Imaging Core

Imaging Core

Director: Thaddeus J Wadas, PhD
thaddeus-wadas@uiowa.edu​​​​​​​

All units of the Imaging Core are available during the normal working hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with direct assistance from core staff. The resources of the core are also available to all appropriately trained Holden investigators for use outside the normal working hours. Special arrangements need to be made for PET, SPECT, and gamma camera studies to ensure radiopharmaceutical availability for requested imaging times.

The purpose of the Imaging Core is to provide a comprehensive service for non-invasive anatomical and physiological imaging of mice and rats. The ultimate product of the core involves spatial imaging (high resolution pictures) and temporal imaging (longitudinal studies) related to cancer biology, drug development, and assessment of therapeutic intervention.

The core staff will assist investigators with defining which one or more of the imaging modalities are appropriate for their project. The core will work with the investigators to develop a timetable for experiments, determine suitable numbers of animals to demonstrate feasibility and/or significance, and assist the entire research team with imaging sequences. The core will utilize awake imaging whenever possible to limit animal complications and mortality. The staff also will assist with collaborations among HCCC investigators and other experts across the entire UI campus in order to facilitate synthesis of new radiopharmaceuticals, contrast agents, specialized techniques, etc. that may be necessary for specific experiments.

The core instrumentation consists of several imaging modalities that have been specifically purchased or modified for scanning small rodents, including PET, SPECT, gamma camera, autoradiography, CT, MRI, US, and optical imaging.

Services provided include:

  • Consultation on development of imaging protocols
  • Assistance with ACURF submissions
  • Animal preparation and monitoring prior to and during imaging
  • Single or multiple modality imaging
  • Image reconstruction, data reduction/analysis, and result interpretation