Rahim R. Rizi

faculty photo
Professor of Radiology
Department: Radiology
Graduate Group Affiliations

Contact information
Department of Radiology
1 Silverstein
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6100
Office: 215-615-2426
Fax: 215-349-5115
Education:
B.S. (Chemistry)
University of Isfahan, Iran, 1976.
M.S. (Physical Chemistry)
Western Illinois University, 1978.
Ph.D. (Physical Chemistry)
University of Iowa , 1983.
M.S. (Computer Science)
University of Pennsylvania , 1987.
Post-Graduate Training
Postdoctoral Fellow, Radiology, University of Penn School of Medicine, 1994-1998.
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Description of Research Expertise

The primary mission of the Functional and Metabolic Imaging Group (FMIG) is the development and application of novel hyperpolarized MRI techniques to the diagnosis of various pulmonary and metabolic disorders. Hyperpolarization, the process of drastically increasing the population difference between nuclear spin states, provides a platform for imaging lung physiology and metabolic activity with spatial and temporal resolution unattainable with conventional MRI techniques, thus offering the potential for the earlier diagnosis of disease states and the precise monitoring of a patient’s response to medical treatment. This core research theme is executed with an eye toward several ultimate goals: the identification of changes in pulmonary structure and function associated with disease, a more complete understanding of pathogenesis, and the establishment of a more sensitive testing environment to develop treatments for lung disease. To date, significant contributions in these areas include new imagining techniques for the comprehensive description of lung physiology and structure, accurate imaging of the regional pulmonary partial pressure of oxygen in both humans and large and small animals, highly developed imaging of regional ventilation, and a state-of-the-art mechanical ventilation device. Specifically, our research activities at FMIG is divided into four general branches: 1) The development of novel imaging techniques for the quantitative assessment of pulmonary structure and function: 2)The development of novel methods for real-time metabolic imaging: 3)The construction of novel polarization apparatuses: 4) The development and implementation of rapid imaging pulse sequences.

Description of Itmat Expertise

Dr. Rizi investigates non-invasive, regional assessment of lung function which has the potential to markedly enhance early diagnosis and management of disease, to accelerate drug discovery and trials, and to provide fundamental insights into lung disease pathogenesis.

Selected Publications

Nomani A, Li G, Yousefi S, Wu S, Malekshah OM, Nikkhoi SK, Pourfathi M, Rizi R, Hatefi A.: Gadolinium-labeled affibody-XTEN recombinant vector for detection of HER2+ lesions of ovarian cancer lung metastasis using quantitative MRI. J Control Release 337: 132-143, Sep 2021.

Baron R, Kadlecek S, Loza L, Xin Y, Amzajerdian F, Duncan I, Hamedani H, Rizi R.: Deriving Regionally Specific Biomarkers of Emphysema and Small Airways Disease Using Variable Threshold Parametric Response Mapping on Volumetric Lung CT Images. Acad Radiol Jul 2021.

Hamedani H, Kadlecek S, Ruppert K, Xin Y, Duncan I, Rizi RR.: Ventilation heterogeneity imaged by multibreath wash-ins of hyperpolarized (3) He and (129) Xe in healthy rabbits. J Physiol 2021.

Ball L, Robba C, Herrmann J, Gerard SE, Xin Y, Mandelli M, Battaglini D, Brunetti I, Minetti G, Seitun S, Bovio G, Vena A, Giacobbe DR, Bassetti M, Rocco PRM, Cereda M, Rizi RR, Castellan L, Patroniti N, Pelosi P; Collaborators of the GECOVID Group.: Lung distribution of gas and blood volume in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a quantitative dual-energy computed tomography study. Crit Care 25: 214, Jun 2021.

Habertheuer A, Ram C, Schmierer M, Chatterjee S, Hu R, Freas A, Zielinski P, Rogers W, Silvestro EM, McGrane M, Moore JS, Korutla L, Siddiqui S, Xin Y, Rizi R, Tao JQ, Kreisel D, Naji A, Ochiya T, Vallabhajosyula P.: Circulating Donor Lung-Specific Exosome Profiles Enable Noninvasive Monitoring of Acute Rejection in a Rodent Orthotopic Lung Transplantation Model. Transplantation May 2021.

Xin Y, Martin K, Morais CCA, Delvecchio P, Gerard SE, Hamedani H, Herrmann J, Abate N, Lenart A, Humayun S, Sidhu U, Petrov M, Reutlinger K, Mandelbaum T, Duncan I, Tustison N, Kadlecek S, Chatterjee S, Gee JC, Rizi RR, Berra L, Cereda M.: Diminishing Efficacy of Prone Positioning With Late Application in Evolving Lung Injury. Crit Care Med rit Care Med, May 2021.

Kai Ruppert, Faraz Amzajerdian, Yi Xin, Hooman Hamedani, Luis Loza, Tahmina Achekzai, Ian F Duncan, Harrilla Profka, Yiwen Qian, Mehrdad Pourfathi, Stephen Kadlecek, Rahim R Rizi: Investigating biases in the measurement of apparent alveolar septal wall thickness with hyperpolarized 129Xe MRI. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 84: 3027-3039, June 2020.

Amzajerdian F, Ruppert K, Hamedani H, Baron R, Xin Y, Loza L, Achekzai T, Duncan IF, Qian Y, Pourfathi M, Kadlecek S, Rizi RR.: Measuring pulmonary gas exchange using compartment-selective xenon-polarization transfer contrast (XTC) MRI. Magn Reson Med 85: 2709-2722, May 2021.

Rizi RR, Hamedani H, Cereda M.: In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Progression, Is It Airway Narrowing or Airway Loss? Am J Respir Crit Care Med 203: 154-155, Jan 2021.

Xin Y, Cereda M, Hamedani H, Martin KT, Tustison NJ, Pourfathi M, Kadlecek S, Siddiqui S, Amzajerdian F, Connell M, Abate N, Kajanaku A, Duncan I, Gee JC, Rizi RR.: Positional Therapy and Regional Pulmonary Ventilation. Anesthesiology 133: 1093-1105, Nov 2020.

Mehrdad Pourfathi, Yi Xin, Michael Rosalino, Maurizio Cereda, Stephen Kadlecek, Ian Duncan, Harrilla Profka, Hooman Hamedani, Sarmad Siddiqui, Kai Ruppert, Shampa Chatterjee, Rahim R Rizi: Pulmonary pyruvate metabolism as an index of inflammation and injury in a rat model of acute respiratory distress syndrome. NMR in biomedicine 33: e4380, July 2020.

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Last updated: 09/13/2021
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