Welcome to the UCSD Center for Scientific Computation in Imaging

Main Larry Keith Greg Anubhav Ning Rachel Kristen Allyson Kara Sunita

Larry Frank

Director, Center for Scientific Computation in Imaging, UCSD

B.S. Physics, University of California, Berkeley
B.A. English, University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Research Interests
My primary area of expertise is in diffusion imaging, including pulse sequence development, image reconstruction, and data analysis. At the Center, my research interests are in developing and advancing MR computation and imaging. Currently, I provide leadership and expertise to a diverse and talented group of researchers, including physicists, radiologists, programmers, physiologist, marine biologist, psychologists, and others. The goal of the Center is to bridge the gap between image acquisition and the quantitative understanding of physical systems by facilitating the development of computational and visualization tools. This research will enable researchers to accurately and rapidly estimate, simulate, extract and visualize quantitative information about complex physical systems.

Research Projects
At the Center, we utilize imaging technologies in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) to acquire high resolution, 3-dimensional (3-D), digital data of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of human subjects and animal specimens. Our research projects include:

• AFNI Diffusion Plug-in
• DIFSIM (Diffusion Simulation)
• Fibertractography
• HARDI (High Angular Resolution Difussion Imaging)
• Pulse Sequences
• Digital Fish Library

Publications

Journal Articles in 2010:

1. Frank LR, Jung Y, Inati S, Tyszka JM, Wong EC. High efficiency, low distortion 3D diffusion tensor imaging with variable density spiral fast spin echoes (3D DW VDS RARE). Neuroimage. 49(2):1510-23, 2010.
2. Bava S, Theilmann RJ, Sach M, May SJ, Frank LR, Hesselink JR, Vu D, Trauner DA. Developmental changes in cerebral white matter microstructure in a disorder of lysosomal storage. Cortex. 46(2): 206-16, 2010.

Journal Articles in 2009:

1. Fryer MS, Schweinsburg BC, Bjorkquist OA, Frank LR, Mattson SN, Spadoni AD, & Riley EP. Characterization of White Matter Microstructure in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 33(1):1-8, 2009.
2. Tyszka JM & Frank LR. High-field Diffusion MR Histology: Image-based Correction of Eddy Current Ghosts in Diffusion-weighted RARE. Submitted to Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 61(3):728-33, 2009.
3. Runcie RM, Dewar H, Hawn D, Frank LR, Dickson KA. Evidence for Cranial Endothermy in the Opah (Lampris guttatus). The Journal of Experimental Biology. 212(Pt 4):461-70, 2009.
4. Stricker NH, Schweinsburg BC, Delano-Wood L, Wierenga CE, Bangen KJ, Haaland KY, Frank LR, Salmon DP. Decreased White Matter Integrity in Late- Myelinating Fiber Pathways in Alzheimer's Disease Supports Retrogenesis. NeuroImage. 45(1):10-6, 2009.
5. Gongvatana A, Schweinsburg BC, Taylor MJ, Theilmann RJ, Letendre SL, Alhassoon OM, Jacobus J, Woods SP, Jernigan TL, Ellis RJ, Frank LR, Grant I; Charter Group. White matter tract injury and cognitive impairment in human immunodeficiency virus-infected individuals. J Neurovirol. 15(2):187-95, 2009.
6. McQueeny T, Schweinsburg BC, Schweinsburg AD, Jacobus J, Bava S, Frank LR, Tapert, SF. Adolescent Binge Drinking and DTI. ACER, (in press).
7. McQueeny T, Schweinsburg BC, Schweinsburg AD, Jacobus J, Bava S, Frank LR, Tapert SF. Altered white matter integrity in adolescent binge drinkers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 33(7):1278-85, 2009.
8. Balls G, Frank LR. A Simulation Environment for Diffusion Weighted MR Experiments in Complex Media. . Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, (in press).
9. Bava S, Schulteis G, Balls GT, Kang N, Berquist R, Tyszka JM, Tapert SF, & Frank LR. High resolution diffusion imaging of white matter degeneration in the adolescent rat brain: A binge alcohol model, (in preparation).
10. Bava S, Frank LR, McQueeny T, Schweinsburg BC, Schweinsburg AD, & Tapert SF. Diffusion tensor imaging in adolescent marijuana users reveals altered white matter integrity, (submitted).
11. Bava S, Tapert SF, Schulteis G, Balls GT, Kang N, Tyszka JM, & Frank LR. Binge alcohol exposure alters microstructural callosal integrity in periadolescent rats, (submitted).
12. Yopak, K.E. and Frank LRb> 2009. Brain size and brain organization of the whale shark, Rhincodon typus, using magnetic resonance imaging. Brain, Behavior, and Evolution, (in press).
13. Yopak, K.E., Balls, G., and Frank LR. 2008. Cortical Surface Structure Analysis in Sharks using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Proceedings of the 17th annual meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), (in press).

