LEADS
IN BREAKTHROUGH
THERANOSTICS
TREATMENT AND RESEARCH
Thanks to rapid expansion in the commercialization of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, U-M Radiology is part of an exciting new revolution in nuclear medicine known as “theranostics”.
“The speed of this growth has been staggering,” said Peter J. H. Scott, Ph.D., Professor of Radiology and Director of the Division of Nuclear Medicine and the Cyclotron and Radiochemistry Facility. “We didn’t really have the infrastructure or people to do therapy clinical trials in the past as there was little demand. Now we’ve got hundreds of companies asking if we can host them here and we’re partnering with Rogel Cancer Center to put a dedicated Theranostics Clinical Trial team in place.”
“Theranostics” is an amalgam of the words “therapy” and “diagnostics”. It refers to a type of personalized cancer treatment where a specialized diagnostic positron emission tomography (PET) scan determines the stage of the cancer, then the radioisotope is changed to a very similar molecule with a therapeutically useful radiation emission that can treat the cancer.
“If we can see it on a PET scan, it means that on a molecular level the cancer has the receptor expression that we need to get the radioactive medication into the cancer cells and give radiation treatment,” said Ka Kit Wong, M.D., Professor and Director of the Nuclear Medicine Therapy Clinic.
Some members of the Nuclear Medicine Theranostics Team
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Dear Michigan Radiology Alumni, Faculty, Staff, Trainees, and Friends of the Department:
It’s a pleasure to be communicating with you once again by means of our department newsletter. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the newsletter had been on pause, and this is our first edition since 2019. Welcome back, we have a lot to catch up on!
I’m starting my second term as your department chair, and I want to reaffirm a core principle: we are a department that puts people first. This principle has helped us navigate through a number of storms, including public health crises, institutional changes, and political and economic uncertainty. This department’s excellence comes from our people, and this newsletter is devoted to singing their (and your) praises. In this edition, we have the opportunity to welcome new trainees and faculty, share a few updates on our cutting edge research and clinical care, congratulate faculty for their national and international accomplishments this academic year, and acknowledge and hear updates from our cadre of retirees since 2019. I have the pleasure of sharing my work life with over 1700 brilliant and committed colleagues in our growing department, and it is such a pleasure to share a few highlights with our community.
Looking inward, we are continually assessing our structure and processes to make sure our direction is in alignment
with our goals as a department. At the same time, we are always being assessed externally, and our reputation is important. Rankings and external perceptions drive recruitment, help to maintain the value of your diplomas, encourage grant funding and philanthropic giving, and so much more. In our field, two rankings dominate. The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research ranks us according to our NIH funding, and the US News and World Report is a reputational ranking, and depends on alumni and friends of departments to fill out the appropriate survey sent out by US News/Doximity. When you see these surveys, please do fill them out. This is a quick and easy way to say “Go Blue” and I want to personally thank you for taking a moment to help us with this.
Finally, I’d like to encourage all of you to keep in touch. Join us in person at our fall tailgate or our RSNA reception, follow us on social media, or drop a line to say hello and let us know what you are up to. We are so proud of our alumni, who make up a growing network of skilled physicians and scientists making a difference all over the country and the world. You really are the leaders and the best. How did your U-M training shape your career? I know it shaped mine. We hope to feature some alumni profiles in future newsletters and would love to hear from you.
Have a wonderful summer, and we hope to see you at some of our fall events!
Sincerely, Vikas
We would love to hear what you are up to and potentially feature you in a future newsletter. Please fill out the Alumni Update Form to send us your news and update your contact information. ALUMNI INFORMATION UPDATE
Go to the Alumni Update Form
Vikas Gulani, MD, PhD
“One of the strongest advantages of theranostics is it’s a systemic treatment. So, if you see it on the PET scan and you inject the theranostic radioactive medication intravenously, it goes to every site of metastasis seen on the PET scan and treats all the disease at the same time.”
From radioisotopes to modern theranostics
U-M Radiology has a long history of using radioactive medications to help patients with cancer. In fact, nuclear medicine at U-M has been involved with theranostics since the beginning, though it did not bear that name 70 years ago when radioactive iodine therapies first began.
In the 1940s, William H. Beierwaltes, MD, began working with radioisotopes to treat thyroid cancer before nuclear medicine was even a discipline. He was one of a handful of physicians who attended a landmark meeting on the medical uses of radioisotopes offered by the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) at the Oak Ridge, TN National Lab.
When he returned to Ann Arbor, Beierwaltes steered efforts to research radioisotopes to diagnose a variety of different malignancies. He eventually became the university’s first division director of Nuclear Medicine, helping the university acquire additional hospital space, a PET scanner, cyclotron, radiochemistry laboratories and personnel.
Radium-223 (Xofigo), approved for treatment of osseous metastases in prostate cancer in 2013, was the first agent in the modern era of theranostics and the first proven to improve longevity in cancer patients. Then lutetium-177 Dotatate, or Lutathera, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors. The latest theranostics development occurred in 2022 with lutetium-177 tagged prostatespecific membrane antigen (PSMA), or Pluvicto, for stage IV prostate cancer.
While the early diagnostics were developed by academic medical centers like U-M, the pharmaceutical industry was reluctant to market radioactive drugs in the past. That began to change with passage of the FDA Modernization Act of 1997. Among other things, the series of bills were intended to speed up the development of new pharmaceuticals, giving the industry a clear pathway to theranostics research and approval. This development and numerous acquisitions in the industry combined to fuel the surge.
