KU lab (Who we are)

KU lab (Who we are)

The current KU lab members

Katsuyuki “Ken” Taguchi, Ph.D. (The PI of KU lab, [email protected]) 

Ken is a Professor of Radiological Physics Division (RPD), Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (his CV). He has 14 years of industry experiences with many cut-throat battles and 17 years of academic experiences. The invaluable experiences sharpened his very unique visions evidenced by this visionary review and this essay and educational philosophies outlined below. For example, most professors act as project managers in the US colleges. But Ken remains as a playing coach, because, just as veteran football players do for rookies, the best way to inspire and educate students and postdocs is to lead by examples and show them how to conduct research at the highest level. Ken runs his own project, discusses the plans and results during lab’s weekly meetings, presents the work at conferences, and writes papers as the first author. Sometimes lab members criticize the plans, and Ken appreciates the inputs and enjoys the colleageous discussion. 

Ken’s (a little lengthy) introduction continues below.

Shalini Subramanian, M.Sc. (BME PhD student, KU lab, [email protected]) 

Shalini graduated from JHU BME Master’s program and started her PhD training in 2021 after a few years of industry experiences. She is working on an intra-intervention brain perfusion project called IPEN. We admire Shalini’s determination, and she is more mature than her peers and an emotional leader of KU lab. Shalini is also an affiliated member of AIAI lab in BME (PI: Web Stayman), and benefits tremendously from interacting with other BME students and Web Stayman in AIAI lab. In 2023, Shalini presented her work at IEEE Medical Imaging Conference, RSNA, and Radiology Research Day, where she received the best clinical poster award. Congratulations Shalini!

Donghyeon Lee, Ph.D. (Radiology Postdoc, KU lab, [email protected]) 

Donghyeon received his PhD degree from KAIST in South Korea and started at JHU in April, 2022. He is working on a photon counting CT project, collaborating with Dr. Wojtek Zbijewski’s lab in BME and Canon Medical Systems. Donghyeon has adjusted to the US culture well and is a very nice, well-rounded person. He won the 5th place at the AAPM Deep-Learning Spectral CT Ground Challenge in 2022 as an individual participant [report]. His first paper with us has been published in Medical Physics here. Congratulations Donghyeon!

Jia “Scarlett” Wei (BME PhD student, KU lab, [email protected]) 

Scarlett received B.Sc. from Union College and joined us in August, 2023. She is working on a photon counting CT project and be affiliated with AIAI lab (PI: Web Stayman) in BME. Scarlett has just finished the first semester in the PhD program and has done an excellent job with course work, a research project, and grad student life in general. We are looking forward to the spring semester, 2024.

To-be-named graduate student (BME or Medical Physics PhD student, KU lab)

We are excited to meet this student, who has strong interest in approaching medical imaging with electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, math, and physics. The candidate project topics include algorithm development for spectral photon counting CT and intra-intervention brain perfusion assessment. The student may become an affiliated member of either AIAI lab (PI: Web Stayman) or QuantIS lab (PI: Wojtek Zbijewski) in BME. 

To-be-named postdoc (Radiology Postdoc, KU lab) 

We are excited to meet this postdoc, who has strong background in electrical or biomedical engineering, math, and physics. The candidate project topics include algorithm development for spectral photon counting CT and intra-intervention brain perfusion assessment. In addition to top-notch research, we will provide a lot of opportunities to keep advancing the professional career via collaboration, networking, and leadership roles in the community.

Junyu Chen, Ph.D. (Radiology Research Associate, RPD, [email protected]) 

Junyu has been in our division since 2017. He received his PhD degree from ECE, JHU in December 2022 and has become a Research Associate in January 2023. Junyu is a very smart promising scientist and also a fun person to hung out with. Although officially not, we consider Junyu as an informal KU lab member and have lunch and coffee breaks together. 
In 2023, Junyu has been selected as one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Healthcare. This is incredible and congratulations!!




