General Information

Introduction
The Department of Radiology is committed to providing state-of-the-art care to patients. As part of this goal, we perform both laboratory and clinical research to advance knowledge in the field of Radiology. The faculty has published numerous research papers on a wide variety of topics. Residents are required to conduct a research study before they graduate. A series of research lectures provide instruction in designing and conducting studies, statistical analysis, and manuscript preparation. A monthly Grand Rounds conference educates the faculty and housestaff on the latest developments in various radiology sub-specialties.

The research staff consists of highly trained, experienced professionals operating under the direction of Marco Amendola, M.D. and the Radiology Research Committee.

For general information about the research program, please contact Angel A. Loor at 305-243-2804 or aloor@med.miami.edu.

Clinical Research
The department participates in a variety of NIH- and industry-sponsored clinical trials to provide patients with the latest in diagnostic and interventional radiology technology, the department is a member of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network, a NIH-funded national network of Radiology research institutions. Through our clinical trials the department studies:

• Contrast agents for Magnetic Resonance and computed tomography imaging;
• Radioisotopes to alleviate cancer pain and shrink tumors;
• Less invasive methods of cancer staging;
• The MRI Center is looking for volunteers to take part in imaging research studies. For further information, please look here.
  

Grants
Investigators in the Department of Radiology have been awarded a number of grants from the National Institutes of Health and other agencies. In addition, our faculty often collaborates with investigators in other departments as co-investigators on their research grants. Our recent peer-review grant awards include:

Specialty Laboratories
The Department of Radiology maintains several specialty laboratories, including the following:

• Magnetic Resonance
• Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• MRI Core – General Clinical Research Center

Residents’ and Fellows’ Research Program
Research training is a vital part of radiology education, therefore, each third year resident is required to conduct a research project. Educational lectures are timed to coincide with the various aspects of their projects. Lecture topics include:

• Introduction to study design
• Study logistics
• Introduction to Biostatistics
• Preparing abstracts, manuscripts, and presentations

The program culminates in Residents’ Day, where projects are presented to the faculty. Awards are given for the best projects. Residents are encouraged to present their projects at national and international conferences, and to prepare manuscripts for publication. Many get accepted for presentation and/or publication.

Last year’s projects included:

• Differentiation of cerebral radiation necrosis and scarring from tumor recurrence with 18F-FDG using a hybrid dual detector camera
• Post treatment electrolyte abnormalities in patients with anterior communicating artery aneurysms: surgery versus endovascular
• Use of clear liquids as oral contrast media for trauma abdominal CT: a prospective randomized trial
• A noninvasive and viable alternative to angiography
• Splenic injury: predictors of failure of conservative management
• Diagnosis of myocardial fibrosis using MRI and digitized electrocardiograms displayed at high velocity
• Post renal treatment lymphocele sclerotherapy: Jackson Memorial experience
• MR accuracy and arthroscopic incidence of meniscal radial tears
• Evaluate the significance of elevated Scyllo-Inositol levels as well as S-Ins/Cr ratios in glial neoplasms on MR spectroscopy
• Ischemic changes after the endovascular treatment of asymptomatic intracranial aneurysm patients: an analysis of stroke risk based on coil type
• Non calcified hyalinized fibroadenomas: a sonographic and histologic correlation
• Quantitative analysis of technetium labeled red blood cells in gastrointestinal bleeding scan. A predictor of positive angiogram?
• MR Imaging of Mitek & Arthrex Rotator Cuff Anchors
• Correlation of changes produced by radiation enteritis on nuclear scan and angiography in cases of post radiotherapy GI bleeding
• Significance of Doppler US interrogation of the hepatic artery peak systolic velocities (PSV) in a transplant liver
• Percutaneous drainage of liver abscesses
• Diffusion weighted imaging of normal human spinal cords: detection of age related morphometric changes
• Follow-up imaging of endovascular treated cerebral aneurysms with detachable coils: noninvasive Gd-enhanced 3D MRA vs digital subtraction angiography
• The use of spinal MRI for the prediction of retrograde Wallerian degeneration
• Bone spectroscopy
• Functional MRI in attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
• Radiofrequency ablation of renal tumors
• Accuracy of low field 0.2T extremity magnets in detecting glenoid labral tears in cadaveric shoulders: comparison to high field 1.5T magnets
• Detection and characterization of renal masses with Mn-DPDP (Teslascan) enhanced MRI
• The relationship of magnetic resonance spectroscopy detectable metabolites and histologic grade of brain gliomas
• Uterine artery embolization
• Comparison of Gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted fat-suppressed MRI of the brain with the conventional post-gadolinium T1-weighted MR sequence for detection of parenchymal brain lesions.
• Use of ultrasound imaging for evaluation of clavicle fractures resulting from birth trauma
• The diagnostic ability of E-SCAN in the setting of triangular fibrocartilage complex injury: comparison with high field strength MRI and histopathologic correlation
• Evaluation of the thoracolumbar spine after blunt trauma using chest and abdominal computed tomographic scanning in comparison to plain film radiography
• Hepatobiliary scintigraphy in liver transplant patients: the “Blind End Sign” and its differentiation from bile leak