“What’s happened since then is dozens of companies have spun out of oncology and biotech,” Scott explained. “So, there’s billions of dollars of pharma money and venture investment moving around in nuclear medicine in a way that’s just never happened before, and hundreds of theranostic agents are now in clinical trials.”
In addition to cancer treatment, Scott adds that imaging of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain has been pivotal to the approval of anti-amyloid immunotherapies in the last few years for Alzheimer’s disease. While the therapies are not radioactive, like they are for cancer, the diagnostic agents are. “We were involved at the very start of this field 20 years ago and have been very big players building the dementia diagnostics that we have today,” says Scott.
Using theranostics to F ight the second-leading caU se oF cancer death in men
Lutathera is available at University Hospital, and Pluvicto is available at both University Hospital and Brighton Center for Specialty Care. U-M has received about 500 referrals for Lutathera since it was approved seven years ago to treat rare, hormonally active tumors known as neuroendocrine neoplasms. By contrast, Pluvicto referrals have surpassed 300 in only a few years, because prostate cancer is much more common. But Pluvicto is only appropriate for a subset of men with prostate cancer.
“We have to be very realistic about the way we set patients’ expectations,” says Dr. Wong. “Information based on rigorous scientific studies is what’s conveyed to the patient. We do not highlight unrealistic effectiveness of a treatment, rather it is important to communicate that these are palliative treatments, not curative treatments.”
For the initially approved indication, which included some patients with a high metastatic disease burden, Pluvicto increased life expectancy for four months on average, although each individual responds very differently from the next and some have lived for years following Pluvicto therapy. Patients also experience fewer side effects and shorter administration times via intravenous injections with
up to six total cycles, meaning Pluvicto is better tolerated compared to traditional chemotherapy. In the original treatment paradigm, Pluvicto was a “last resort” drug. Until very recently, men with Stage IV prostate cancer had to undergo traditional chemotherapy before they were eligible for Pluvicto treatment.”
“What ends up happening is many of these patients are older men who get really knocked down by the chemotherapy,” said Meghan Doyle, RN and Coordinator of the Nuclear Medicine Therapy Clinic. “So when we’re requiring chemotherapy to be given first, sometimes it really takes a toll on their body and our Pluvicto therapy might not be as effective, or it might have too many side effects that they probably would not have encountered otherwise.”
However, the FDA just approved Pluvicto for use prior to chemotherapy at the end of March, 2025. “I think that will open the floodgates for many more prostate cancer patients we will be able to treat,” said Doyle. The Therapy Clinic team, including Doyle and lead technologist Pete Siekierski CNMT, is already preparing for the next wave.
n ew theranostics research U nderway at U-m
The Division of Nuclear Medicine is creating a dedicated team to manage theranostics research, sponsored by Radiology and Rogel Cancer Center leadership. With more internal and sponsored theranostics research underway, renowned experts will steward these clinical and diagnostic trials through the onboarding process at U-M, coordinating the various stakeholders involved, including oncologists, radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians, technologists, physicists, advanced practitioners, clinical care coordinators, nurses and radiochemists, in order to make these cutting-edge experimental therapeutics available to our patients with cancer.
One investigational study led by Associate Professor Benjamin Viglianti, MD PhD, is applying the theranostics principle to a wide range of cancer types by focusing on a new target for cancer treatment known as fibroblast activation protein inhibitor or FAPI, which is expressed in dozens of different cancers.
“I’m very excited to see theranostics applied to a wide range of cancer types,” Dr. Wong said. “Because the landscape is changing so quickly, the numbers of patients who need these theranostic treatments will be increasing almost exponentially. We need to train the next generation of doctors to be able to meet the clinical need.”
Yuni Dewaraja, PhD, is a Professor in Nuclear Medicine whose work is almost fully funded by research grants from the National Institute of Health, and more recently from industry. She is the Principal Investigator on multiple grants but is especially interested in how to personalize the radioactive dose on an individual patient basis to optimize their care. Her research focuses on dosimetry, which is the measurement and calculation of the ionizing radiation dose that is absorbed in the human body. Her group has developed methods and software based on Monte Carlo simulation to do highly patient-specific dosimetry calculations, starting with each patient’s nuclear medicine images. Known as Dose Planning Method for Radiopharmaceutical Therapy (DPM_RPT), this technology is now available with GE HealthCare’s MIM Software.
“Right now, what we’re doing is one-size-fits-all therapy,” Dewaraja said. “So, if someone comes to us with prostate cancer, they’ll get six doses of Pluvicto. But is that the best way to be doing this? We are trying to reduce the number of cycles -- not just for the sake of reducing, but we think it works better if you give more radiation at the beginning of the treatment period. Our dosimetry calculations have shown that the radiation energy deposited in the tumor is higher in cycle one than in subsequent cycles.” Based on these findings, Dr. Dewaraja was recently funded to start a clinical trial with dose escalation in the first cycle while reducing the total number of cycles.
Dr. Scott is particularly interested in alpha therapies. Both Pluvicto and Lutathera are beta emitters. In some cases, cancers can become resistant to these drugs, which cause single strand DNA damage that cells can learn how to repair. In such situations, alpha emitters such as actinium-225 (which Scott refers to as “a cluster bomb” for cancer), could be used. Alpha emitters cause double strand DNA breaks that cancer cells are highly unlikely to become resistant to.
