Research Projects
Our research can be grouped into four buckets:
Computational modeling and artificial intelligence to optimize image-guided cancer therapy
We build the computational backbone for the next generation of precision cancer treatment. By combining physics-based modeling, artificial intelligence, and multimodal imaging, our team develops tools that predict how tumors will respond to therapy, plan interventions before the first incision, and guide clinicians in real time at the point of care. The goal is a treatment tailored to each patient's anatomy and biology rather than a population average.
Supported by NIH NCI R01 CA303795 and NIH NIBIB EB031934
Synergizing locoregional approaches to improve immunotherapy in solid tumors
Immunotherapy has transformed cancer care, yet many solid tumors remain stubbornly resistant. Our research asks how locoregional interventions such as ablation and embolization can be used not just to destroy tumor tissue, but to reshape the immune microenvironment and prime the body's own response. By treating the tumor locally to unlock a systemic effect, we aim to convert "cold" tumors into ones the immune system can recognize and attack. This is deeply interdisciplinary work, bringing together interventional radiology, tumor immunology, and translational research to design combination strategies and test them from bench to bedside.
Supported by VA I01BX006411, NIH UL1TR001881 and the RSNA Research Scholar Grant
Biomarker-driven therapies for liver cancer
Liver cancer is heterogeneous, and treatments that work well for one patient may fail another. Our team develops imaging and molecular biomarkers that reveal which therapy a given tumor is most likely to respond to, leading to improved treatment selection, timing, and sequencing of care. By linking what we see on imaging to underlying tumor biology, we work toward treatment decisions grounded in each patient's disease rather than trial and error. We have a translational pipeline that connects biomarker discovery to real treatment decision.
Supported by the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
Development of novel theranostics
Some of the most important advances in cancer care come from new ways to see and reach a tumor. Our team designs and validates novel image-guided treatment modalities to make minimally invasive therapy more precise. From early concept through preclinical validation, we aim to expand what interventional treatment can achieve. Researchers with backgrounds in engineering, applied physics, and device development will find hands-on problems with a direct route to clinical impact.
Supported by NIH NIBIB R21 EB036670 and Starfish Neuroscience
