Thank You Richard Pierce

VUMC Radiology would like to thank Richard Pierce, MBA, CMPE for his service to the department and congratulate him on his retirement. At a party Wednesday, the accomplished Chief of Finance and Administration (CFA) fought back tears while reflecting on his career. After thanking his family and colleagues, Mr. Pierce celebrated his reputation for "dad jokes" and reaffirmed his affinity for both Pi Day and Groundhog Day. As he enters a new chapter of his life, Rich turned to one of his favorite musicians—James Taylor—to help find the right words.

Thank You Dr. Pickens for 41 Years of Service

The Department of Radiology would like to thank David R. Pickens III, PhD, DABR, FAAPM, Associate Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, for his 41 years of service at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. We are grateful for the decades of hard work and dedication to furthering the department's mission in the medical world.  

Joseph McCrary, M.D.

Joseph
McCrary
M.D.
Assistant Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Delivery Address

Zhongliang Zu, Ph.D.

Zhongliang
Zu
Ph.D.
Research Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences

Dr. Zhongliang Zu earned his PhD in Medical Physics from Peking University in China in 2008 and joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2012. His research focuses on molecular and functional MR imaging, employing advanced MR sequences such as chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), magnetization transfer (MT), spin-lock, and fMRI, with applications in tumors, ischemic stroke, and neurological and muscular disorders. Dr. Zu has authored over 90 peer-reviewed research papers, and has served as Principal Investigator on multiple NIH-funded projects, securing over $6.5 million in grant funding. In 2023, he was awarded the Distinguished Investigator Award by the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Pai-Feng Yang, Ph.D.

Pai-Feng
Yang
Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences

Pai-Feng Yang, PhD, earned a BS and MS in Biomedical Engineering from Chung Yuan Christian University and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from National Taiwan University in Taipai, Taiwan. He worked as a Research Associate for three years and completed a research fellowship at the National Taiwan University, Institute of Zoology. In 2012, he joined the Vanderbilt faculty as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. In 2022, he was promoted to Research Assistant Professor. He is a member for the Society of Neuroscience. His current research project involves focused ultrasound modulates region-specific brain activity of no-human primate at 7T and effects of monkey's spinal cord injury on nociceptive heat evoked fMRI responses at 9.4T.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Xinqiang Yan, Ph.D.

Xinqiang
Yan
Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Research Assistant Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Xinqiang Yan, PhD, earned a PhD is Particle Physics and Nuclear Physics from the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, and he joined the Vanderbilt faculty as Research Instructor. Dr. Yan’s research is focused on RF hardware, parallel imaging and parallel transmission in MRI.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Junzhong Xu, Ph.D.

Junzhong
Xu
Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences
Associate Professor
Biomedical Engineering

Junzhong Xu, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His current research projects are focused on the development, validation, optimization, and evaluation of advanced quantitative MRI methods in various applications such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. The specific projects include 1) development and validation of MRI cell size imaging for mapping biological microstructure in cancer or neurodegenerative diseases; 2) assessment of MR cell size imaging to better characterize tumor status and monitor tumor early treatment response to anti-cancer therapy; and 3) applications of advanced MRI methods to improve the diagnosis and treatment response of neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

William Winter, M.D.

William
Reino
Winter
M.D.
Assistant Professor
Radiology & Radiological Sciences

William R. Winter, MD, MS earned his Master of Science degree at Tulane University and his Doctor of Medicine degree at University of California, Irvine. He completed an integrated Interventional Radiology and Diagnostic Radiology residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and joined Vanderbilt as an Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences in 2021. He is a member of the Society of Interventional Radiology, the American College of Radiology and the Radiological Society of North America.

Section: Interventional Radiology