The potential that lies in these areas of research and the exciting new developments in theranostics only serve to further improve the care that patients with cancer receive at Michigan Medicine.
“I think our biggest strength here is the total care that our cancer patients receive,” said Scott. “Radiology has partnerships with the medical oncology groups, urology, urologic oncology, endocrinology, surgery, and radiation oncology. It’s all the folks we have throughout the Cancer Center and throughout Michigan Medicine that makes us a powerhouse, providing the total care package to these patients who come to us for cancer treatments.”
by Lynn Waldsmith
U-M HISTOTRIPSY RESEARCH CONTINUES TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR PATIENTS WITH LIVER CANCER
Less than two years after its initial FDA approval, histotripsy is in high clinical demand and the subject of ongoing trials to advance its efficacy. As one of the co-inventors of histotripsy (2002) and co-founder of HistoSonics (2009), Zhen Xu, PhD, U-M Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology, explains that creating a noninvasive therapy was always her lab’s overarching mission. Other co-inventors include Charles Cain, PhD, Timothy Hall, PhD, Brian Fowlkes, PhD, and William Roberts, MD.
Named a National Academy of Inventors Fellow and awarded the Li Ka Shing Endowed Professorship, Xu has dedicated her career to the development of the “the world’s first noninvasive autonomous robot.” She says that the high-precision therapy generates microbubbles to target tumors without any incisions. Using controlled cavitation (expansion/collapse of bubbles), histotripsy is also non-ionizing and non-thermal. This ultra high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) technology was named using Greek words: “histo” meaning soft tissue and “tripsy” for mechanical breakdown.
Working with Xu on the clinical translation of the therapy, Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, MD, Professor of Radiology and interventionalist, says “while we know the use of histotripsy is good science, we’re further developing criteria to improve patient outcomes, such as setting treatment guidelines of ‘less than six lesions in the liver measuring no more than five centimeters in size’.”
Along with Xu (and other U-M researchers/authors), co-principal investigators and clinicians, Drs. Mendiratta-Lala and
Neehar Parikh, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, published the findings of their first histotripsy clinical trial in Radiology (Sept. 2024) entitled “#HOPE4LIVER Single-Arm Pivotal Trial for Histotripsy of Primary and Metastatic Liver Tumors” in which 40 patients with 44 tumors were treated.
“The goal of this initial trial was to “evaluate the safety and technical success of using this novel therapy specifically for the destruction of liver tumors,” says Dr. Parikh. “After each patient was treated with histotripsy, there was an immediate CT conducted, followed by a 30-day CT.
Dr. Mendiratta-Lala explained that these post-treatment endpoints were associated with no major adverse events, unlike other radiation and ablation modalities. “One of the benefits of utilizing histotripsy to target liver tumors is that the surrounding tissues and structures, including blood vessels and bile ducts, which are pervasive throughout the liver, are not damaged.” Generally, patients experience a relatively short recovery period with no pain associated with the procedure.
Sharing the story of his real-world experience with histotripsy is U-M patient, Matt Hendren, 51, a nurse and father of six children from Ypsilanti who was referred to the therapy by Grace Chen, MD, Professor, Division of Hematology & Oncology. “I experienced no significant complications from the procedure, just soreness for about 3-4 days postop, mild throat discomfort from the double lumen ET tube,
Histotripsy device
Credit: Erica Bass, Rogel Cancer Center, Michigan Medicine
Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, MD
FACULTY AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Prachi Agarwal, MD
Appointed 2024-25 President North American Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (NASCI) and Editor-in-chief, Seminars in Roentgenology. Named Kyung J. Cho Professor of Radiology.
Jayapalli Bapuraj, MD
Received Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2024 Honored Educator Award and named to U-M Faculty Senate Assembly.
Neeraj Chaudhary, MD
Dean’s Award Team Recipient for Michigan Medicine Team of the Year (Comprehensive Stroke Program) and received 2024 Radiology Editor’s Recognition Award for reviewing with Distinction.
Nikita Consul, MD
Received 2025 Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) Bracco Research and Innovation Award and U-M Graham Sustainability Center Catalyst Award.
Matthew Davenport, MD, MBA
Appointed Special Advisor to the Senior Associate Dean and Medical Group Executive Director at U-M, named 202526 Igor Laufer Lecturer by Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR).
Yuni Dewaraja, PhD
Named Inaugural William Martel Research Professor.
Michael DiPietro, MD
Named Fellow (Inaugural Class), Society of Pediatric Radiology (SPR).
Brian Fowlkes, PhD
Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Winner of 2024 Massey Grand Challenge, Development of an Ultrasound-based Flow-pressure Index for the Assessment of Cerebral Autoregulation.
Jessica Fried, MD, CIIP
Received 2025 Emerging Educator Award – Association of Academic Radiologists (AAR).
Hero Hussain, MD
Named Fellow of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM).
Annette Joe, MD
Received Dean’s Community Service Award and Detroit Medical Society Award.
Ella A. Kazerooni, MD, MS
Received 2024 American Cancer Society Volunteer Leadership Award for lifetime contribution to the mission of lung cancer screening.
Katherine Maturen, MD, MS
Elected Vice Chair for Diagnostic Radiology – American Board of Radiology (ABR) Board of Trustees and 202526 President, Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR).
