Biomedical Imaging

Biomedical Imaging Support for Pilot Studies

Office of the Provost and BISI

August 21, 2006

Scope

The BISI Pilot Studies Program supports USC investigators who are interested in conducting
biomedical imaging studies in preparation for submitting research proposals to external funding
agencies. This program does not provide funding to investigators and support is limited to
services provided by the imaging laboratories. The Pilot Studies program has no deadlines and
applications can be made at any time. The goal of this program is to stimulate new research in
biomedical imaging in disciplines spanning the university. All awardees are expected to submit
a future proposal to an external source, and to seek funding that fully covers that cost of future
research, including expenses incurred in the imaging laboratory.

Background

The vision of USC’s Biomedical Imaging Science Initiative (BISI) is to enable breakthroughs in
the study of human biology in health and disease through the multidisciplinary application of
imaging techniques at all scales - from molecules to man. BISI is facilitating an expansion of the
boundaries that currently limit our knowledge of the human organism through the application of
multimodal imaging techniques that elucidate the anatomical and functional characteristics of
living organisms, leading to new paradigms for understanding disease, its development, its
treatment and its prevention.

BISI has been funded by the Office of the Provost to hire postdoctoral associates in four imaging
labs. Each of these positions concentrates on support for USC investigators in the completion of
pilot research studies. The following laboratories and services are available:

1. In-Vivo Physiological Imaging with Multi-Photon Fluorescence Microscopy Laboratory

The Peti-Peterdi laboratory is located in the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute and provides in vivo
physiological imaging using multiphoton fluorescence microscopy. Potential project areas for
the lab include imaging studies of the kidney, pancreas, tumor vasculature, stem cells, lung, brain
and lacrimal glands.

Laboratory Equipment The laboratory has a Leica TCS SP2 MP confocal microscope system
equipped with a high-rate K scanner, an acousto-optical beam splitter, an acousto-optical tunable
filter, a Leica DM IRE2 inverted microscope powered by a wide-band, fully automated,
infrared, combined photo-diode pump laser and mode-locked titanium: sapphire laser for
multiphoton excitation and lasers for conventional one-photon excitation confocal microscopy.

Post-doctoral Support The post-doc supports fluorescence applications, including time-lapse,
line-scan, sequential scanning, volume rendering (3D), fluorescence recovery after
photobleaching (FRAP), fluorescence energy resonance transfer (e.g. CFP-YFP FRET), and
fluorescence lifetime measurement. Services include conducting and analyzing preliminary
experiments, advising on technology and technical approaches.

2 . Small Animal Imaging laboratory

The Small Animal Imaging lab is a multi-modal center dedicated to small animal and pre-clinical
imaging located in the basement of the Clinical Sciences Building on the Health Science
Campus. The lab works closely with a similar lab at Childrens Hosptial (Saban Small Animal
Imaging Research Center), sharing USC expertise and offering some complementary
technologies and services. Current projects utilize preclinical animal models that are focused on
imaging tumor angiogenesis, metastasis and receptor expression, as well as on developing
methods for image-guided internal radiotherapy, chemotherapy and gene therapy.

Laboratory Equipment The laboratory includes a mid-size PET scanner for large animal
research, a microPET scanner, a small animal CT scanner, quantitative autoradiography and
systems for whole-animal and microscopic optical bioluminescence and fluorescence imaging.
The lab includes extensive radiochemistry and cold chemistry facilities, as well as an on-site
cyclotron.

Post-doctoral position The post-doc will assist in the design and implementation of vivo
studies in small animals using PET or SPECT. There may also be support for the development of
novel radiolabeled and optical probes for molecular imaging. Limited support will also be
provided for the analysis of imaging studies. Applications include cell proliferation,
angiogenesis, stem cell imaging, immune response, and gene-therapy.

3 . Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center
 
USC’s Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center is a research center dedicated to studies
of the brain. Centrally located at the University Park Campus (UPC), the lab works closely with
interdisciplinary researchers to offer a comprehensive resource and a home for investigating
neuroanatomy and function. Current project areas include cognitive, behavioral, developmental,
clinical and systems neuroscience, studies of vision and auditory systems, as well as technical
development of novel imaging and post-processing methods.

Laboratory Equipment The laboratory is built around a modern 3T Siemens Trio scanner with
high performance gradients and a multi-channel data acquisition system. Dedicated solely to
research studies, the MR center is available for high-resolution anatomical studies, diffusion
imaging (DWI), functional MRI (fMRI) and MR spectroscopy (MRS). Additional tools for
neuroimaging include: a visual stimulation system, eye-tracking, response boxes and multiple
workstations with SPM, AFNI, Matlab, Brain Voyager QX and Brainvox.

Post-doctoral position The post-doc supports MR imaging and data analysis, including
assembling computational tools and performing neuroimaging analysis, such as statistical group
analysis and analysis of cortical function. The postdoc is also available to train other researchers
in the use of image analysis software.


4 . Biomedical Imaging Core Laboratory
 
This core interdisciplinary laboratory is located in the Departments of Radiology and Biomedical
Engineering and offers support for human (volunteers and patients) imaging, primarily in the
areas of neuroimaging (functional MRI, DTI Tractography, simultaneous fMRI-EEG, volumetric
analyses), cardiac imaging and imaging of other body regions. The laboratory supports projects
on the 1.5T and 3T MRIs at HSC and will be the key lab to support the new NIH funded 3T MRI
resource at HSC. Personnel associated with the lab also offer support in Picture Archiving and
Communications (PACS), fusion of multi-modality imaging and development of research
imaging databases.

