Former Lab Members (2003-present)

Staff Members

Kishore Vakamudi, M.Sc.: Kishore Vakamudi received his Masters degree in the department of Physics and Astronomy at UNM. His research in the MR lab focused on developing and validating methodology for whole brain resting state connectivity in human brain using high-speed fMRI.

Elena Ackley, MS   Elena Ackley received her Masters in Computer Science from the University of New Mexico in 2000. She had programmed the 'Negative Database' for UNM CS research. She developed the TurboFIRE real-time fMRI analysis software package, novel pattern classification methods for real-time fMRI and ICE reconstruction code for the PEPSI project.

Kunxiu Gao, MS    Kunxiu Gao received his Master's degree in Computer Science from Wayne State University in May 2001, and started working with Dr. Posse on the real-time fMRI project in August 2001 at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He was the lead developer of the TurboFIRE real-time fMRI software package.

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS

Qi Lu, PhD.: Qi Lu rejoined the lab after finishing his PhD. His research was on the adaptation of the PEPSI Ice reconstruction software for the VE11C operating system of the Siemens Prisma scanner.

Kaung-Ti Yung, PhD   After receiving his PhD in 1999 from Dr. Paul C. Lauterbur at U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Kaung-Ti Yung was on faculty of Geneva College near Pittsburgh, PA and continued MR research at Carneige Mellon University and U. of Pittsburgh from 2003-2008. While there Dr. Yung constructed RF coils, implemented sequences, and calculated diffusion tensor anisotropy maps for murine models. His research was the optimization of saturation band placement for high-speed MR spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI), and comparing short TE and TE-averaged PEPSI data for mapping Glutamate.

Chenguang Zhao, PhD   Since completing his PhD study in medical image processing in 2005, Chenguang Zhao has been working on MR imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/S). Dr. Zhao's background spans from Mathematics, MR physics, to signal processing. He developed high-speed MR spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI) for the human breast to map Choline, a metabolic maker of Breast Cancer. He implemented online reconstruction of PEPSI data on the Siemens 3T scanner which permits viewing of reconstructed spectra on the scanner.

Weili Zheng, PhD   Weili Zheng received her Ph.D in 2007 from the University of Singapore. Her research interests include signal and image processing and medical image analysis. Dr. Zheng has worked on vascular segmentation of MRA in strokes, and MR brain image analysis of Alzheimer's disease. She was working on novel pattern classification methods for real-time fMRI and outer volume suppression in high-speed MR spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI).

Manel Martinez Ramon, PhD.  Manel Martinez Ramon was a postdoctoral fellow in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research was on pattern classification in fMRI and on automated placement of outer volume suppression slices in MR spectroscopic imaging. He is currently a faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering. 

Graduate Students

Jeff Sharpe, M.Sc.: Jeff was a graduate student in Computer Science. His research was on reduction of Gibb’s ringing in MR spectroscopic imaging using convolutional neural networks, resting-state fMRI neurofeedback interfaces and image segmentation using convolutional neural networks.

Troy Hutchins-Delgado, M.Sc.: Troy was a graduate student in Physics and Astronomy. He research was on quantitative MR spectroscopic imaging analysis.

Stephen Martinez, B.Sc.: Stephen was a graduate student, in Medical Physics. His research was in cardiac pulsatility in fMRI.

Kevin Tagne Fotso, M.Sc.: Kevin was a graduate student in the Biomedical Engineering Program. His research focused on Diffusion Tensor MR Spectroscopic Imaging in human brain and resting state functional MRI.

Abubakr Eldirdiri, B.Sc.: Abubakr was a visiting PhD candidate from the Center for Hyperpolarization in Magnetic Resonance, Electrical Department, Technical University of Denmark. His research was on the development of accelerated image acquisition methods for hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Joel Castellanos, M.Sc.: Joel Castellanos was a graduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research is focused on motion correction in high-speed resting state fMRI.

Qi Lu, B.Sc.: Qi was a graduate student Computer Science. His research was on the adaptation of the PEPSI Ice reconstruction software for the VD13 operating system of the Siemens Prisma scanner.

Kishore Vakamudi, B.Sc.: Kishore completed his Master's degree in Physics and Astronomy. His research was in resting state fMRI dynamics using echo-volumar imaging.

Alec Landow, B.Sc.: Alec was a PhD candidate in Physics and Astronomy. His research was in  diffusion tensor MR spectroscopic imaging.