Mishal Mendiratta-Lala, MD
Installed as Agree Family Research Professor of Image Guided Intervention.
Aditya Pandey, MD
Dean’s Award Team Recipient for Michigan Medicine Team of the Year (Comprehensive Stroke Program).
Smita Patel, MD
Received President’s Award for Service to the Society of Thoracic Radiology (STR).
Perry Pernicano, MD
Received 2024 Gold Medal, Michigan Radiological Society.
Brian Ross, PhD
Received Michigan Medicine
Distinguished Alumni Award – Basic Science Research.
Peter J. H. Scott, PhD
Named Paul L. Carson Collegiate Professor. Incoming President of the Society of Radiopharmaceutical Sciences.
Nicole Seiberlich, PhD
Named Fellow and 2027-28 President of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM).
Steven Soliman, DO, RMSK
Named Fellow, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) and received J. Leonard Goldner Research Award from American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand.
Ashok Srinivasan, MD
Received Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 2024 Honored Educator Award and named Associate Chief of Staff for Peer Review, Michigan Medicine Office of Clinical Affairs (OCA).
Peter Strouse, MD
Named Fellow (Inaugural Class), Society of Pediatric Radiology (SPR).
Zachary Wilseck, MD
Dean’s Award Team Recipient for Michigan Medicine Team of the Year (Comprehensive Stroke Program).
Tejaswi Worlikar, PhD
Received Young Investigator Award, Society for Advanced Body Imaging (SABI), “Impact of Histotripsy Dose Selection on Immune Response and Tumor-Free Survival in an Orthotopic Liver Tumor Model.”
Zhen Xu, PhD
Named Li Ka-Shing Endowed Professor and named Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Retirees 2020-25
We reached out to our recent retirees to hear their reflections on time spent at U-M Radiology, and to learn what they are doing now. The responses illustrated the depth, creativity and commitment of our faculty, and the respect and admiration of their peers and trainees. Profiles follow for all who chose to participate.
Richard K. J. Brown, MD
Clinical Professor Emeritus, Radiology Nuclear Medicine
Ronald O. Bude, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Abdominal Imaging
Ruth C. Carlos, MD, MS
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Abdominal Imaging
Heang-Ping Chan, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
CAD-AI Radiology Research
Richard H. Cohan, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Abdominal Imaging
Narasimham L. Dasika, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Radiology Interventional Radiology
Ben A. Dwamena, MB, ChB
Clinical Associate Professor Emeritus, Radiology Nuclear Medicine
James H. Ellis, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Abdominal Imaging
Isaac R. Francis, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Abdominal Imaging
Stephen S. Gebarski, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Neuroradiology
Joseph J. Gemmete, MD
Clinical Professor, Radiology Interventional Radiology
Mitchell M. Goodsitt, PhD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Medical Physics
Milton D. Gross, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Nuclear Medicine
Mark A. Helvie, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Breast Imaging
Deborah O. Jeffries, MD
Clinical Associate Professor, Radiology Breast Imaging
Doug L. Miller, PhD
Research Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Basic Radiological Sciences
Morand R. Piert, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Nuclear Medicine
Douglas J. Quint, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Neuroradiology
Leslie E. Quint, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Cardiothoracic Imaging
Marcian E. Van Dort, PhD
Research Associate Professor Emeritus, Radiology CMI Radiological Research
David M. Williams, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology Interventional Radiology
Richard K. J. Brown, MD
Clinical Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Nuclear
Medicine
Years of service: 2004–2020
Favorite aspect of working in department: We have an incredible department with amazing people. I love working with the residents and watching them advance in their careers. I also enjoy the esprit de corps among the faculty.
Memorable roles during your career: I have served in numerous roles during my career, including chief of a private practice group and Vice Chair of Operations at a major academic medical center, and I have been involved in several company start-ups. However, the role that has brought me the most joy is that of being an educator. I still keep in contact with many of our former residents and have watched a number of them become leaders in our field.
Advice for our trainees: The best advice I can give is the advice Dr. Dunnick gave me when I joined the faculty. I asked him, “What do I need to do to be successful in academics?” He responded, “Stay curious and be engaged!” The other advice is to always be learning!
Pleasures of retirement: Retirement? Not sure what that means.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Brown is a highly engaged teacher and mentor and has helped many residents through challenging times. He also has helped many residents prepare for boards with insightful case-based teaching. He is optimistic, creative, and always up for a walk!
Ronald O. Bude, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Abdominal
Imaging
Years of service: 1990–2022
Favorite aspects of working in department: The presence of Jon Rubin as a mentor in my early career, and the collegiality, friendliness, and helpfulness of the department.
Memorable roles during your career: Institutionally I enjoyed the roles of researcher and teacher. I never aspired to any sort of national role. I could not have cared less about that sort of thing.
Advice for our trainees: Work hard. Long hours are OK. But go to work early when your kids are in bed and go home at 5 PM to spend time with your family.
Pleasures of retirement: I’m researching ancient coins, just having completed an 80,000 GBP grant to study them with muons at the Rutherford Lab in Oxfordshire to determine composition non-invasively. I’m also studying ancient coins and archeological artifacts with the toys available to me on North Campus (electron microscopy and micro-CT) using my self funded research account, leading to publications.
