Mark Anastasio–Creating New Frontiers in X-Ray Imaging
Mark Anastasio
Conventional x-ray imaging (radiography) is the most widely used diagnostic imaging technique in medicine, but it has serious and well-known shortcomings that are driving the development of innovative imaging alternatives. As a core faculty member of IIT Pritzker Institute's Medical Imaging Research Center (MIRC), Professor Mark Anastasio's research is focused on advanced applications and methods for medical imaging including the development of new modalities and techniques for acquisition, processing and analysis of medical images. Combining his background in electrical engineering, physics and medical physics, Professor Anastasio has developed an acclaimed research program in mathematical and numerical aspects of inverse problems in bioimaging, tomographic image reconstruction, wave physics-based imaging modalities, and theoretical image science.
MIRC: Fostering Collaborative Imaging Solutions
The MIRC actively promotes medical imaging research by fostering cooperative projects in x-ray imaging, image reconstruction, computer-aided diagnosis, and MRI and neuroimaging between IIT faculty and faculty at other institutions, including The University of Chicago, Rush Medical College, and Argonne National Laboratories, among others. Internally, MIRC researchers collaborate with faculty from the IIT Engineering Center for Diabetes Research and Education (ECDRE) and the Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research (CINNR) to develop imaging tools that address the diagnostic needs of patients who suffer from diabetes-related illnesses and neurological disorders including Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury. MIRC research projects are financially supported by many institutes within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), largely because of the demonstrated potential impact of this research on the large number of people directly affected by these illnesses.
Synopses of some of Dr. Anastasio's current imaging research program are presented below. Extensive program details are provided on the MIRC website.
—Phase-contrast Tomographic Imaging, M.A. Anastasio, X. Pan (U. Chicago), E. Brey
Professor Anastasio received a National Science Foundation CAREER award in support of this research on the development of new phase-contrast tomographic imaging techniques. Phase-contrast imaging permits the visualization of soft tissue structures that are undetectable using conventional X-ray radiographic methods and typically delivers a smaller radiation dose to the patient. The developed non-invasive imaging methods will be implemented experimentally to investigate important biomedical applications including carotid plaque characterization. MIRC researchers are also exploring alternative methods for phase-contrast tomographic imaging applications in cancer and cartilage imaging.
―Multiple-image radiography, M. Wernick, J. Brankov, M.A. Anastasio, Y. Yang, D. Chapman (U. Saskatchewan), C. Muehleman (Rush Med. Coll.), E. Pisano (UNC-Chapel Hill), C. Parham (UNC-Chapel Hill), Z. Zhong (Brookhaven Natl. Lab.), M. Yaffe (U. Toronto)
MIRC researchers have been developing an x-ray imaging approach called multiple-image radiography (MIR) that offers several advantages over standard mammography and soft tissue imaging applications. Unlike conventional radiography that produces just one image, MIR simultaneously produces three images (showing separately the effects of absorption, refraction and ultra-small-angle x-ray scattering) and results in clearer images created with approximately 500 times less radiation dose and without the pain caused by breast compression.
—Megavoltage computed tomography (CT) for radiation therapy tumor imaging; M.A. Anastasio, X. Pan (U. Chicago), C. Pelizzari (U. Chicago), J. Sillanpaa (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center), and J. Chang (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)
Advances in cancer radiation treatment delivery equipment, imaging systems, and treatment planning capabilities have resulted in radiation treatment fields becoming smaller and more tightly conformed to the tumor. Errors in positioning of the patient have become more detrimental to effective radiation therapy. Thus, there is an increasing need for imaging methods to identify the tumor volume within the patient before the treatment delivery. MIRC researchers are collaborating with clinical and basic science faculty at The University of Chicago Medical Center to develop and investigate dose-efficient tomographic imaging methods that will facilitate patient positioning verification.
Curriculum development and implementation
Since joining the BME faculty in 2001, in addition to developing an expansive research program, Dr. Anastasio has been actively engaged in teaching undergraduate and graduate courses. As one of the first hires in the newly established IIT Department of Biomedical Engineering, Professor Anastasio developed and taught for the first time the following BME courses:
- BME 521 Introduction to Medical Imaging
- BME 540 Wave Physics and Applied Optics for Imaging Scientists
- BME 530 Inverse Problems in Biomedical Imaging
- BME 542 Advanced Concepts in Image Science
- BME 500 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
- BME 330 Analysis of Biosignals and Systems
Mentoring activities
Professor Anastasio currently supervises the research of 4 Ph.D. students and 2 post-docs as principal advisor. He serves as a member of the Advisory Committee for 10 current Ph.D. students, as well as for 4 students who have graduated. He is also actively engaged in mentoring research projects for undergraduate students, and has served as a mentor in the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Mentored Research Program.
Accolades and honors
Professor Anastasio is author of more than 80 peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings papers. He has presented more than 20 invited lectures and has received a number of professional society awards and citations including a recent NSF CAREER Award for his research on the "Development of Biomedical X-ray Phase-Contrast Tomography," and a 2006 IIT Sigma Xi Award for Excellence in Research, junior faculty category.