The Mission of the NYSPI MRI Research Program is:
To provide a core service for all NYSPI faculty members interested in using MRI research, as well as a wide resource to the Columbia Medical Center and Columbia University communities
To offer a broad menu of services that enables researchers with little to no experience to submit high quality grant applications and start collecting MRI data soon, but also to be helpful to experienced MRI research laboratories who are looking for only specific technical services or consultation. These services include but are not limited to:
- Consultation on experimental design and grant submission in areas of anatomical MRI, functional MRI (including default mode/resting state), MR spectroscopy, and structural MR connectivity
- Development of pulse sequences, RF coils, and fMRI paradigms customized to research questions
- Scheduling and acquisition of MR images in an efficient and timely manner
- Use of a wide range of MR compatible stimulus and response equipment
- Use of a wide range of psychophysiological monitoring equipment
- Assistance and/or training on MR image processing in all modalities
To maintain competitive rates for MRI scanning tailored to the purposes of individual grants and research studies
To feature a user friendly, supportive, and flexible service for researchers, leveraging the clinical research expertise of NYSPI to offer top tier MRI services to the NYSPI and Columbia research community.
Faculty & Staff
Rachel Marsh, PhD
Co-Director, MRI Research Program
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Phone: (646) 774-5774
Email: rachel.marsh@nyspi.columbia.edu
Profile: www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/rachel-marsh-phd
Dr. Marsh, the Irving Philips Professor of Medical Psychology in Psychiatry, has served as Director of the MRI Research Program since 2016. She brings extensive experience leading NIH-funded MRI studies across the lifespan and across diagnostic categories. In her role, she chairs the Joint MR Safety Committee at CUIMC and leads efforts to ensure MRI safety, operational efficiency, and equitable access to scanner time. She has also championed a pilot program supporting innovative studies that aim to advance science and secure future funding.
Gaurav Patel, MD, PhD
Co-Director, MRI Research Program
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Psychotic Disorders
Phone: (646) 774-5426
Email: ghp2114@cumc.columbia.edu
Profile: https://pateldsclab.net
Dr. Patel has served as Technical Director of the NYSPI MRI Unit since 2016, bringing to the role his background in developing cutting-edge MRI acquisition techniques and his leadership in standardizing protocols across research teams. A graduate of the Columbia Psychiatry residency program and now Associate Professor, Dr. Patel has led collaborative efforts to make high-resolution fMRI and advanced data analysis pipelines accessible to all investigators. As Co-Director, he will expand these standardization and accessibility initiatives across MRI facilities and computing infrastructure, including through his role as Co-Director of the Clinical Cognitive Computational Neuroscience (C3N) Center.
Matthew Riddle, BFA
Director of Operations
NYS Psychiatric Institute
Phone: (646) 774-7258
Email: matthew.riddle@nyspi.columbia.edu
Shiva Kalaiselvan
MRI Research Program Coordinator
NYS Psychiatric Institute
Phone: (646) 774-7259
Email: shiva.kalaiselvan@nyspi.columbia.edu
Juan Sanchez, MS
Research Scientist
NYS Psychiatric Institute
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Experimental Therapeutics
Phone: (646) 774-5999
Email: juan.sanchez@nyspi.columbia.edu
Yunsuo Duan, PhD
RF Coil Development
NYS Psychiatric Institute
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Translational Imaging
Phone: (646) 774-7251
Email: yunsuo.duan@nyspi.columbia.edu
Profile: www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/yunsuo-duan-phd
Feng Liu, PhD
MRI Pulse Sequence Development
NYS Psychiatric Institute
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Translational Imaging
Phone: (646) 774-7261
Email: feng.liu@nyspi.columbia.edu
Website: www.columbia.edu/~fl2150/index.html
Zhishun Wang, Ph.D.
Functional MRI and Connectivity
NYS Psychiatric Institute
Associate Professor of Clinical Neurobiology (in Psychiatry)
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Phone: (646) 774-5844
Email: zhishun.wang@nyspi.columbia.edu
Profile: www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/zhishun-wang-phd
Xuejun Hao, Ph.D.
Multimodal Imaging
NYS Psychiatric Institute
Research Scientist
Department of Psychiatry, Division of Epidemiology
Phone: (646) 774-5728
Email: xuejun.hao@nyspi.columbia.edu
Profile: www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/xuejun-hao-phd
MRI Research Program Operating Committee
Rachel Marsh, PhD
Director, MRI Research Program
Janelle Dierkens, MS
Director, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene
Jeffrey Miller, MD
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry (Molecular Imaging & Neuropathy), NYAPIS
Gaurav Patel, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry (Experimental Therapeutics), NYSPI
Guillermo Horga, PhD
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology (Translational Imaging), NYSPI
Lawrence Kegeles, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology (Radiology), NYSPI
Matthew Riddle, BFA
Administrative Director, Operations Manager, MRI Research Program
Joint MR Research Safety Committee
Dr. Marc Brown, MD
Associate Professor of Radiology, CUIMC Department of Radiology
Dr. Peter F. Caracappa, PhD
Executive Director, Chief Radiation Safety Officer, Environmental Health & Safety
Dr. Yunsuo Duan, PhD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology, CUMC Department ofPsychiatry
Dr. Raphael Gerraty, PhD
Managing Director, MRI Platform, Zuckerman Institute
Dr. Sachin Jambawalikar, PhD
Assistant Professor of Radiology, CUIMC Department of Radiology
Dr. Itamar Kahn, PhD
Associate Professor of Neuroscience, Jerome L. Greene Science Center
Dr. Rachel Marsh, PhD, Chair
Professor of Medical Psychology, CUIMC New York State Psychiatric Institute
Ms. Ran (Angela) Meng, MS
Associate Director, Research Radiacon Safety Program, Environmental Health & Safety
Benjamin Navot, MD
Assistant Professor of Radiology at CUIMC Department of Radiology
Dr. John Thomas Vaughn, Jr., PhD
Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology, JeromeL. Greene Science Center