Fulfilling a childhood urge, I obtained an ATF license to legally make display fireworks (the really big kind). I’m also enjoying cycling, getting up and going to bed when I want to, not when I have to, and shaving only when I really need to. Simply put, there is just not enough time in a day.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Bude is intellectually curious, always ready to think, discuss, and learn, and never takes himself too seriously. He is one of the best teachers most of us will ever encounter, with an amazing ability to meet residents right at the edge of their knowledge, and take them further.
Ruth C. Carlos, MD, MS
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Abdominal Imaging
Years of service: 1997–2024
Favorite aspect of working in department: Among clinical days at the U-M, serving at the VA was a highlight. This was a unique clinical population that chose to be there for their care and were respectful of the healthcare team. At the end of the day I always felt like I did good medicine.
Memorable roles during your career: I served on the U-M Senate Advisory Committee for University Affairs (SACUA) at the time of the 2016 election and subsequently, a tumultuous time on campus. I held and represented faculty perspectives even when they diverged from student and administrative perspectives, and gained understanding of the medical center as part of the larger university.
Advice for our trainees: Institutions have culture, find one that fits you.
Pleasures of retirement: I’m not retiring from professional practice, and will be moving to NYC to become Vice Chair of Faculty Development at Columbia Radiology.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Carlos has an expansive view of the big picture in our field and took pleasure in wide ranging talks in the reading room, expanding our trainees’ horizons. She is an accomplished mentor and helped many trainees and faculty further their careers both at Michigan and nationally.
Richard H. Cohan, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Abdominal Imaging
Years of service: 1992–2021
Favorite aspects of working in department: Working with the residents and faculty, banter in the CT reading room.
Memorable roles during your career: President of the Society of Uroradiology (SUR) and Chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) contrast committee.
Advice for our trainees: Work with people you like. Pay attention to your personal lives and maintain a balance in your work and personal lives.
Pleasures of retirement: Piano lessons, spending time with friends and family.
Thoughts from colleagues: “Cases are piling!” Dr. Cohan’s playful sense of humor makes him such a pleasure to work with. He is a natural teacher and always makes students, residents and fellows feel comfortable, creating an atmosphere where they can learn.
Ronald Bude, MD; James Ellis, MD; Richard Cohan, MD
James H. Ellis, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Abdominal
Imaging
Years of service: 1984–2022
Favorite part of work: The best part is working with the people. Staff, residents, and faculty have all taught me a lot about radiology and life. Our philosophy of striving for excellence in all we do makes coming to work a pleasure.
Career highlights: It was a special honor to be named to the Board of Directors of the Society of Uroradiology (SUR), leading eventually to a year as president of that organization. (The SUR later merged with the Society of Gastrointestinal Radiologists to become the Society of Abdominal Radiology). The SUR was important to me when I was starting out on an academic career; I made contacts, met some mentors, was invited to give talks (which was a good experience), and it was helpful in focusing my research efforts. I was grateful that I could pay something back by donating my time in administration of the society, and I was honored to be entrusted to do so.
Another special honor was being named the William Martel Collegiate Professor of Radiology for a five-year term. The professorship honored a long-time U-M faculty with whom I had a long and fruitful relationship. Bill Martel taught me when I was a medical student here at U-M and watching him at work confirmed for me my choice of radiology as a specialty. Later, when he was department chair, he recruited me to return to U-M as a faculty member and mentored me early in my career. Without Bill, I likely would have spent my career elsewhere, and I doubt it would have been as fulfilling as my time at U-M.
Advice for our trainees: Question everything and challenge dogma when needed (I wish I had done more of that). Find someone in their mid-career who is dynamic and thoughtful to be a mentor. Find some focus to be enthusiastic about and become a leader in that sphere, whether clinical, research, teaching, or administration – it will be a value to you and to your department. And take what we senior people say with a large grain of salt!
Pleasures of retirement: Retirement is a bit more relaxed than working every day, that’s for sure. We have a place up North and can spend more time there. (However, with the internet, one is never very far away.) I plan to do some catch-up on reading for pleasure.
Thoughts from colleagues: Despite his intellect, erudition, and experience, Dr. Ellis is unfailingly modest and courteous. His optimistic outlook and willingness to help have made him a cherished colleague and teacher. He is one of the most careful and particular readers (of a radiograph or a manuscript) that you will find, and a great role model in so many respects!
Isaac R. Francis, MD Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Abdominal Imaging
Years of service: 1981–2022
Favorite part of work: Outstanding helpful faculty members and other personnel to work with. I appreciated knowing that Division members were always willing to help me.
Career highlights: Membership and leadership roles in Society of Advanced Body Imaging (SABI), Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR), International Cancer Imaging Society.
Advice for our trainees: Work hard. Treat others as you expect them to treat you.
Pleasures of retirement: Spending time with my wife Marina and our daughters. Visiting my mom in India. Travel.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Francis made it a point to check in on the “late guy” (5-6 pm coverage) in the Body CT reading room before heading home for the night. This was a kind gesture of moral support that everyone appreciated, a small but significant way of fostering a sense of camaraderie and ensuring that no one felt isolated during those quieter, often challenging late shifts. He was always willing to offer advice to younger colleagues and generously helped them navigate tricky situations in research and professional societies. He was a trusted mentor and source of wisdom, making him a wellloved and respected figure within the team, someone who could always be counted on for professional advice and personal encouragement.
