Nian Wang, Ph.D.

I am an Associate Professor in the Advanced Imaging Research Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center. My expertise is in developing novel quantitative MRI techniques and analysis methods on the CNS system and musculoskeletal system. I have developed and implemented a 3D under-sampling strategy and sparse reconstruction for diffusion MRI at microscopic resolution. I have successfully pushed the spatial resolution of diffusion MRI close to cellular resolution, and this provides a solid technology foundation to investigate the whole brain fiber orientation distributions, connectome, and tissue microstructure. This acceleration also enables high throughput genetic application of MRI technology to various mouse models, including Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, and multiple sclerosis. The high-quality tractography data has been used to validate with the traditional neuronal tracers from Allen Mouse Brain Atlas and Light Sheet Microscopy. I have refined the current algorithms for phase processing by solving the inverse problem of source-field relations to derive quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). I have applied this novel technique to different brain diseases, including multiple sclerosis, microbleeds, and calcification.

• High-resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Machine Learning/AI
• Neurodegenerative disorders
• Novel Neuroimaging Techniques
• Osteoarthritis

Featured Publications

High angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) of porcine menisci: a comparison of diffusion tensor imaging and generalized q-sampling imaging.

Zhao Q, Holt A, Spritzer CE, DeFrate LE, McNulty AL, Wang N, Quant Imaging Med Surg 2024 Apr 14 4 2738-2746

Diffusion tractography of kidney by high angular resolution diffusion imaging

Surendra Maharjan, Jie Chen, Adrienne Gaughan, Neal X Chen, Nian Wang Magnetic Resonance Letters 2024 200117

Merged magnetic resonance and light sheet microscopy of the whole mouse brain

G Allan Johnson, Yuqi Tian, David G Ashbrook, Gary P Cofer, James J Cook, James C Gee, Adam Hall, Kathryn Hornburg, Catherine C Kaczorowski, Yi Qi, Fang-Cheng Yeh, Nian Wang, Leonard E White, Robert W Williams Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2023 17 120 e2218617120

Integrating multimodality magnetic resonance imaging to the Allen Mouse brain common coordinate framework

Nian Wang, Surendra Maharjan, Andy P Tsai, Peter B Lin, Yi Qi, Abigail Wallace, Megan Jewett, Fang Liu, Gary E Landreth, Adrian L Oblak NMR in Biomedicine 2023 36 5

Genetic variants of phospholipase C-γ2 alter the phenotype and function of microglia and confer differential risk for Alzheimer’s disease

Andy P Tsai, Chuanpeng Dong, Peter Bor-Chian Lin, Adrian L Oblak, Gonzalo Viana Di Prisco, Nian Wang, Nicole Hajicek, Adam J Carr, Emma K Lendy, Oliver Hahn, Micaiah Atkins, Aulden G Foltz, Jheel Patel, Guixiang Xu, Miguel Moutinho, John Sondek, Qisheng Zhang, Andrew D Mesecar, Yunlong Liu, Brady K Atwood, Tony Wyss-Coray, Kwangsik Nho, Stephanie J Bissel, Bruce T Lamb, Gary E Landreth Immunity 2023 56 9

Resolution and b value dependent structural connectome in ex vivo mouse brain

Stephanie Crater, Surendra Maharjan, Yi Qi, Qi Zhao, Gary Cofer, James C Cook, G Allan Johnson, Nian Wang NeuroImage 2022 255 119199

Magic angle effect on diffusion tensor imaging in ligament and brain

Nian Wang, Qiuting Wen, Surendra Maharjan, Anthony J Mirando, Yi Qi, Matthew J Hilton, Charles E Spritzer Magnetic resonance imaging 2022 92 243-250

Tractography of Porcine Meniscus Microstructure using High-resolution Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Jikai Shen, Qi Zhao, Yi Qi, Gary Cofer, Allan G Johnson, Nian Wang Frontiers in Endocrinology 2022 13 876784

Effects of Angular Resolution and b Value on Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Knee Joint

Qi Zhao, Rees P Ridout, Jikai Shen, Nian Wang Cartilage 2021 13 295S-303S

Variability and heritability of mouse brain structure: Microscopic MRI atlases and connectomes for diverse strains

Nian Wang, Robert J Anderson, David G Ashbrook, Vivek Gopalakrishnan, Youngser Park, Carey E Priebe, Yi Qi, Rick Laoprasert, Joshua T Vogelstein, Robert W Williams, G Allan Johnson NeuroImage 2020 222 15 117274

• Duke University (2013-2020)
• Indiana University School of Medicine (2020-2024)
• UT Southwestern Medical Center (2024)