Laboratory Equipment The core laboratory supports a variety of human imaging research
projects and has customized equipment available to present stimuli within a MRI for functional
MRI studies. Customized modules for data acquisition and processing under a variety of MRI
protocols including DTI Tractography are also available. Simultaneous fMRI-EEG equipment
will be available at the new NIH 3T resource. The main laboratory is anchored by a computer
laboratory in the Department of Biomedical Engineering on the University Park Campus that
houses a dedicated server and nearly two dozen workstations. This laboratory has access to the
existing 1.5T MR Imaging Science Center, the 3T MRIs at the University Hospital and will be
the central laboratory overseeing neuroimaging research at the new NIH 3T resource. The
laboratory will facilitate time and access to all MRIs at HSC but the investigators will have to
negotiate their own rates at the 1.5T and University Hospital 3T facilities. Policy setting rates
and access to the new 3T center will be finalized by the Advisory Board. It is expected that a
limited number of scan hours will be set aside for pilot studies at no cost.

Post-doctoral position The post-doc will facilitate fMRI, DTI and image processing projects to
be conducted at HSC. Specifically, the post-doc will advise on design of the protocol and
collaborate with researchers on data acquisition from humans in pilot studies. The post-doc will
also process pilot imaging and correlative data, and work with researchers to refine protocols as
needed.

 

Eligibility

All USC faculty are eligible to participate in this program. Projects eligible for consideration
should possess all of the following characteristics:

• Addresses a scientific question that depends on the availability of imaging data and
postdoctoral support.
• Currently unfunded and exploratory in scope.
• Clearly identified external program for future funding, for which the probability of success
depends on the completion of the pilot project.

Services Provided by All Labs

Three types of service are provided.

• Consultation – Researchers interested in performing pilot studies in one of the participating
labs are encouraged to contact the laboratory directors prior to submitting proposals to
discuss the suitability and practicality of using the imaging facilities for the proposed
research. The lab directors will then direct more specific questions relating to study design to
the postdoc. This may include discussions of study design, equipment and personnel needs,
other available resources, and timelines. Also, the post-doc and/or the laboratory director will
offer preliminary assistance on statistical and analytical methods, human/animal subjects
approvals and other areas. No application is required.

• Pilot study – Support will be provided by the postdoc to assist in performing pilot studies.
Allocation of support will be by application. If the project requires an excessive time
commitment from either the postdoc or supervisor/laboratory director , additional funds will
have to be provided by the investigator.

• Funded Project Support -- Post-docs may also support funded research projects, upon
approval of the post-doc supervisor. Investigators are strongly encouraged to budget support
for imaging studies (including post-docs, lab user fees, and lab directors time where
appropriate) in their proposals to external agencies to provide for their participation.
External funding is required for all subsequent lab support.

Application for Pilot Study Support: Investigators interested in pilot study support should
submit a 2-3 page proposal containing all of the following elements to the chair of the BISI.

1. Title of Project

2. Goals – Brief, one paragraph statement of hypothesis and experimentation.

3. Synopsis / impact of pilot project – Scientific importance and contribution to USC strengths

4. Pilot Data Expected – Describe scope of project, including volume of data and length of study.
Describe how the pilot project relates to the full proposal that will be submitted to an external
agency.

5. Participating Labs -- Describe lab for intended work and the expertise and equipment needed
in performing the study.

6. Expected amount of post-doctoral support requested
• Start and end date
• Percentage effort required
• For what purpose

7. Agency/corporation and program targeted for future proposal submission
• Solicitation (if applicable)
• Dollar support to be requested
• Due data for proposal

8. Access to equipment – describe any requirements for accessing equipment in the imaging
laboratory. Also, describe any ancillary equipment necessary.

As a condition of award, the investigator agrees to:

• Obtain IRB approval prior to beginning any research with human subjects.
• Budget for the full costs of the imaging lab’s services in any subsequent proposal to an
external funding source.

Awardees should also understand that post-docs will be supervised by the individuals named at
the end of this document. Awardees will not be direct post-doc supervisors.

Assessment

As a condition of support, investigator agrees to provide a copy of any proposals submitted to
external agencies as a result of the pilot study, as well as any academic papers produced, to the
Office of the Vice Provost for Research Advancement Investigator agrees to report on the status
of external funding received as a result of the pilot study in June of 2007 and June of 2008 to the
same office.

Application

Applications may be sent at any time during the year to the following individuals (below).
Support decisions will be made by the BISI programs and activities committee within four weeks
of receipt of an application, and will be determined based on how well the application meets the
eligibility criteria and the quality of the application. Availability of support services will also
depend on availability of post-doc’s time and commitments already made to support pilot
projects. It is expected that 3-5 pilot projects could be supported under this program by a core lab
in a year.

Applications should be sent to the Chair of the BISI at wwolfw@usc.edu, with a cc of the
application sent to pearlman@usc.edu and to the appropriate laboratory director as listed below.

1. In-vivo physiological imaging with multi-photon fluorescence microscopy laboratory:
Janos Peti-Peterdi, petipete@usc.edu

2. Small Animal Imaging laboratory: Rex Moats, RMoats@chla.usc.edu

3. Dornsife Cognitive Neuroscience Imaging Center: Hanna Damasio
(hdamasio@college.usc.edu) and Richard Leahy (Leahy@sipi.usc.edu) (applications for
functional and anatomical neuroimaging studies at the Dornsife Imaging Center should also submit
the current application form at http://brainimaging.usc.edu/userdocs/pilot.pdf and should note
specifically the request for assistance in data analysis under the BISI program).

4. Biomedical Imaging Core Laboratory: Manbir Singh, msingh@usc.edu