Mitchell M. Goodsitt, PhD, DABR
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Medical
Physics
Years of service: 1992–2023
Favorite aspects of working in our department: Two contributions to the department of radiology that I am especially proud of are establishing a first-class quality control team for testing all of the x-ray equipment in our hospitals and clinics and directing a comprehensive course on the Physics of Diagnostic Radiology for residents and nuclear engineering and radiological sciences (NERS) graduate students.
I trained many post-doctoral fellows in clinical medical physics, two of whom (Manos Christodoulou, PhD, and Sandra Larson, PhD) were hired as Diagnostic Physicists in our department and have remained here for over 20 years. Together, we published the first paper on the accuracies of the synthesized monochromatic CT numbers and effective atomic numbers obtained with a rapid kVp switching dual-energy CT scanner.
I enjoyed working on many research projects. I will highlight three. 1) I worked with Paul Carson, PhD and researchers at GE, to develop and evaluate a prototype combined 3D x-ray (digital breast tomosynthesis(DBT)) and 3D ultrasound (automated whole-breast ultrasound (ABUS)) system for imaging the breast in the same geometry. This system facilitated one-toone correspondences between masses detected with each modality. 2) Heang-Ping Chan, PhD and I experimentally evaluated the effects of DBT acquisition geometry on the perception of masses and detection of microcalcifications in images of the breast. The ability to vary acquisition geometry was a unique feature of the prototype system, not available on commercial units. We found that wide tomosynthesis angles enabled better perception of masses; whereas, narrow tomosynthesis angles enabled improved detection of microcalcifications. 3) One of my graduate students, Crystal Green of the NERS department, and I investigated an alternative to the combined system which involved imaging the breast with DBT and ABUS in their normal geometries (vertical and supine, respectively) and then using deformable mapping to relate corresponding masses in the x-ray and ultrasound images. Her PhD thesis received a ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award in recognition of its exceptional scholarly work.
Memorable roles during my career: I was honored to serve as Imaging Physics editor of the journal Medical Physics for 7 years, scientific program co-director and director for annual American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) meetings (each twice), and as an Expert in Diagnostic Radiology Physics for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). I was the sole Medical Physics member of the Data Safety and Monitoring Committee for the ACR Digital Mammography Imaging Screening trial (DMIST), a member of the National Mammography Quality Assurance Advisory Committee (NMQAAC) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), co-chair of the AAPM Tomosynthesis subcommittee, and co-chair of the AAPM Ultrasound subcommittee and chair of the AAPM Working Group on Quantitative B-mode Ultrasound QC development (first author of “Real-time B-mode ultrasound quality control test procedures; Report of AAPM Ultrasound Task Group No. 1,” which was published in 1998 and remains a standard reference in this field). I am especially proud of being elected a fellow of the AAPM in 2004.
Advice for our trainees: I would stress volunteering in your areas of expertise. It is often possible to attend the meetings of subcommittees, task groups, and working groups of your professional societies initially as a guest. To become better known at these meetings, I would recommend speaking up, and volunteering to help with specific projects. In doing so, it is important that you be meticulous and comprehensive in your work. Societies need volunteers to succeed, and they are always looking for volunteers. There are many opportunities. You just have to seek them out.
Pleasures of retirement: I enjoy continuing to be active in the AAPM Tomosynthesis and Ultrasound subcommittees and task groups. In addition, I am a senior editor of the British Journal of Radiology/Artificial Intelligence and review papers for several journals. I present lectures and assist with a lab in a Medical Technology Management Institute (MTMI) Hands-on Ultrasound Physics Workshop led by Brian Fowlkes, PhD of our department. I have offered to volunteer at the Electric Vehicle Center at the University of Michigan, which is another of my interests. I plan to do other volunteer work to assist refugees and perhaps at the Humane Society. My wife, Barb, and I are also eager to travel more. In retirement, I have more time to spend with our 4 grandchildren, which is wonderful. I also have more time to walk our dog, which is enjoyable.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Goodsitt is friendly and accessible and had a genuine interest in making physics understandable and approachable for diagnostic radiologists. His insights in CT Operations and other department committees were invaluable. He is a meticulous person with intellectual integrity, but his training and scientific rigor are combined with a gentle demeanor that makes people feel comfortable asking questions, seeking more understanding.
Milton D. Gross, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Nuclear
Medicine
Years of service: 1974–2019
Favorite aspect of working in department: Although COVID has presented some real challenges for me, I think that my favorite aspect of working in the department is being able to maintain relationships with colleagues and staff.
Memorable roles during your career: I have been fortunate to have participated in nuclear medicine administration at the local level as the Chief, Nuclear Medicine Service at the Ann Arbor VA (1980-2019), as the National Program Director, Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Safety Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C (1990-2016) and throughout that time as a member of the faculty in Radiology and Internal Medicine (Endocrinology). It was an honor and a great privilege to have served in those roles and I was particularly fortunate to have benefited from the support, dedication and expertise of fantastic mentors, friends, colleagues and staff.
Advice for our trainees: Surround yourself with mentors and role models, find colleagues with shared interests, become a contributing/active member of a team(s), accept/seek criticism of your work and try not to let educational debt make decisions for you.
