Ivan Pedrosa, M.D., Ph.D.

Ivan Pedrosa, M.D., Ph.D., is Professor of Radiology and Vice Chair of Radiology Research at UT Southwestern. He also holds the Jack Reynolds, M.D., Chair in Radiology, and is Co-Leader of the Kidney Cancer Program at the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.

My passion about Radiology relies on the joy of continuously acquiring new knowledge in different areas of medicine, physics, and technology while maintaining a real appreciation about the privilege and responsibility of being part of a team of physicians who help that person behind the picture feel better.

Originally from Spain, Dr. Pedrosa earned his medical degree at the University Complutense in Madrid and completed his radiology residency training at the Hospital Clinico San Carlos in Madrid. He then received advanced training in trauma and emergency radiology through a fellowship at Jackson Memorial Hospital/Ryder Trauma Center in Miami, and in Body MRI through a fellowship at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Before joining the faculty at UT Southwestern in 2011, Dr. Pedrosa served as an Associate Professor of Radiology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Body MRI.

Research and clinical practice

As a body imager and clinical researcher, Dr. Pedrosa focuses on developing new MRI techniques to support translational research efforts in different diseases of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. His primary areas of interest include kidney and prostate cancer; liver, pancreatic and biliary disease; and imaging of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dr. Pedrosa’s NIH-funded translational research program in kidney cancer focuses on implementing novel MRI techniques for identification of vascular MRI measures that correlate to aggressiveness and molecular measures of angiogenesis, and the measures of tumor perfusion as an indicator of initial and acquired resistance to antiangiogenic therapies in metastatic disease.

Investigating novel imaging techniques

Dr. Pedrosa has served as principal investigator and co-investigator in a number of clinical trials assessing novel imaging approaches. The overarching goal of his research is to translate novel imaging techniques into the clinical setting for more accurate diagnosis and robust evaluation of disease severity of different pathologies in the torso to improve patient outcomes. This is emphasized through the development and implementation of multiparametric MRI protocols that rely on robust and reproducible quantitative imaging strategies. These efforts provide the basis for data-driven optimization of clinical imaging protocols, including endorectal coil 3T prostate MRI, renal mass characterization, and diffuse liver disease.

Dr. Pedrosa is an active member of numerous national and international societies, including the Society of Computed Body Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging (SCBT/MR), International Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Medicine (ISMRM), Radiological Society if North America (RSNA), American College of Radiology, Sociedad Española de Radiología Medica, European Society of Radiology, American Urological Association and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He currently serves as a scientific advisor for a recipient of the RSNA research scholar grant and has served in multiple society committees, including as a member of the ISMRM’s Annual Meeting Program Committee, Young Investigator Committee, and Educational Committee; and as chair of the SCBT/MR’s Scientific Committee. He is also a member of the American College of Radiology Imaging Network’s (ACRIN) Experimental Imaging Science Committee and the Renal Cancer Task Force of the Genitourinary Steering Committee of the National Cancer Institute.

It is not only a privilege to contribute to the Radiology education of our trainees at UT Southwestern, it is also a pleasure to see them become the leaders in our field.

Educating, editing and lecturing

In addition to authoring more than 130 peer-reviewed works and 35 additions and chapters to other texts, Dr. Pedrosa serves as a reviewer for multiple medical and scientific journals, including Radiology, American Journal of Roentgenology, Cancer, Radiographics, Journal of Urology, and Clinical Cancer Research. He has served as a visiting professor at universities and medical centers within the U.S. and abroad, and has also been invited to speak at more than 90 national and international conferences.

As a dedicated radiology educator and mentor, Dr. Pedrosa received the Teacher of the Year Award at Beth Israel Medical Center (2005) and the Golden Apple Award at UT Southwestern (2014). He has also served as senior mentor of many trainees who have received awards, including the Joseph E. and Nancy O. Whitley Award for the best manuscript on radiology education from the Association of University Radiologists (2006), the RSNA Trainee Research Prize (2012, 2015), and the Lauterbur Award for the best MRI abstract (2012, 2015) and Resoundant Innovation Award (2015) from the SCBT/MR.

Personal note

Dr. Pedrosa is passionate about cooking for his family and friends and watching movies, including classic movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age.