Dr. Ulrike Dydak's Research
Dr. Dydak’s research is focused on the development of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) for the noninvasive in-vivo assessment of biologically important molecules in normal biochemical processes and the disruption of these molecules in human disease and disorders. A long-term goal of this research is to translate the knowledge gained through the development and application of novel MRS methods into viable clinical diagnostic procedures that aid in disease detection as well as assessment of treatment response. Special emphasis of her work lies on the development of the in vivo detection and quantification of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter, to study manganese-induced parkinsonian neurotoxicity. A second focus lies on the development of whole-liver phosphorous (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of the human liver to improve treatment monitoring in liver cancer.
Her current research topics comprise:
- Neuroimaging to study occupational manganese neurotoxicity
- Quantification of in vivo GABA measurements by MRS
- GABA mapping by MEGA spectroscopic imaging
- Fast 3D multi-nuclear MRSI (31P MRS) to monitor response to radiation treatment in the human liver
- High resolution 1H MRS in the rat brain
In collaboration with IU School of Medicine, she is currently involved in the following projects:
- Brain GABA changes in patients with panic disorder
- Multi-channel 31P MRSI for the assessment of radiation treatment response in liver cancer
- Metabolic changes in untreated patients with bipolar disorder
- 3D MRSI exploring metabolic changes after chemotherapy in breast cancer