Pleasures of retirement: Having more control over my time has been a real benefit of retirement. Spending more time with family, especially with my grandchildren has been great, and I’m enjoying golf, gardening, concerts, and sports events. Being able to spend more time at our cottage on Lake Michigan has been therapeutic, and now I’m looking forward to finding a warmer place to shelter from Michigan winters.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Gross is always willing to share his expertise on imaging of adrenal and thyroid disorders. He has been a mentor to many, including faculty, staff, and trainees. He took particular interest in ensuring that trainees were able to find faculty positions at the end of their fellowship. His knowledge, work ethic, and good cheer are unforgettable!
Mark A. Helvie, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Breast
Imaging
Years of service: 1987–2022
Favorite aspect of working in department: I liked it all! Good colleagues in Radiology and in the Breast Care Center. I enjoyed clinical care and research, and the short 10–15 minute commute to the hospital. It was a good place to be a doctor.
Memorable roles during your career: Working at the National Cancer Care Network (NCCN) for many years developing guidelines for breast cancer care, nationally and internationally. Great group of people at NCCN.
Advice for our trainees: Go with your passion and work hard at what you like.
Pleasures of retirement: It’s been an easy transition. I do the same things I did in my free time before retiring, but have more time to do it. I like having more time! We work hard as doctors so having more free time in retirement is really nice. I’m still involved in the NCCN, which I enjoy. I enjoy my hobbies - gardening, wood working, and biking. I have 4 kids and 5 grandkids to visit, and my mother in law. We travel to Boston, Philadelphia, Virginia, Washington DC, Nebraska, and Florida regularly.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Helvie has an incredible command of the research and statistics supporting breast cancer screening, and actively pursued a mission to save women’s lives by sharing this information. He is an outstanding teacher who had an impact on generations of residents, teaching them to be meticulous, methodical, and evidence based.
Morand R. Piert, MD
Professor
Emeritus, Radiology
Nuclear
Medicine
Years of service: 2004–2023
Favorite aspect of working in department: Being part of an innovative group fostering Nuclear Medicine radiotracer development from bench to bedside.
Memorable roles during your career: Leading the clinical implementation of prostate cancer theranostics at the University of Michigan.
Advice for our trainees: Never give up your dreams.
Pleasures of retirement: Being a traveling photographer, digital and physical painting.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Piert is very generous with his time, engaging junior faculty in discussions on research ideas and the current topics of the time. He is always looking for ideas and projects to help them out, and is a great sounding board. Every week, he headed the teaching case correlation morning meetings presenting a wide range of interesting and challenging Nuclear Medicine cases, a tradition that continues to this day. His dry sense of humor is infectious and makes the day’s work fun.
Leslie E. Quint, MD
Professor
Emeritus, Radiology
Cardiothoracic Imaging
Years of service: 1982–2021
Favorite aspect of working in department: I enjoyed representing Radiology at multidisciplinary patient care conferences, exploring the findings on each individual patient’s imaging studies in the context of the clinical scenario.
Memorable roles during your career: President of SCBT/MR (now called SABI: Society for Advanced Body Imaging).
Advice for our trainees: Find a subspecialty and/or role that you love and that gives you a sense of purpose and fulfillment. I fell in love with chest/body CT scanning and with multidisciplinary patient care conferences as a junior resident and never looked back!
Pleasures of retirement: Traveling with family, volunteering at local charitable organizations, and making new friends in the neighborhood while walking the dog.
Thoughts from colleagues: Going ‘above and beyond’ was the norm for Leslie. She knew (and taught her trainees) that the radiologist’s ‘customers’ were both the patient and the ordering clinician. She always explained the ‘why’ behind her interpretation, and understood the value of talking to the clinician when nuance was important, long before the phrase ‘closing the loop’ was coined. She made me a better doctor.
My favorite quote from Leslie is “Reading lung nodule scans can be like watching the grass grow”. The case examples she shared with us in the division meetings reinforced the importance of always going back to the most remote scans. She has made our division stronger in so many ways.
Douglas Quint, MD; Leslie Quint, MD
Douglas J. Quint, MD Professor Emeritus, Radiology Neuroradiology
Years of service: 1988–2021
Favorite aspect of working in department: Teaching, especially 1-on-1 procedural teaching. Seeing trainee progress from being fearful about performing a myelogram or angiogram to becoming competent and accomplished was always a pleasure. I also enjoyed participating in the interdisciplinary conferences with multiple clinical departments and resident noon conferences.
Another favorite thing was the radiology softball team — I was a team member from my very early days in the department until the team ended in 2005 or 2006 and saw many faculty and trainees come and go. At the end, I was one of the few faculty on the team, with most team members being trainees.
Memorable roles during your career: At the national level, I enjoyed being an oral board examiner for the ABR. I liked being able to make the examinees feel at ease and comfortable, so I could really figure out what they knew. After showing a few cases I was usually able to tell if an examinee would pass or they were going to have difficulty.
At the institutional level I enjoyed serving on the hospital legal committee. I learned a lot about how the system works and how troubles occurred though my work on this committee. Members of the committee were open and honest, even when mistakes were made. The committee tried to get to the bottom of lawsuits and sentinel events and then make improvements to the system, which was gratifying.
Advice for our trainees: Pursue a career path you enjoy, and don’t do something for just financial reasons. Young radiologists should become part of the system in which they work, through their activities at work. They should get to know clinicians in other departments and administrators. Becoming more known at your institution gives you more credibility, rather than just being a name on a report.
