People
The Vascular Imaging Lab consists of an international group of clinicians, researchers, and staff from a variety of academic backgrounds, including Bioengineering, Cardiology, Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Neurology, Physics, and Radiology. We are a multi-national group, with researchers from China, Germany, India, Japan, Russia, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and the United States.
Directors
Mahmud Mossa-Basha, MD, Radiology, Co-Director
Niranjan Balu, PhD, Radiology– Co-Director
Advisors
Chun Yuan, PhD, Radiology — Senior advisor and founder
Tom Hatsukami, MD, Surgery — Senior advisor and founder
Faculty, Staff & Fellows
Gador Canton, PhD, Mechanical Engineering
Gador joined the Vascular Imaging Laboratory (VIL) in 2006 after getting her PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from UCSD and finishing her postdoctoral work both under the supervision of her PhD advisor, Professor Juan C. Lasheras. Her thesis work focused on characterizing the blood flow in intracranial aneurysms and assessing the effectiveness of different intravascular treatment techniques in reducing the blood flow going into the aneurysm. Working at the interface between medicine and engineering she realized how much physics can contribute to the understanding of cardiovascular diseases, which made her join VIL, as this interdisciplinary lab was successfully achieving that with respect to atherosclerosis. Since joining VIL, Gador has held different positions as she has gained experience in different areas of interests to the lab. She is now leading the image reading group, training readers in vessel wall imaging interpretation. Outside the lab, Gador enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Baocheng (Paul) Chu, PhD, MD
Jie (Jack) Sun, MD
Marina Ferguson
Daniel Hippe
Kristi Pimentel
Tong Zhu
Postdoctoral Scholars
Mona Kharaji, MD
I completed my medical school at Esfahan University of Medical Sciences, a large city in central Iran where I was born and raised. While I was involved with clinical practice and trying to update my knowledge with continuously changing adopted diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, I came to know that medical research is very critical to build the very evidence-based foundation of the ever-evolving field of medicine. In the last year of my internship, I became interested in Diagnostic Radiology. I received national board certification in Diagnostic Radiology from Yazid University of Medical Sciences. During my time in radiology residency, I found myself highly interested in neuroradiology and vessel wall imaging. Upon completion of my residency program, I tried to enhance my knowledge and clinical experience in neuroradiology. After a few years of clinical practice and research, I decided to pursue a post-doctoral fellowship at University of Washington at VIL. My future career plan is as an academic neuroradiologist with a focus on neurovascular imaging and vessel wall MRI.
Mohamad Husaam Mosi, MD
Mohamad Mosi is a physician trained in internal medicine in Syria at Damascus university hospital. He recently moved to the United States to join the Vascular Imaging Lab and is excited for the opportunity to work hard and advance our understanding of neurovascular disease. During his free time he enjoys swimming, weight lifting, running and hiking.
Duygu Baylam Geleri, MD
After completing medical school in 2011, Duygu discovered her passion for radiology and embarked on a radiology residency. As part of her mandatory healthcare service, she worked as the sole radiologist in a Turkish border region for 1.5 years. In 2017, she relocated to the USA, where she has been actively engaged as a researcher in the Vascular Imaging Lab. She finds immense joy in contributing to research, akin to a dedicated cook perfecting a recipe. In addition to her professional pursuits, Duygu is happily married and a mother to a vibrant two-year-old son. Outside work, she enjoys hiking, dancing, and cherishing precious moments with her family.
Maoxue Wang, MD
Maoxue Wang is an attending physician in the department of radiology in the Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China for the past 8 years. She obtained her medical degree from Nanjing University Medical School where she majored in magnetic resonance imaging of cerebrovascular disease, specifically moyamoya disease. She is married and has a five-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter. She plays badminton in her spare time and enjoys traveling with her family.
Graduate Students
Yin Guo
Kaiyu Zhang
Xin Wang
Undergraduate Students
Robert Ritchie
Joining the Vascular Imaging Lab in the spring of 2023, Robert is a premedical volunteer at the lab. After completing his undergraduate neuroscience degree at the University of Minnesota, he moved to Seattle where he worked for two years as an emergency medical technician, search and rescuer, photographer, and ski patroller. Similar to his passion for photography, he joined the Vascular Imaging Lab out of a love for imaging and the field of radiology, and he hopes to continue radiology work and education throughout medical school. Recreationally, he loves skiing, snowboarding, trail running, and long-distance races like Seattle Marathon and IRONMAN triathlons.
