During the past decade, significant advances in medical imaging technologies have been made in such areas as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), single photon computed tomography (SPECT), bioluminescence, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and ultrasound imaging. As a result, there is a tremendous need to synthesize the information obtained from multiple imaging modalities and sources.

Our research goals are to (1) provide efficient methods and procedures for mapping the properties of tissues in space and time, (2) integrate multiple information streams acquired from different imaging technologies into a single coherent picture, and (3) validate and interpret in vivo imaging data for biologic, physiologic, and pathologic interpretation. The research will exploit our current knowledge of the genetic and molecular bases of various diseases and therefore have substantial positive implications for disease prevention, detection, diagnosis, and therapy.

Our research focuses on quantitative image analysis, registration, segmentation, fusion, and image-guided intervention. Our current projects include:

• 1) PET and MRI for photodynamic therapy,
• 2) MRI and CT for polycystic kidney diseases,
• 3) SPECT and MRI for prostate cancer imaging.