Journal Articles in 2008:

1. Bava S, Schulteis G, Balls GT, Kang N, Berquist R, Tyszka JM, Tapert SF, & Frank LR.  High resolution diffusion imaging of white matter degeneration in the adolescent rat brain: A binge alcohol model (in preparation). 
2. Buracas G, Wong EC, Liu T, Buxton R, Frank LR.  Imaging Periodic Currents Using Alternating Balanced Stady State Free Precession.  Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.  59(1): 140-8, 2008.
3. Delano-Wood L, Bondi MW, Jak AJ, Horne NR, Schweinsburg BC, Frank LR,Wierenga CE, Delis DC, Theilmann RJ, Salmon DP.  The impact of stroke risk on regional white matter integrity and cognition in mild cognitive impairment. Neurobiology of Aging (under editorial review).
4. Frank LR, Lu K, Wong E.  Perfusion Tensor Imaging. Submitted to Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, March 2008.
5. Fryer MS, Schweinsburg BC, Bjorkquist OA, Frank LR, Mattson SN, Spadoni AD, & Riley EP.  Characterization of White Matter Microstructure in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. In preparation.
6. Gongvatana MA, Schweinsburg BC, Taylor MJ, Theilmann RJ, Letendre SL, Alhassoon OM, Jacobus BA, Woods SP, Jernigan TL, Ellis RJ, Frank LR, & Grant I.  White Matter Tract Injury and Cognitive Impairment in HIV-Infected Individuals.  Submitted to Neurology, February 2008.
7. Rogers B, Lowe CG, Fernandez-Juricic E, and Frank LR.  Assessing the effects of angling-induced barotraumas on rockfish using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences. In press.
8. Tapert S, Fryer SL, Frank LR, Spadoni AD, Theilmann RJ, Nagel BJ, Schweinsburg AD.  Microstructural Integrity of the Corpus Callosum Linked with neuropsychological Performance in Adolescents.  Brain and Cognition.  In press.
9. Theilmann RJ, Scadeng M, Constandi PN, Balls G, McCulloch AD, Frank LR.  High resolution radial diffusion tensor acquisition for in vivo and ex vivo animal imaging at 7T. Submitted to Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, February 2008.

Journal Articles in 2007:

10. Costandi PN, McCulloch AD, Omens JH, Frank LR. High Resolution Longitudinal MRI of the Transition to Heart Failure. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.  57(4):714-720, 2007.
11. Perry CN, Cartamil DC, Bernal D, Sepulveda CA, Theilmann RJ, Graham JB, Frank LR. Quantification of red myotomal muscle volume and geometry in the shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) and the salmon shark (Lamna ditropis), using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. Journal of Morphology.  268(4):284-92, 2007.
12. Sepulveda CA, Dickson KA, Frank LR, Graham JB. Cranial endothermy and a putative brain heater in the most basal tuna species, Allothunnus fallai. Journal of Fish Biology. 70(6): 1720-1733, 2007.
13. Tapert S, Schweinsburg A, Drummond S, Paulus M, Brown S, Yang T, Frank LR. Functional MRI of Inhibitory Processing in Abstinent Adolescent Marijuana Users. Psychopharmacology. Published online: 9 June 2007.
14. Theilmann, RJ, Scadeng M, Constandi PN, Balls G, McCulloch AD, Frank LR.  High Resolution Radical Diffusion Weighted Imaging at 7T. Submitted to Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, September 2007.