Dr. Yunjie Tong

Areas of Research: Multimodal Imaging of Brain Function and Perfusion and Novel Imaging Biomarkers for Brain Diseases and Injuries

Projects:

• Developing an optical imaging tool and protocol to assess acute brain injuries of football players on the field

Repetitive head collisions in football cause long term brain injuries in the players. These include the players without clear symptoms. Early detection of these injuries is crucial to protect the brain and prevent it from further damage, especially among the asymptomatic players. Currently, there is no imaging device which can be used in the field/locker-room to assess the acute brain injuries. In this project, we will develop a non-invasive optical imaging device based on near infrared spectroscopy, which can be used to measure cerebral blood flow and oxygenation changes caused by head collisions in the field. The optical device will be first validated by concurrent magnetic resonant imaging (MRI) in the imaging center. The validated device and protocol will be tested on the local high school football players in the field.

Dr. Tong’s lab in Purdue focuses on developing imaging modalities and methodologies to understand brain function, perfusion and their interactions. We are developing imaging biomarkers based on MRI and near infrared spectroscopy, to assess the integrity of the brain function and vasculature. The ongoing projects are : 1) development of simultaneous function and perfusion map; 2) investigation of influence of drugs on resting state networks; 3) development and optimization of intrinsic perfusion biomarkers for global circulation; 4) development of denoising methods for functional MRI. 

Recruitment Needs: 

• Looking for a creative, highly motivated, self-starter to enroll as a PhD student in fall 2018

Please feel free to contact Dr. Yunjie Tong directly
Email: tong61@purdue.edu