Kristin Poole O'Grady, Ph.D.

Kristin O’Grady, PhD, is a biomedical engineer, imaging scientist and Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). She earned her BS in Engineering Science at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX and her PhD in Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. Dr. O’Grady completed her postdoctoral training in the Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science (VUIIS) under the mentorship of Seth Smith, PhD. She was awarded an NRSA F32 postdoctoral fellowship by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2017-2018) to develop chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI methods to study cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis. She joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 2019 as Research Instructor. Dr. O’Grady was promoted to Research Assistant Professor and was awarded a four-year K01 Mentored Research Scientist Career Development grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) in 2020. Her research is focused on developing quantitative MR methodologies for the brain and spinal cord, with the goal of better understanding the effects of biological sex on pathological changes associated with neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis.

Section: Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science

Publications

McKeithan LJ, Lyttle BD, Box BA, O'Grady KP, Dortch RD, Conrad BN, Thompson LM, Rogers BP, Newhouse P, Pawate S, Bagnato F, Smith SA. 7T quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) of cortical gray matter in multiple sclerosis correlates with cognitive impairment. Neuroimage [print-electronic]. 2019 Dec; 203: 116190. PMID: 31525497, PII: S1053-8119(19)30781-5, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116190, ISSN: 1095-9572.

Schilling KG, By S, Feiler HR, Box BA, O'Grady KP, Witt A, Landman BA, Smith SA. Diffusion MRI microstructural models in the cervical spinal cord - Application, normative values, and correlations with histological analysis. Neuroimage [print-electronic]. 2019 Nov 11/1/2019; 201: 116026. PMID: 31326569, PMCID: PMC6765439, PII: S1053-8119(19)30607-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116026, ISSN: 1095-9572.

O'Grady KP, Dula AN, Lyttle BD, Thompson LM, Conrad BN, Box BA, McKeithan LJ, Pawate S, Bagnato F, Landman BA, Newhouse P, Smith SA. Glutamate-sensitive imaging and evaluation of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis. Mult. Scler [print-electronic]. 2018 Sep 9/19/2018; 1352458518799583. PMID: 30230400, DOI: 10.1177/1352458518799583, ISSN: 1477-0970.

O'Grady KP, Kavanaugh TE, Cho H, Ye H, Gupta MK, Madonna MC, Lee J, O'Brien CM, Skala MC, Hasty KA, Duvall CL. Drug-Free ROS Sponge Polymeric Microspheres Reduce Tissue Damage from Ischemic and Mechanical Injury. ACS Biomater Sci Eng [print-electronic]. 2018 Apr 4/9/2018; 4(4): 1251-64. PMID: 30349873, PMCID: PMC6195321, DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00804, ISSN: 2373-9878.

Poole KM, Nelson CE, Joshi RV, Martin JR, Gupta MK, Haws SC, Kavanaugh TE, Skala MC, Duvall CL. ROS-responsive microspheres for on demand antioxidant therapy in a model of diabetic peripheral arterial disease. Biomaterials [print-electronic]. 2015 Feb; 41: 166-75. PMID: 25522975, PMCID: PMC4274772, PII: S0142-9612(14)01176-4, DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2014.11.016, ISSN: 1878-5905.

Poole KM, McCormack DR, Patil CA, Duvall CL, Skala MC. Quantifying the vascular response to ischemia with speckle variance optical coherence tomography. Biomed Opt Express. 2014 Dec 12/1/2014; 5(12): 4118-30. PMID: 25574425, PMCID: PMC4285592, PII: 4118, DOI: 10.1364/BOE.5.004118, ISSN: 2156-7085.

Poole KM, Tucker-Schwartz JM, Sit WW, Walsh AJ, Duvall CL, Skala MC. Quantitative optical imaging of vascular response in vivo in a model of peripheral arterial disease. Am. J. Physiol. Heart Circ. Physiol [print-electronic]. 2013 Oct 10/15/2013; 305(8): H1168-80. PMID: 23955718, PMCID: PMC3798791, PII: ajpheart.00362.2013, DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00362.2013, ISSN: 1522-1539.

Joshi RV, Nelson CE, Poole KM, Skala MC, Duvall CL. Dual pH- and temperature-responsive microparticles for protein delivery to ischemic tissues. Acta Biomater [print-electronic]. 2013 May; 9(5): 6526-34. PMID: 23402764, PMCID: PMC3702271, PII: S1742-7061(13)00059-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.01.041, ISSN: 1878-7568.

Walsh AJ, Poole KM, Duvall CL, Skala MC. Ex vivo optical metabolic measurements from cultured tissue reflect in vivo tissue status. J Biomed Opt. 2012 Nov; 17(11): 116015. PMID: 23117810, PMCID: PMC3484268, PII: 1388600, DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.17.11.116015, ISSN: 1560-2281.

Burra S, Nicolella DP, Francis WL, Freitas CJ, Mueschke NJ, Poole K, Jiang JX. Dendritic processes of osteocytes are mechanotransducers that induce the opening of hemichannels. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A [print-electronic]. 2010 Aug 8/3/2010; 107(31): 13648-53. PMID: 20643964, PMCID: PMC2922284, PII: 1009382107, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1009382107, ISSN: 1091-6490.