Ken’s introduction (continued)

While with Toshiba Medical Systems (1991–2005), Ken was a member of the pioneer team and developed various algorithms and prototypes such as multi-detector row (MD-)CT, cardiac CT, and four-dimensional CT. He recalled it being very exciting time as if the team was on a TV documentary. There were arguments, collaboration, tears, drinks and laughter, and it led to commercial success, receiving overwhelmingly positive responses from users in hospitals, academic community, etc. Soon, however, the work became a little short-sighted to sustain the success, focusing on incremental improvements for the next product, rather than chasing the next big thing. Ken’s work was appreciated by the company tremendously; however, slowly Ken’s motivation to tackle more intellectually stimulating long-term topics started taking over, and Ken found a position in Radiology, JHU in 2005 and started KU lab (back then we called us “CT group” and our division was called “Division of Medical Imaging Physics” or DMIP). 

Based on those experiences, we believe that if we want to develop a quantum leap technology, we need a blend of the right brain, the left brain, and the heart, and we aim to train our students and postdocs in all these elements. The right brain is critical to create the core ideas and have a mental picture of the new technologies; the left brain is used to logically construct pilot and comprehensive study plans, analyze results, discuss the next step, and repeat the steps. If everyone knows the project will go well, someone must have done it before. It has been left untouched, probably because there are many unknowns and deemed difficult. Usually research does not go smoothly, and there will be unexpected challenges. Sometimes we need to trust our intuition to choose which path to explore. We have to be brave and determined to plow through the path untraveled. It needs a lot of guts and heart and a little bit of luck to succeed. The training in KU lab emphasizes all three elements to help lab members’ growth. 

Ken sets the standard high for himself but essentially is a laid-back person. He thinks it is critical for students and postdocs to learn how to control the intensity of the work. Running research is not a 100-meter sprint but a marathon. We cannot go 100% full speed all the time. We have to avoid burn-out, actively control the pace (occasionally slowing down, if necessary), master how to monitor our emotional energy level, maximize the efficiency with 80–20 rule, and go all-in for a short burst at clutch times. We aim to share “softer skills” such as 80–20 rule and “jump ahead, and stay ahead,” that will guide junior people through their professional careers.

The current RPD members 

KU lab is part of RPD (Radiological Physics Division) in Department of Radiology, and we have a lot of fun together. In 2022, we watched FIFA world cup games, had a white elephant X’mas gift exchange party, weekly coffee breaks, lunch, hiking, coke challenge, and more. Shown below are the current RPD members outside KU lab. Here are photos.

  • George Sgouros, Ph.D. (Director and Professor, RTD lab, RPD) 
  • Robert Hobbs, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, RTD lab, RPD) 
  • Ioanna Liatsou, Ph.D. (Research Associate, RTD lab, RPD) 
  • Remco Bastiaannet, Ph.D. (Research Associate, RTD lab, RPD) 
  • Zhi Li, Ph.D. (Senior Research Specialist, RTD lab, RPD) 
  • Mahmud Hasan, Ph.D. (Postdoc Fellow, RTD lab, RPD) 
  • Joseph Piccolo, B.Sc. (Research Specialist, RTD lab, RPD) 
  • Mahesh Mahadavappa, Ph.D. (Professor, RPD)
  • Jingyan Xu, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, RPD) 
  • Tahir I Yusufaly, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, RPD) 
  • Colin Paulbeck, Ph.D. (Instructor, RPD) 
  • Eric C. Frey, Ph.D. (Professor, RPD, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Yong Du, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Nuclear Medicine Division and honorary member of RTD, Radiology) 

Yong is a former member of our division. While now with Nuclear Medicine Division, we still feel that Yong is one of us.

Academic and Industry Collaborators (most of them active, some inactive) 

We are fortunate and blessed that all of them are not only world-leading experts but also honest and nice persons. We consider them our friends. It has been absolutely nothing but our pleasure working with them. 

