St. Louis

2022 Foundation of the ASNR Grant Program Recipient

Impact Statement

Paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs) may serve as an imaging marker for the work up of multiple sclerosis (MS) progression and treatment. With the help of the ASNR foundation grant, we are working to establish a radiologic-histological correlation for PRLs. The study of PRLs and this research could clinically impact MS diagnosis and monitoring, may better determine the efficacy of existing therapeutic agents or stimulate development of new therapeutics, and overall may help reduce disability associated with disease progression. This work would not have been possible without the generous support of the Foundation.

Emmanuel Obusez, MD
Cleveland Clinic

2022 Boerger Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders

Impact Statement

Our research is attempting to use an Artificial Intelligence model to convert MRI to PET. Successful completion of this project would have major clinical implications in offering an alternative to PET in the clinical workup of different diseases such as Alzheimer’s Dementia, Epilepsy, and Cancer. The Foundation grant has been essential in providing the funding necessary to perform the initial studies needed for proof of principle. This would be the necessary first step in conducting larger studies to validate this approach for clinical use.

Vivek Prabhakaran, MD, PhD
University of Wisconsin-Madison

2022 Foundation of the ASNR Grant Program Recipient

Impact Statement

The primary goal of our study is to develop and evaluate a state-of-the-art automated pre- and postoperative glioblastoma volumetric segmentation algorithm at a high-volume brain tumor center. The significance of this study is that it will provide a new tool for automated, objective assessment of progression and/or treatment response in patients with glioblastoma. This tool will be useful for clinical decision support, for standardized response assessment in research studies including clinical trials, and for the development of commercial products to facilitate widespread deployment.

This Foundation of the American Society of Neuroradiology grant has been instrumental in jumpstarting my research career as a junior academic neuroradiology faculty member. With this award I have been able to secure essential dedicated research time and personnel support to help achieve my early career research goals. All FASNR donors should know that these awards make a difference and help build successful radiology research careers.

Evan Calabrese, MD, PhD
Duke University

2019 Neuroradiology Research Grant in Artificial Intelligence

The new…Award has helped to develop computational models to predict tumor grade and genetic characteristics based on noninvasive imaging and demographic data alone, a result which may ultimately allow for safer and more efficient decision-making in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors…The Foundation of the ASNR, by establishing this award, has made it possible for radiologists to participate in the resource-intensive exploration of this new frontier of machine learning and neuroimaging.

Vishal Patel, MD, PhD
Keck School of Medicine of USC

2019 Comparative Effectiveness Research Award

It is appropriate that it is called the Foundation of the ASNR because the Comparative Effective Grant has helped build so many foundations: a foundation for better imaging methods in glioblastoma, a foundation for my own research career, and through all its grants, a foundation for the future generation of researchers in neuroradiology.

Lea Alhilali, MD
Barrow Neurological Institute

2019 Trainee Research Award in Neuroradiology

This award has enabled me to do research aimed at improving the quality of care in patients with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy during a busy fellowship year. This grant and the related work have helped launch my academic neuroradiology career and strengthened important collaborations with multiple clinical departments. By supporting trainees’ research, the Foundation is enabling future generations of radiologists to improve the practice of neuroradiology … Thank you to the Foundation!

Andreas Rauschecker, MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco

2019 Scholar Award in Neuroradiology Research

I would like to thank the ASNR Foundation for providing me the opportunity to work towards my academic aspirations. The ASNR Scholar Award allows me to lay the foundation for large, impactful projects that will hopefully one day help patients with glioblastoma. I cannot thank you enough for your support and generosity.

Pejman Maralani, MD, FRCPC
Sunnybrook Research Institute

2019 Boerger Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders

The Foundation award is important to allow investigators to pursue novel, exploratory projects for new avenues of research. These opportunities may provide stepping-stones to open new career directions.

