Thomas Ernst, PhD
Professor, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine
Technical Director, Center for Advanced Imaging Research (CAIR)
Phone: 410-706-1045
Email: ternst@som.umaryland.edu
Biosketch
Dr. Ernst is a Magnetic Resonance (MR) Physicist with broad expertise in imaging physics. He has worked on the development of MR methods for more than 20 years, and have been involved with commercialization as well.
Dr. Ernst is directing a multi-institutional Bioengineering Research Program (BRP) to develop prospective motion correction techniques for the acquisition of artifact-free brain MR images in subjects who move during the scans.
Research Projects
Please select a project title to learn more:
Prospective Motion Correction for MRI
The goal of this multi-center NIH-funded Bioengineering Research Partnership (BRP) is to acquire artifact-free brain MR images in patients who move during scans.
Visit our PMC Project page for:
- videos
- major acheivements
- project members
- publications
ABCD Study @ Maryland
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study)
The University of Maryland is one of 21 institutions nationwide that will recruit families to participate in the ABCD Study. This research hub will be one of the major programs in the new HSF III research building.
Currently, the ABCD Study at the University of Maryland will be conducted in several facilities, including the School of Medicine, the University of Maryland Medical Center, and the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center.
Effects of Drugs of Abuse and HIV on the Brain, using MRI and MRS
Funding: NIH / NIDA: "Neural correlates of working memory training for HIV Patients" (Co-investigator, R01 DA035659)
The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of computerized working memory training program in HIV-positive individuals, using multimodal MRI.
Note: the picture on the left shows the chemical structure of Methamphetamine, a commonly used drug.
Neonatal and Pediatric MRI of Normal and Abnormal Brain Development
I have a long-standing interest in developing and applying advanced MRI and MRS techniques to study the developing brain in neonates and young children. It is fascinating to observe the rapid and dramatic changes occuring in infants with MRI.
For instance, the image on the left shows early myelination of the motor tract (hyperintense signal) in a newborn, which mirrors the rapid improvements in motor skills in neonates.
Lab Members
Thomas Ernst, PhDProfessor
Email: thomas.ernst@umm.edu
Dr. Ernst joined the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2017. He previously worked at UCLA, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the University of Hawaii.
Bo Li, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Email: BLi@som.umaryland.edu
Bo has a PhD in Biomechanics and Mechanical Engineering from the Peking University, CN. He worked in industry prior to joining UMB as a post-doctoral fellow in 2019. His current project is on motion correction for simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) techniques
Xiaoke Wang, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Email: XiaWang@som.umaryland.edu
Xiaoke has a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He joined UMB as a post-doctoral fellow in 2019. He is working on Deep Learning and motion correction for MR angiography (MRA).
Past Members
Artan Kaso, PhD
Post-Doctoral Fellow
Email: artan.kaso@umm.edu
Artan obtained a PhD in Computational Physics at the University of Toronto. He worked at UCSF prior to joining UMB in 2018. His current project is on prospective motion correction for diffusion weighted MRI.
Ningzhi Li, PhD
Staff Scientist
Ningzhi obtained a PhD in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at NIH before joining UMB in 2018.
Active Grants and Proposals
| PI/MPI | Grant Title | Total Project Period | Funding Source | Total Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Ernst | RGR-based Motion Tracking for Real-time Adaptive MRImaging and Spectroscopy | 09/01/07 - 07/31/21 (NCE) | NIDA/NIBIB | $3,462,576.00 |
| Thomas Ernst/ Linda Chang |
2/21 ABCD-USA Consortium: Research Project Site at UMB | 04/15/20 - 03/31/27 | NIDA/NIAAA | $13,098,568.00 |
| Thomas Ernst/ Linda Chang |
ABCD Diversity Supplement (Julian Baptiste, MD) | 04/15/20 - 03/31/22 | NIDA | $203,394.00 |
| Thomas Ernst/ Linda Chang |
ABCD-Brain MRS-GABA Substudy (U. Utah Sub K) | 06/15/19 - 05/31/21 | NIDA | $154,500.00 |
Total: $16,919,038.00
Publications
Click here to view Dr. Ernst's publications on Pubmed
Please refer Dr. Ernst's faculty profile for highlighted publications