  • Jingyan Xu, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, RPD, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Eric C. Frey, Ph.D. (Professor, RPD, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Yong Du, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Nuclear Medicine Division, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Andreia V. Faria, M.D., Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Vivek Yedavalli, M.D. (Associate Professor, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Satomi Kawamoto, M.D. (Professor, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Elliot K. Fishman, M.D. (Professor, Radiology, JHU)
  • Kelvin Hong, M.D. (Associate Professor, Radiology, JHU) 
  • Wojtek Zbijewski, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, BME, JHU) 
  • J Webster Stayman, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, BME, JHU) 
  • Steven R Zeiler, M.D., Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Neurology, Medicine, JHU)
  • Richard Leigh, M.D. (Associate Professor, Neurology, Medicine, JHU)
  • Risheng Xu, M.D., Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Neuro-surgery, JHU)
  • Mathias Unberath, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Computer Science, JHU)
  • Jerry L. Prince, Ph.D. (Professor, ECE, JHU)
  • Ferdinand K. Hui, M.D. (The Queen’s Medical Center, University of Hawaii)
  • Ting-Yim Lee, Ph.D. (Lawson Health Research Institution) 
  • Stephan J. Glick, Ph.D. (US Food and Drug Administration)
  • Bahaa Ghammraoui, Ph.D. (US Food and Drug Administration)
  • Scott S. Hsieh, Ph.D. (Radiology, Mayo Clinic) 
  • W. Paul Segars, Ph.D. (Radiology, Duke University)
  • Ehsan Samei, Ph.D. (Radiology, Duke University) 
  • Jan S. Iwanczyk, Ph.D. (Independent consultant, former CEO of DxRay) 
  • Karl Stierstorfer, Ph.D. (CT, Siemens Healthineers)
  • Christoph Polster, Ph.D. (CT, Siemens Healthineers) 
  • Thomas G. Flohr, Ph.D. (CT, Siemens Healthineers) 
  • S.K. “George” Fung, Ph.D. (CT, Siemens U.S.A.) 
  • Steffen Kappler, Ph.D. (X-ray, Siemens Healthineers)
  • Xiaohui Zhan, Ph.D. (CT, Canon Medical Research USA)
  • Zhou Yu, Ph.D. (CT, Canon Medical Research USA)

The past members and visitors 

Okkyun Lee, Ph.D. (Radiology Research Associate, KU lab) 

Okkyun was with us 2015–2018, as a postdoc and a research associate. He is very strong in math, and his rigorous theoretical thinking and analyses were admirable. He is an Assistant Professor at DGIST in South Korea. 

Masafumi “Mike” Kidoh, M.D. (Radiology International Visiting Scientist, KU lab) 

Mike was with us 2016–2017, as an international visiting scientist. He is a radiologist and used his background to help us improve digital cardiac “ZACH” phantom. He is an Assistant Professor at Kumamoto University in Japan. 

Yuki Suzuki, Ph.D. (Radiology International Visiting Student, KU lab) 

Yuki Suzuki was with us in 2016 as a visiting student from Osaka University and Nara Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Japan. Yuki is an amazing computer programmer including GPU and loves mechanical keyboards. Yuki is now with Osaka University in Japan. 

Zeyang Shen, M.Sc. (Radiology International Exchange Student, KU lab) 

Zeyang was with us 2015–2016 as an international exchange student from Southeast University, Nanjing, China during his undergraduate program. Zeyang learned and became passionate about medical imaging research. He has a full of curiosity and contagious smiles that make us want to work with and help him. Zeyang is now in a PhD program at University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA. 

Kento Nakada, M.Sc. (Radiology International Visiting Student, KU lab) 

Kento was with us 2013–2014 as an international visiting student from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan during his M.Sc. program and Ken co-supervised him for 2012–2015. Kento is an incredibly smart student and developed a joint estimation of tissue types and CT images for photon counting CT. Kento is now with Sony Corporation, Tokyo, Japan. 

Liwei Jiang, M.D. (Medical School Student, KU lab) 

Liwei was with us 2012–2013, as a summer student intern for medical school. He is a hard worker and intelligent fellow. He is a staff physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA. 

Jennifer Xu, Ph.D. (BME PhD student, KU lab)

Jennifer was a summer intern in 2012. Jennifer is a well-rounded person and strong in running projects with multiple moving parts. Jennifer and Ken continued to collaborate with her advisor, Jeffrey H. Siewerdsen, on cascaded systems modeling for photon counting detectors and received 2014 Moses and Sylvia Greenfield Award for the best paper published in Med Phys journal. 