Ilya Nasrallah, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

2019 Women in Neuroradiology Leadership Award

(The RLI Summit) gave me tools for growing resiliency in the team for example; modelling good coping skills, praising effort and not just success, pointing out small victories, creating a learning environment where failures are accepted and giving the team members opportunities to be challenged … I will forever be indebted to the ASNR for giving me this incredible opportunity.

Achala Vagal, MD, MS
University of Cincinnati Medical Center

2019 Research Scientist Award in Neuroradiology

This funding was essential to move forward in our highly novel research program in functional neuroimaging. My current research is focused on applying resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to patients with brain tumors undergoing task-based fMRI-assisted neurosurgery for tumor removal. As generously supported by (Foundation of the) ASNR, we are developing a pipeline for real-time resting state fMRI using Artificial Intelligence methods to determine patterns of functional connectivity with reliable outcome.

Shruti Agarwal, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

2018 Trainee Research Award in Neuroradiology

It has been my goal to harness and optimize the technology of our field in order to provide more clinically meaningful and relevant imaging techniques and in the process, foster closer collaboration among clinicians and radiologists. The 2018 Trainee Research Award has been invaluable to my burgeoning research interests, allowing me the opportunity to pursue an idea with protected time…I have been inspired to more fully dedicate myself to research with newfound confidence in my abilities and ideas.

Mikell Yuhasz, MD
New York University Langone Medical Center

2018 Scholar Award in Neuroradiology Research

The Foundation awards provide an invaluable resource for both new and established neuroradiologists to explore new ideas that will advance the science of radiology and allow us to better diagnose and treat disease.  By supporting the Foundation, you foster these advances and help ensure that neuroradiology remains dynamic and innovative in the years to come.

Douglas Martin, MD
Stanford University, Noninvasive Neuromodulation in a Rat Model of Depression

2018 Comparative Effectiveness Research Award

Recent clinical trials have proven the profound efficacy of interventional neuroradiology techniques… many questions remain about how to optimize countless variations in the delivery of this care. The grant I received from the (Foundation of the) ASNR is allowing me to study these questions using numerical simulations of stroke care in hundreds of thousands of patients. The findings of my work will help to address questions of how best to deliver this critical care while avoiding the time and expense of additional clinical trials.

Akash Kansagra, MD, MS
Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital

2018 Research Scientist Award in Neuroradiology

I am grateful to the FASNR for this award…to pursue this impactful project and an opportunity to contribute to the extremely fast-moving field of artificial intelligence-aided neuroimaging. With generous support from the FASNR, the award will help me lay the foundation as I establish myself as an independent researcher, bridging the fields of engineering and neuroimaging.

Kevin Chen, PhD
Stanford University

2018 Scholar Award in Neuroradiology Research

My findings have provided strong evidence for a link between the progression of carotid atherosclerosis and premature loss of hippocampal volume which supports targeting atherosclerotic change for prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction… the Scholar Award has shaped my future career plans and has laid the foundation for a hopefully long and productive career as an academic neuroradiologist. I will be forever grateful to the Foundation…and hope the FASNR continues to support the dreams of aspiring clinician scientists.

Hediyeh Baradaran, MD
Boston University Medical Center

2017 Boerger Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders

The ASNR Boerger fund has had a very positive impact upon my research, lab, and career. The clinical implications are that we are evaluating the prospect of using quantitative measures of iron as an important factor in Alzheimer’s disease mechanism and prognosis. This funding has been a springboard for my research, and it has enabled me to successfully submit and receive a NIH R01.

Michael Zeineh, MD, PhD
Stanford University

2017 Boerger Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders

My research, funded by the FASNR Boerger (Research) Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease, has allowed me to demonstrate the diagnostic utility of diffusion MRI in identifying persons who will develop Alzheimer’s Disease up to almost three years in advance…The FASNR grants ideally position junior investigators such as myself to apply for NIH grants…Continued support and donations to the FASNR ensures that junior faculty can be successful at establishing productive careers in academic neuroradiology.

