Ting Chen, PhD

My research is primarily focused on developing new techniques for image guided radiation therapy on cancer patients. The target of my research is to effectively and accurately track the motion of cancer and human organs during radiation therapy.

One particular area of interest is MRI guided adaptive radiation therapy. Recently parallthan in a traditional sequential fashion, thereby enabling imaging at previously inaccessible speeds. I have played a leading role in the genesis and subsequent development of this field, and my research group has contributed both to basic development and to multifaceted clinical implementations of parallel imaging techniques and technologies.

In recent years, my laboratory has also begun to explore other uses for RF coil arrays, including the use of multiple radiofrequency transmitters to tailor MR signal excitation, and potential new methods for imaging of tissue electrical properties, which have previously eluded accurate noninvasive mapping.

My colleagues and I are actively engaged in the development of new rapid imaging techniques using nonlinear image reconstruction algorithms, such as compressed sensing. For example, we are combining compressed sensing with parallel imaging in the pursuit of a few-minute comprehensive cardiac MR examination, which would enable rapid assessments of cardiovascular health with rich information content and extremely simple workflow.

As vice chair for research in the Department of Radiology, I have also overseen the development of a new translational imaging research program.