Assistant Professor Department of Biophysics
Department of Biophysics Medical College of Wisconsin 8701 Watertown Plank Road Milwaukee, WI 53226-0509, U.S.A. Phone: 414-456-4059 (office) 414-456-4049 (lab) Fax: 414-456-6512 Email: mzhao@mcw.edu
Conference Presentations
Education and Training:
BS PhD PostDoc
Biochemistry, University of Arizona 1996 Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, UK 2001 Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, 2003
Research Interests:
Novel imaging agents
Imaging agent development is an important aspect in molecular and medical imaging research. The process is critical for the improvement of existing imaging technologies, and for the identification of new biomarkers. To this end, we are dedicated to the discovery and characterization of novel imaging agents that lead to better insights in normal and diseased tissues in vivo. We are developing imaging agents for: the imaging of acute cell death, early detection of cancerous growth, thrombogenic and atherogenic potential in major vessels, and deep tissue bacterial infection.
Quantitative molecular imaging
Since a given imaging agent only has a finite ability to navigate in tissues, its uptake kinetics are governed by a complex interplay among a host of physicochemical factors. Therefore, the mere presence of an imaging agent in the tissue of interest does not necessarily warrant specific binding. This is a common cause of misinterpretation of signal intensity-based imaging data. Using quantitative molecular imaging, we are able to reliably measure the underlying physiological changes on a molecular level.
Regenerative medicine
Non-invasive imaging technologies allow us to characterize the kinetics of implanted stem cells, and to monitor the structural and functional recovery of the target tissue. These characterizations, in turn, will lead to innovative approaches in the delivery of stem cell-based regenerative therapies.