Cyrus Raji, MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco

2017 Boerger Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders

Receiving a grant from the Boerger Research Fund was critically important, as the quantitative MR imaging of glymphatic flow is a more experimental or “high risk/high reward” kind of grant that is unlikely to get funded through more traditional mechanisms. This funding is allowing us to get data for proof of concept and to gather necessary pilot data, so that we can apply for NIH funding.

One of the most important missions of the Foundation of the ASNR is…to provide a critical lifeline of support to researchers at a time when securing extramural funding is increasingly difficult, especially for investigators who face increasing pressure to do more clinical work and relinquish academic days if those days are not funded by grants.

Christopher G Filippi, MD
The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research

2017 Boerger Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurocognitive Disorders

Receiving this foundation award will help me achieve a personal goal of fighting Alzheimer’s disease. My grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease a few years ago, so I knew I wanted to do something to help future generations from suffering from this disease. This foundation award will help me collect preliminary data towards a goal of a clinically feasible non-invasive bio-marker for AD. With earlier detection, we can provide earlier treatment that will hopefully lead to a cure.

Elizabeth Davenport, PhD
University of Texas Southwestern

Timothy J. Amrhein, MD

The ASNR comparative effectiveness award has been incredibly important in jump starting my career. This generous and unique funding mechanism provides opportunities not otherwise possible for junior faculty. In my case, it has afforded the opportunity to be principle investigator on my first prospective randomized clinical trial in imaging guided spine intervention. Designing and executing this well-mentored trial has resulted in rapid acquisition of a unique skill set that will be invaluable throughout my future career, particularly as I work toward constructing larger trials. Hopefully these efforts will lead to significant impacts on the field of neuroradiology by informing treatment algorithms for spine pain interventions. The ultimate goal is to maximize treatment effectiveness, thereby improving our patient’s lives. Upon completion of the award period, I plan to use the data obtained to compete for national funding through the NIH. I am extremely grateful to the ASNR and to the donors, and I pledge to maximize the return on their investment in me and in neuroradiology’s future.

Timothy J. Amrhein, MD
Duke University Medical Center

Jana Ivanidze, MD

A major focus of my research is combining advanced CT-Perfusion imaging and molecular biology techniques to develop a multimodal evaluation method to assess blood brain barrier (BBB) damage in patients with aneurysmal hemorrhage. The Research Scholar Award has allowed me to pursue this work in a prospective clinical/translational study and gain insights into the signaling pathways involved in BBB dysfunction in the acute clinical setting, which can serve as a foundation for new therapeutic strategies. Thanks to the vision and generosity of the FASNR, I am able to further develop this emerging translational research area at the intersection of neuroradiology and molecular biology, and apply it to studying BBB dysfunction in other patient populations. As a young attending in my first year of practice, I especially appreciate this opportunity. In the next 12 months, I am planning to apply for an NIH grant using results from the Research Scholar award project as preliminary data. I appreciate the support of the FASNR and hope that donors will continue to support the FASNR in the future, allowing young neuroradiologists such as myself to pursue translational research projects and develop new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for our patients.

Jana Ivanidze, MD, PhD
New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College

Gloria J. Guzmán Pérez-Carrillo, MD, MSc

The FASNR Scholar Award in Neuroradiology Research has been essential in promoting my career as a clinician scientist. With the allocated funds, I have been able to garner preliminary data that has already resulted in a presentation at the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology. More importantly, the data will result in a publication submission to the American Journal of Neuroradiology, and a R21 grant submission to the National Institutes of Health. Additionally, the award has allowed me to establish meaningful collaborations with faculty in the ENT and other clinical units as well as faculty doing MRI research. These new collaborations resulted in my participation in various federally funded projects as a collaborator.

I believe that awards such as the FASNR Scholar in Neuroradiology Research are critical for the development of a young researcher. It gives junior faculty the time to develop essential research skills such as grant and manuscript writing, project development, research regulation navigation, and data analysis. It is hard to acquire these skills in today’s very busy and fast paced academic practices.