Pleasures of retirement: No longer having to carry a pager or worry about worklists! I’ve had the opportunity to make new friends in the neighborhood, with people I wouldn’t necessarily have had contact with when I was working. We’ve enjoyed the opportunity to travel and plan to continue this as long as we are able. Trips have included Easter Island and the Galapagos Islands as well as closer locations, including a recent trip to Saugatuck, MI. I’m active, playing tennis and have become more involved in biking. I plan to live in Ann Arbor indefinitely, and enjoy having time to make the most of U of M, including football, hockey and basketball games, theater events and talks on campus.
Thoughts from colleagues: “This is a great example of whatever it is!” Doug was a quintessential (pun intended) teacher, advisor and friend in the division. He always kept his cool, provided lots of hands-on training opportunities for trainees and junior faculty and encouraged healthy discussions. Doug was always willing to discuss a difficult case or the best approach to a procedure. He was friendly to everyone, a great teacher and the type of colleague everyone hopes to have.
Quint family in New York
Marcian E. Van Dort, PhD
Research Associate Professor Emeritus, Radiology
CMI Radiological Research
Years of service: 2009–2020
Favorite aspect of working in department: Availability of continuous research funding and state of the art instrumentation. Collaboration opportunities with faculty members.
Memorable roles during your career: Mentoring students and junior faculty.
Advice for our trainees: Find what you enjoy most and work hard at it.
Pleasures of retirement: Spending time with the grandkids, gardening, Reading, listening to music, keeping up with latest advancements in scientific research.
Thoughts from colleagues: As a colleague, Marcian was mild mannered and great to work together with. He was creative, effective and committed to excellence.
David M. Williams, MD
Professor Emeritus, Radiology
Interventional Radiology
Years of service: 1979–2023
Favorite aspect of working in department: Excellent colleagues in IR, vascular surgery, and cardiovascular surgery. I had a wonderful 44 years.
Memorable roles during your career: Dotter lecturer, on the plane when the flight was cancelled on 9/11. Tegtmeyer lecturer, 2021 and Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) gold medalist, 2021.
Advice for our trainees: Ally yourself with clinicians interested in the same medical conditions you are, and work on the frontier together.
Pleasures of retirement: I have half a dozen projects I want to publish before I snip the suture, and then hope to travel with my wife.
Thoughts from colleagues: Dr. Williams’ devotion to patient and physician education is evident. His ability to explain medical complexities in clear terms empowers patients to actively engage in their health decisions, fostering a trusting environment. His impact isn’t limited to his immediate reach; his influence extends to training the next generation of healthcare providers, including surgeons, interventionalists, and medical colleagues. His legacy exponentially enhances patient outcomes, not only within our institution but across the state, nation, and the world.
A recent patient said, “Dr. Williams is not only an exceptional physician but also a remarkable individual. He is a special physician, but an even more special man, leaving a lasting impact on the lives he touches.”
WELCOME
2024 NEW FACULTY
Patrick Albus, MD
Instructor
Emergency Radiology from Premier Radiology
Kalamazoo, MI
Fernanda Babler, MD
Assistant Professor
Pediatric/Musculoskeletal Radiology from Michigan Medicine (Fellow)
Ann Arbor, MI
Marianna Dakanali, PhD
Assistant Professor
Nuclear Medicine Physics
from University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX
Howard Francois, MD
Instructor
Community Radiology
from Desert Radiology Las Vegas, NV
Ansel Hillmer, PhD
Associate Professor
PET Physics from Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT
Nathan Kafity, MD
Assistant Professor
Vascular/Interventional Radiology
VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
from Michigan Medicine (Resident) Ann Arbor, MI
Tanpreet Kaur, PhD
Research Investigator
PET Center
from Michigan Medicine (Fellow) Ann Arbor, MI
Kourosh Mahmoud-Kalayeh, PhD
Research Investigator
Ultrasound Laboratory
from Michigan Medicine (Fellow) Ann Arbor, MI
Stephen Polanski, MD
Assistant Professor
Abdominal Radiology
from University of Wisconsin Madison, WI
Eric Royston, DO, MPH
Instructor
Musculoskeletal Radiology
VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System
from Michigan Medicine (Fellow)
Ann Arbor, MI
Julia Schoen, MD
Assistant Professor
Community Radiology
from Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
Zhengguo Tan, PhD
Assistant Research Scientist
MIITT
from Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Erlangen, Germany
Michael Terjimanian, MD
Instructor
Cardiothoracic Radiology
from Michigan Medicine (Fellow) Ann Arbor, MI
Kyle Wilson, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor
Vascular/Interventional Radiology
Breast Imaging
from Michigan Medicine (Fellow) Ann Arbor, MI
Tejaswi Worlikar, PhD
Assistant Research Scientist
Histotripsy
from Michigan Medicine (Fellow) Ann Arbor, MI
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN RADIOLOGY
TAILGATE
OCTOBER 4, 2025
Join us for our annual football tailgate prior to the University of Michigan Wolverines vs. Wisconsin Badgers football game on October 4, 2025. More information will be coming about this event. Go Blue!
RSNA RECEPTION
DECEMBER 1, 2025
Save the date! We hope you’ll join us for the annual reception of U-M Radiology alumni and friends on December 1, 2025 during the 2025 RSNA meeting in Chicago. More information will be coming about this event.
VISIT MGOBLUE .COM FOR INFORMATION ON PARKING AND THE STADIUM
