Biography/Description of Research:

Dr. Mao is widely recognized for his expertise in a range of scientific fields, including chemistry, biochemistry, biomaterials, neurosciences, cancer, medical imaging technology and nanomedicine. Dr. Mao directs Precision and Quantitative Imaging and Image-Guided Technology Program and Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LFMI&N), which focuses on developing and utilizing cutting-edge functional and molecular imaging technologies to advance early detection and molecular characterizations of diseases for precision medicine. Dr. Mao is a Distinguished Investigator of the Academy for Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Research, Fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and Fellow of International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM). Regarded as one of the leading experts in the field of molecular imaging, he regularly serves on expert review panels and was a Charter Member and past chair of the NIH Study Section for Clinical Molecular Imaging and Probe Development. Dr. Mao is currently associate editor of Radiology: Imaging Cancer.

The research projects in Dr. Mao's laboratory are focusing on developing and utilizing imaging technologies, especially magnetic resonance methods, to address biological questions and solve medical problems in the areas of cancer and degenerative diseases with strong emphases on translational research and clinical applications. His research program, which has been supported continuously by NIH grants in past 20 years, has made and continues to make contributions in biomedical discoveries and engineering advances in the following areas: 1) developing biomarker targeted MRI contrast agents for MRI-based molecular and cellular imaging; 2) developing NMR/MRS based metabolomics to profile cell or tissue metabolites in vivo and ex vivo to investigate the potential metabolite markers for improving the specificity of cancer detection and for early diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases; 3) developing nanomaterial and nanotechnology for image-guided drug delivery and interventions and in vitro diagnostics; 4) developing clinical applications of advanced MRI technologies for imaging and study of brain functions, brain disorders and diseases, as well as image-guided treatment; 5) developing machine- and deep-learning based automatic image analysis and diagnostics;