Timothy Scholl

OICR New Investigator

Research Description

As cancer treatments become more individualized, molecular imaging is becoming an increasingly valuable tool to characterize tumours and their response to a specific therapy. Research underway by a group led by Dr. Timothy Scholl at the Imaging Research Laboratories of the Robarts Research Institute is focusing on developing an emergent technique for molecular imaging with magnetic resonance. Using specialized equipment, 13C-enriched endogenous compounds can be magnetized in vitro to a very high degree for injection as novel contrast agents for pre-clinical magnetic resonance imaging. The “hyperpolarized” compound and its metabolites are spatially and temporally imaged to produce a map comparing aspects of cellular metabolism between healthy and diseased tissue. This innovative form of molecular imaging is being used to develop biomarkers for cancer detection, tumour characterization, and monitoring tumour response to treatment.

Contact Information

Telephone
+1 (519) 663 5777 ext. 20019
Mailing Address
Imaging Research Laboratories Robarts Research Institute
100 Perth Drive, P.O. Box 5015
London, Ontario
Canada, N6A 5K8
Additional Contacts
Darlene Goodine
+1 (519) 931 5251

Current

2010 - Assistant Professor, Medical Physics (Cross Appointment), Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario (UWO).
2010 - Assistant Professor, Medical Biophysics, Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario (UWO).
2010 - Associate Scientist, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The University of Western Ontario Imaging Research Laboratories, Robarts Research Institute (RRI).
2010 - OICR New Investigator, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR).
1988 - PhD Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario (UWO).

Background

2004 - 2009Research Associate, Medical Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario (UWO).
1989 - 1990Postdoctoral Fellow, Atomic and Molecular Physics, The University of Western Ontario (UWO).

Selected Bibliography

  • Alford JK, Rutt BK, Scholl TJ, Handler WB, Chronik BA. Delta relaxation enhanced MR: obtaining order of magnitude increases in the activation-specificity of molecular probes through R1 dispersion imaging. Magn Reson Med. 2009; 61:796-802.
    • Alford JK, Scholl TJ, Handler WB, Chronik BA. Design, construction, interfacing and benchmarking of a prototype high-power B0 insert coil for field-cycled imaging in a 1.5T superconducting MRI system. Concepts in Magn Reson B: Magn Res Eng. 2009; 35B:1-10.
      • Bindseil GA, Handler WB, Scholl TJ, Gilbert KM, Chronik BA. First hybrid images from a combined PET and field-cycled MRI system. Proceedings of the ISMRM 17th Scientific Meeting, Honolulu. 2009:590.
        • Gilbert KM, Scholl TJ, Handler WB, Alford JK, Chronik BA. Evaluation of a positron emission tomography (PET)-compatible field-cycled MRI (FCMRI) scanner. Magn Reson Med. 2009; 62:1017-1025.
          • Recoskie BJ, Scholl TJ, Chronik BA. Discrepancy between human peripheral nerve chronaxie times as measured using magnetic and electric field stimuli: relevance to MRI gradient coil safety, Phys Med Biol. 2009; 54:5965-5979.