Ryan W. Willoughby, Ph.D.
 |
Ryan W. Willoughby, Ph.D.Instructor, Divison of Advanced Medical Imaging Research |
|
Ryan Willoughby, Ph.D., joined the Department of Radiology as an Instructor on February 15, 2022. Willoughby completed his B.S. in Biophysics (2011) and his Ph.D. in Physics (2018) at UAB. In 2019 he accepted a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Radiology. In 2020 he received a Career Enhancement Award from the Office of Postdoctoral Education to support collaborative work with General Electric to develop novel MRI hardware. He currently serves as MR physicist for the Civitan International Neuroimaging Laboratory (CINL) and the Research MRI Core (RMRIC). His research aims to elucidate the biophysical effects of ultrasound on tissues, especially the nervous system, and to develop novel multimodal imaging methods for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. |
Suzanne E. Lapi, Ph.D.
 |
Suzanne E. Lapi, Ph.D.Vice Chair, Research,Director, Cyclotron Facility, Director, Radiochemistry Laboratory, Co-leader, Experimental Therapeutics Program, O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Professor, Advanced Imaging Facility, Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research slapi@uabmc.edu | WTI 310F |
| Suzanne E. Lapi, Ph.D. is currently Vice Chair of Translational Research in the Department of Radiology, Professor with Tenure of Radiology and Chemistry and Cyclotron Facility Director. She is also a member of the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Centre and the UAB Alzheimer’s Disease Center. Her research interests are in the development and translation of new PET radionuclides and molecular imaging agents. In particular, she has an active program investigating 89Zr radiolabeled antibodies as molecular imaging agents in preclinical and clinical trials in oncology. Her other main area of research interest is in the development of new isotopes for PET imaging such as 45Ti and 43Sc. Dr. Lapi has been continually funded with support from NIH, DOE, many foundations and industry partnerships. She has over 80 publications and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. She has trained over 20 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who overwhelming stay in the field of molecular imaging. She is also an active member of many initiatives with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As Cyclotron Facility Director, She oversees production of PET radionuclides and imaging radiopharmaceuticals for preclinical research and clinical trials. Her group holds >10 approved INDs and supplies 64Cu, 89Zr, 52Mn and other isotopes to groups across the USA and internationally. CV Download |
|
Anna G. Sorace, Ph.D.
 |
Director, The Small Animal Imaging Facility in the Advanced Medical Imaging Research Division, |
| Anna G. Sorace, Ph.D. completed her undergraduate training at Mississippi State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Biological Engineering. After, she attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham, earning a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering, followed by Post-doctoral training at Vanderbilt University, in the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science within the Department of Radiology. Sorace comes from the University of Texas at Austin where she was an assistant professor in the Departments of Diagnostic Medicine, Oncology, and Biomedical Engineering. She joined the UAB Department of Radiology in 2019 as an assistant professor in the Department of Radiology, with a co-appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and serves as director for the Small Animal Imaging Facility. Additionally, she is an associate scientist for the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sorace was recognized in Birmingham Business Journal’s “Women to Watch” in 2021. Her current grants include NIH S10, NIH R01, and American Cancer Society RSG. She also received a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Award in 2021 with her mentee Tiara Napier. Sorace’s broad research interests include improving cancer patient care through translational advancements in cancer imaging. Specifically, she is investigating imaging biomarkers for early response to neoadjuvant and adjuvant cancer treatment and utilizing quantitative imaging to guide and improve drug delivery of current therapies in cancer. She has expertise in multimodality, non-invasive quantitative imaging to improve detection, monitoring and therapy of cancer in both preclinical animal models and clinical cancer research. |
|
Benjamin M. Larimer, Ph.D.
 |
Benjamin M. Larimer, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Division of Advanced Medical Imaging Research bmlarimer@uabmc.edu | WTI310G |
| Benjamin M. Larimer, PhD, received his BS and PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Missouri. He then studied at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School for his postdoctoral fellowship, prior to joining the Radiology Department as an Assistant Professor in 2019. Dr. Larimer’s research interests focus on the development of new biological imaging agents for characterizing the effectiveness of cancer therapy, with a focus on cancer immunotherapy. For a more detailed description of his work, please visit TheLarimerLab.com. | |