I am extremely grateful to the FASNR for this opportunity to contribute to the field of oncologic imaging in neuroradiology, and hope that many more after me can benefit from it!

Gloria J. Guzmán Pérez-Carrillo, MD, MSc
University of Arizona

Cuihua Wang, PhD

Neuroinflammation plays key roles in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Myeloperoxidase (MPO), a key inflammatory enzyme, is associated with beta-amyloid (Aβ) in both animal models and in AD patients. In this study, we developed a specific PET (18F-bis-5-hydroxytryptamide, 18F- BHT) to image MPO activity and report on neuroinflammation in AD. We found that 18F-BHT is able to cross the intact blood-brain barrier, and there was ~70% increased 18F-BHT uptake (p=0.029) in the brains of AD mice compared to those of age-matched wild-type littermates, demonstrating increased MPO activity and inflammation in the AD mouse brains. Therefore, once translated, 18F-BHT can be a useful non-invasive tool to image and track MPO activity and neuroinflammation in AD patients.

This ASNR Research Scientist Award made this study possible and based on the result obtained from this study I submitted my NIH K grant this March, which is critical for my transition to become an independent investigator.

Cuihua Wang, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Leo P. Sugrue M.D., Ph.D.

As a neuroscientist and neuroradiologist my long term career goal is to bridge these fields by developing new techniques for imaging and modifying brain activity, and translating these tools from the realm of research to the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of neuropsychiatric disease. The Foundation of the ASNR award has allowed me to take the first steps toward this goal, enabling me to collect the preliminary data I need to apply for long term NIH funding.

One of the greatest challenges faced by clinician scientists in neuroradiology, particularly at the junior faculty level, is obtaining suffi cient time to pursue meaningful long-term research projects. Through the generous support of this FASNR award I have been able to secure protected research time to advance this project through its early stages. Continuing to create and support such opportunities for junior faculty is crucial if neuroradiology is to play a meaningful role in translating new brain imaging technologies to clinical practice.

Leo P. Sugrue, MD, PhD
University of California, San Francisco

The Foundation of the ASNR Trainee Research Award has allowed me to gain invaluable research experience. The data we have collected through the support of the Foundation will serve as the basis for future high-impact publications and grants with the goal of establishing myself as an independent investigator in the field of neurovascular imaging.

Through the support of The Foundation of the ASNR, I am better able to achieve my goal of becoming a leading diagnostic and interventional neuroradiologist. The Award has helped to facilitate utilization of advanced vessel wall MRI of intracranial aneurysms closer to clinical use. Our imaging research team is honored and grateful to be the recipient of this prestigious award and to be able to contribute to the exciting on-going advances in neuroimaging.

Thien Huynh, MD, MSc, FRCPC

Nicolaas A. Puts, Ph.D.

The funding predominantly supported the application of an exciting new MRS technique (HERMES, Saleh et al. Neuroimage, 2016) allowing for faster edited MRS of both GABA and Glutathione, never before performed in ASD. These new experiments will provide us with substantially more information on the inhibitory system in ASD. Moreover, receiving this award has allowed me to manage my own project, apply for other funding, take on a postdoctoral fellow and to take the next steps towards an independent research career studying inhibition in Autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Through receiving this award from The Foundation of the ASNR, I will be able to establish myself more fully as an independent investigator, as well as starting to build my own research group. This project allows for a multi-modal approach to studying GABAergic inhibition in ASD by combining novel and complimentary techniques. I am incredibly grateful to the FASNR for providing me with this opportunity to advance the fi eld of autism research and research into GABAergic inhibition in general.

Nicolaas A. Puts, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Amy L. Kotsenas, M.D.

Receiving this award has been tremendously beneficial in advancing my career as a neuroradiologist and as a leader in healthcare. I am extremely grateful to The Foundation of the ASNR, ACR and AAWR for this honor and for the exciting opportunity to enhance critical leadership skills. Furthermore, I am truly thankful these organizations are committed to developing the next generation of female leaders in radiology. I am confident the skills I learned at the 2016 RLI Summit will allow me to ensure our specialty remains vibrant and that the needs of our patients remain at the center of all that we do.