Tatsuya Kigure, M.Sc. (Radiology International Visiting Student, KU lab)

Tatsuya was with us in 2012 as an international visiting student from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan during his M.Sc. program. 

Qiulin Tang, Ph.D. (Radiology Research Associate, KU lab) 

Qiulin was with us 2010–2013, as a postdoc and a research associate. He is creative and a fighter, making things happen. He is with Canon Medical Research USA, Vernon Hills, Illinois, USA. 

Tatsuya Kigure, M.Sc. (Radiology International Visiting Student, KU lab)

Tatsuya was with us in 2012 as an international visiting student from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan during his M.Sc. program. 

Somesh Srivastava, Ph.D. (Radiology Research Associate, KU lab) 

Somesh was with us 2009–2012, as a postdoc and a research associate. He is a grinder with strong background in iterative image reconstruction. He is with GE Healthcare in India. 

Jochen Cammin, Ph.D. (Radiology Research Associate, KU lab) 

Jochen was with us 2009–2014, as a postdoc and a research associate. He is very thorough, careful, organized, and accountable. He is a person we can trust with our family’s care. He is an Assistant Professor in Radiation Oncology, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA. 

Hideaki Tashima, Ph.D. (Radiology International Visiting Student, KU lab) 

“Hide” was with us in 2008 as an international visiting student from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. Watching his professional growth taught Ken that sometimes a little bit of patience is all we need. He is now a Staff Researcher of National Institute of Radiological Science Technology, Inage, Japan. 

S.K. “George” Fung, Ph.D. (Radiology Assistant Professor, RPD) 

George was in our division 2008–2016, as an assistant professor, working with Ken on various CT projects and being considered as an affiliated KU lab member. George joined Siemens Healthineers in 2016 and is now a Senior Manager of CT R&D Collaboraiton. 

Alia S. Khaled, Ph.D. (ECE PhD student, KU lab) 

Alia was with us 2008–2009 while her supervisor had some financial issue. She later received a Ph.D. degree in 2013.

Mahmoud Ghandi, Ph.D. (BME PhD student, KU lab)

Mahmoud was a summer intern in 2007. He is very strong in math and analytical approaches. He is a Senior Group Leader at Cancer Models Atlas Genomics (Cambridge, MA). 

Mengxi “Michelle” Zhang, M.Sc. (ECE PhD student, KU lab) 

Mengxi was with us 2006–2008. She is a very smart student with strong analytical skills. After 2 years in the PhD training and after receiving a M.Sc. degree, she decided to leave the program and go to the industry She used to be a Director at Siemens Healthcare, Shanghai, China and Boston, MA and an Entrepreneur at Medical Device Startup, Shanghai, China. 

Zhihui Sun, M.Sc. (ECE PhD student, KU lab) 

Zhihui was with us 2006–2008. She is a gutsy engineer with strong determination to get things done, someone you want to hire for your startups. After 2 years in the PhD training and after receiving a M.Sc. degree, she made a difficult decision and left the program for personal reasons. She was a Senior Imaging Engineer at GE Healthcare, Beijing, China, and is working for a startup CT company in California, USA. 

Yoshinori Funama, Ph.D. (Radiology International Visiting Scientist, KU lab) 

“Yoshi” was with us in 2006, as an international visiting scientist. He is very motivated, quick in work, and always challenges us with very interesting experimental data and puzzling phenomena. He is a Full Professor at Kumamoto University in Japan. 

David S. Graff, Ph.D. (Radiology Postdoc, RPD) 

David was in our division 2005–2007, as a postdoc, working for Ken’s project. He is a very intelligent and innovative astrophysicist, who can generalize specific issues and logically attack chaotic situations. He is now with Apple Inc., USA. There is a rumor that he has led a project to develop “dynamic island” for iPhone 14 Pro and Ken bought an iPhone 14 Pro to congratulate David’s accomplishment.