The Dikoma C. Shungu Laboratory focuses on developing advanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and imaging (MRI) techniques for clinical and biomedical research. The lab's primary goal is to develop noninvasive MRS- and MRI-based biomarkers that enhance our understanding of the pathophysiology of neurological, neuropsychiatric, and metabolic disorders. These biomarkers aim to enhance diagnosis and enable monitoring of responses to established or emerging therapies.
Current projects involve using MRS to measure levels of key neurotransmitters, including gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate, in pediatric and adult depression and schizophrenia. The lab also employs MRS to quantify brain lactic acid, the antioxidant glutathione, high-energy phosphates such as ATP and phosphocreatine, and other metabolites. These investigations target a range of conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), mitochondrial disorders, Parkinson’s disease, and brain and breast cancers.
Associated Lab Members
- Senior Staff Associate in Radiology
Xiangling Mao, M.S., has worked in magnetic resonance research for 25 years. After earning her undergraduate degree in solid-state physics and a master’s degree in computer science from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, she completed a three-year research fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany. There, she developed computer software for processing, analyzing, and displaying magnetic resonance neuroimaging data under Prof. Jens Frahm, a world-renowned expert in clinical MRI applications.
On Professor Frahm's recommendation, Mao was recruited by Dikoma C. Shungu, Ph.D., at Columbia University; she then joined Dr. Shungu at Weill Cornell Medicine's Laboratory for Advanced MR Spectroscopy Research (LASR), where she continues to work. Under Dr. Shungu's supervision, Mao developed a highly versatile software platform for automatically processing, curve-fitting, and displaying clinical proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging data. This software has become an invaluable tool for our research projects.
At WCM, Mao's primary responsibilities include implementing MR scanning protocols, collecting and analyzing data, and facilitating several major clinical neuroimaging research projects. These projects focus on a range of conditions, including brain tumors, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, schizophrenia, pediatric disorders, mitochondrial diseases, major depressive disorder, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.
These studies involve acquiring and managing large volumes of MR imaging, spectroscopy, and spectroscopic imaging data from over 1,000 patients and volunteers. Effectively handling such data requires expertise in:
- Medical imaging data processing,
- Computer operating systems and environments,
- Multiple programming languages, and
- Quantitative or computational sciences (e.g., physics, computer science, or biomedical engineering).
With this combination of skills, Mao not only excels in data processing but also develops and implements innovative solutions to address new quantitative challenges as they arise during research projects.