Amy L. Kotsenas, MD
Mayo Clinic

A major focus of my research is using data science methods (e.g. machine learning) to extract meaningful information from radiological images, radiology reports, and electronic health records to investigate the impact of imaging on patient outcomes and costs. The CER Award has allowed me to pursue this work further and the results from this project will be used in a forthcoming NIH R21 grant proposal being submitted summer 2017.

The vision and generosity of the FASNR are amazing. With increasing scrutiny on the value of imaging, concerns about costs, and the surge in data science techniques, the FASNR has shown strong leadership and forward thinking by investing in investigator-initiated projects such as ours. Donors should continue their support of the FASNR because their contributions are helping to shape the present and future of our field in ways that will positively affect many ASNR members.

Falgun H. Chokshi, MD, MS
Emory University School of Medicine

This award has provided a launch pad for my career. It has given me start-up funds that I have used to generate preliminary data that will soon result in a publication in Nano Letters, and that I have used for several grant applications for more sustained funding from federal sources. Additionally, that preliminary data has formed the focus of my new lab, and has allowed me to make bridges with both the basic science community and with my clinical colleagues in other disciplines.

Receiving a Foundation award, especially after just finishing fellowship was truly critical. There aren’t too many funding sources that are available to clinical trainees as we transition to a faculty appointment. These funds from the Foundation are among the only mechanisms out there that I could have availed myself of and have now put me on a path to success.

Thank you FASNR!

Raag D. Airan, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins Medical Institution

Joseph Young, MD

The Foundation grant program is extremely valuable, particularly for a junior investigator, by providing the resources to have dedicated research time under the mentorship of a senior advisor… The Foundation has had a significant impact in my growth as a junior investigator. During the grant period, I have strengthened my grant writing abilities and research methodology, which will be invaluable in any future research endeavors that I undertake. Under the guidance of my mentor, I have also learned how to accomplish aims more efficiently and write scientific articles more effectively. In addition, I have also learned how to assume more of a leadership role in research projects. All of these skills will serve me well in future and was only made possible by the generosity of the Foundation of the ASNR. And for that, I am extremely grateful.

Joseph Young, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University

Jack Grinband, PhD

The ASNR Research Scientist Award has allowed me to collect data that was used to apply for, and win, the 2016 Irving Institute Imaging Pilot Award. This award will be used to test whether the signal to noise of the BOLD biomarker can be further improved by using hypercapnia. Finally, I am currently writing an R01 proposal for submission for the Feb 5th deadline. The aims of the proposal are to collect localized biopsies in glioblastoma and low grade glioma and determine whether regions that are high BOLD/low FLAIR and high FLAIR/low BOLD are histological different and identify different mechanisms of tumor infiltration. Neither the Irving Institute Imaging Award or the R01 proposal would have been possible without the ASNR Research Scientist Award. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity that ASNR gave me.

Jack Grinband, PhD
Columbia University

Kristen W. Yeom, MD

We believe we have made significant strides in our investigation with the help of the ASNR-CE Award…Our preliminary work stemming from this ASNR-CE Award also was key to us obtaining the R21 NIH grant (awarded April 2016).. One of my research focuses has been to optimize pediatric neuroimaging in the most effective and child-friendly means possible. Receiving this award has supported my academic career and allowed me to further pursue this goal.. Which, I believe, help our team continue to build and improve our work on fast MRI tailored to pediatric brain.

Through the generosity and support of the ASNR Foundation, I was better able to dedicate my time and resources to achieving one of my important research goals as a pediatric neuroradiologist. The award also helped provide funds needed to help our research scientists achieve their technical goals. Our team will always be grateful to the ASNR Foundation for this extraordinary opportunity to contribute to the field of neuroradiology and pediatric neuroimaging.

Kristen W. Yeom, MD
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital | Stanford University