Ernesto Akio Yoshimoto, B.Sc.:  Ernesto was a PhD candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering, specializing in digital image processing applied to magnetic resonance imaging. He worked on high-speed MR spectroscopic imaging with parallel reconstruction techniques using large scale array coils. He also works on spectral quantification in high-spatial resolution MR spectroscopic imaging (PEPSI) to obtain detailed metabolite maps of the brain.

Ruslan Hummatov, B.Sc.: Ruslan was a PhD candidate in Physics and Astronomy. His research was in cerebrovascular pulsatility in fMRI,

Michele Zhang, B.Sc.: Michele was a visiting Medical Physics graduate student from UCLA School of Medicine. Her research was on navigator correction of diffusion tensor spectroscopic imaging data,

Julian Antolin Camarena, B.Sc.: Julian was a graduate student in Physics and Astronomy. His research was on compressed sensing, superresolution reconstruction and parallel imaging in MRI.

Nadiezda Fernandez-Oropeza, B.Sc.: Nadiezda was a graduate student in Physics and Astronomy. Her research was on reconstruction of 3D MR spectroscopic images.

Eduardo Castro-Witting, B.Sc.: Eduardo was a PhD candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research was in pattern classification in fMRI.

Roy Keyes, B.Sc.: Roy was a PhD candidate in Physics and Astronomy. His research was in motion correction in fMRI.

Martin Andreas Rueckert, B.Sc.: Martin was a graduate student in Physics and Astronomy. He completed his Master’s degree with a thesis entitled: Proton-Echo-Planar-spectroscopic-Imaging with GRAPPA acceleration

Ricardo Otazo, B.Sc.: Ricardo was a PhD candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He completed his PhD with a thesis entitled: Advanced Parallel Magnetic Resonance Imaging Methods with Applications to MR Spectroscopic Imaging. He is currently a Professor at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and an internationally recognized leader in the field of high-speed MRI using compressed sensing methods.

Pre-Medical and Medical students

Darien S. Williams, B.Sc.: Darien was a Medical Student at UNM. His research was in presurgical mapping using resting-state fMRI.

Geoffrey May, B.Sc.: Geoffrey was a Pre-Medical Student visiting from Wayne State University School of Medicine. His research was in reference vector optimization in fMRI. He is currently a Psychiatrist at the VA Clinic in Waco, TX.

Undergraduate Students

Bruno Sa de La Rocque Guimaraes. Bruno was a student in in Physics and Astronomy. His research was in (1) Concurrent fMRI and MRSI, (2) Compensation of magnetic field inhomogeneity using dynamic k-space expansion in combination with parallel imaging, (3) Resting state connectivity at high frequency in echo-volumar imaging data.

Abraham E. Dominguez Hernandez: Abraham was a student in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research was in high frequency resting state fMRI.

Cameron Trapp: Cameron Trapp obtained his bachelor’s degree in Physics and Astronomy. His research is focused on characterizing high-frequency resting state connectivity and cardiac pulsatility using ultra-high-speed fMRI.

Valeria Martinez: Valeria was a student in Psychology. Her research was on application of pattern classification to fMRI of brief cognitive events.

Research Volunteers

Ingrid Lane, B.A.: Ingrid was a graduate student in psychology.  Her research was on neoadjuvant treatment monitoring in breast cancer using high-speed spectroscopic imaging.

Bradley Evans, B.Sc.: Bradely was a graduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering. His research was in high frequency resting state connectivity.

Jorge Canales Verdial, B.Sc.: Jorge was a graduate student in the Optical Science and Engineering program. His research was on high frequency resting state connectivity.

Lakshisree Damodaran, B.Sc.:Lakshisree was a graduate student in Physics and Astronomy. He research was on quantitative MR spectroscopic imaging analysis.

Akram Etemadi Amin, M.Sc: Akram Etemadi Amin was a graduate student in Physics and Astronomy at UNM. Her research interest was quantitative metabolite mapping using high-speed MRSI with embedded water referencing.

Justine Yang: Justine Yang was an undergraduate student in Biology and Psychology. Her research was focused on data analysis of high-speed resting state fMRI data.

Johnny Anthony Kenton, B.Sc: Johnny was a PhD candidate in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. His research was correlation between fMRI resting state connectivity to lesion pathology of neurological disease.

Claudia Wuillma Narvaez Villarrubia, B.Sc.: Claudia was a PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering. Her research was in breast tumor volumes using contrast-enhanced MRI.