Maximilian Kobiesa
Maximilian Kobiesa is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a degree in bioengineering and biochemistry at the University of Washington. With prior experience in ophthalmic imaging while working in optometry, he discovered his interest in medical imaging. Seeking experience in the field of research, he sought a position at the Vascular Imaging Lab. He enjoys the challenges presented in researching new topics and has a passion for learning and medicine. After graduation, he plans on pursuing a career in the medical field. In his free time, Max enjoys skiing, cycling, being outdoors, and spending time with his friends and family.
Visiting Scholars
Collaborating Faculty
Kirk Beach, MD, PhD, Surgery
James Caldwell, MD, Cardiology
Gwenn Garden, MD, Neurology
Jenq-Neng Hwang, PhD, Electrical Engineering
Gail Jarvik, MD, Medicine
Kevin O’Brien, MD, Cardiology
Nayak Polissar, PhD, Biostatistics
Michael Rosenfeld, PhD, Pathology
Steve Schwartz, MD, PhD, Pathology
Vasily Yarnykh, PhD, Radiology
Xueqiao Zhao, MD, Medicine
Past Fellows
Jianming Cai, MD, PhD (Associate Professor, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China)
Peter Cawley, MD
Huijun Chen, PhD (Associate Professor, CBIR, Tsinghua University)
Bernard Chiu, PhD (Assistant Professor, Department of Electronic Engineering, City University of Hong Kong)
Li Dong, MD
Chao Han, PhD (President, VirtualGrid)
Andreas Helck, MD
Annette Kampeschulte, PhD (Faculty, University of Heidelberg)
Xiaojian Kang, MD (MR Physicist, UC-Davis)
William S. Kerwin, PhD (Presage Biosciences)
Feiyu Li, MD
Rui Li, PhD (Associate Professor, CBIR, Tsinghua University)
Fei Liu, PhD
Xiuli Ma, PhD
Kiyoko Maruta, MD
Nozomu Maruta, MD
Lee M. Mitsumori, MD (Associate Professor, University of Washington)
Dan Mu, MD, PhD
Minako Oikawa, MD
Hideki Ota, MD
Xin Pu, MD
Tobias Saam, MD (Faculty, University of Munich)
Josh Scholnick, MD
Yao Shang, MD
Yan Song, MD, PhD
Hongge Shu, MD
Binbin Sui, MD
Norihide Takaya, MD (Faculty, Department of Cardiology, Juntendo University School of Medicine)
Hunter Underhill, MD, PhD (Fellowship Program: Clinical Biochemical Genetics University of Utah)
Xianling Wang, MD
Yunjing Xue, MD (Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University)
Kiyofumi Yamada, MD, PhD
Vasily Yarnykh, PhD (Faculty, University of Washington)
Taku Yoneyama, MD
Wei Yu, MD (Associate Director, Department of Radiology, Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, China)
Shaoxiong Zhang, MD, PhD (Faculty, Thomas Jefferson University)
Wei Zhang, MD
Xihai Zhao, MD (Associate Professor, Tsinghua University)
Zechen Zhou, PhD (SubtleMRI)
Past Graduate Students
Anders Gould
Jiarui Cai
Hongjian Jiang
Eduard Luca
Haining Liu
Jin Liu
Niranjan Balu, PhD (Fellow, Vascular Imaging Lab)
Florence Baluyot
Ying Luo (Research, Motorola)
Lee M. Mitsumori, MD (Faculty, University of Washington Department of Radiology)
Roberto Rosas-Romero (Professor, University of the Americans, Mexico)
Jinnan Wang (Medical Sciense Liaison at Bayer HeathCare)
Dongxiang Xu, PhD (Senior Scientist, Vascular Imaging Lab)
Past Undergraduate Students
Eduard Luca
Past Visiting scholars
Haifeng Gao
Haikun Qi
Jiayi Wu
Jinmei Chen, MD
Huilin Zhao, MD
Manabu Shirakawa, MD
Thoetphum (Pong) Benyakorn, MD