The Biomedical Imaging Sciences Initiative (BISI), one of Provost C. L. Max Nikias' research initiatives, is a university-wide effort dedicated to major breakthroughs in the study of human biology in health and disease through the use of imaging techniques at all scales - from molecules to human.

One goal of BISI is to help faculty initiate novel research that builds from USC's extensive imaging resources. A dozen new projects have been seeded by BISI, many of which are seeking new therapies for disease, such as colon cancer, breast cancer and pancreatic disease. These projects were selected through an open university-wide competition.

"Each project was selected based on its future research potential. It had to show promise to make a difference in human health, and promise to compete for external funding from an agency like the National Institutes of Health," said Randolph Hall, vice provost for research advancement.

To jump-start the program, the Provost's Office has supported hiring four new postdoctoral researchers in confocal microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging and small animal imaging.

Walter Wolf, chair of the BISI, emphasizes that the postdocs are critical for BISI success, as they support the faculty through the design of imaging experiments and analysis of data. "They are the essential ingredient for turning innovative ideas into solid experiments, which should eventually lead to breakthrough science."

One such postdoc is Mehran S. Neshat, who earned his Ph.D. in molecular biology from UCLA. Working under the direction of Rex Moats, director of the Small Animal Imaging Research Center, Neshat is studying cancer biology through molecular imaging of mice.

Also hired under the BISI program are Arnold Sipos (medicine, Semmelweis University, Hungary), Witaya Sunkarat (biomedical engineering, USC) and Dimitrios Pantazis (electrical engineering systems, USC).

In addition to the postdoc program, BISI sponsored a national workshop on imaging-based tools for drug development and monitoring this spring. The event brought together international experts from academia, government and industry in cancer research, regulatory management and non-invasive medical imaging.

"Incorporating dynamic imaging into drug development and treatment processes could greatly reduce the economic burden of many diseases," Wolf said. "More importantly, we are laying the foundation to make functional imaging an integral part of clinical studies and practice in all aspects of medicine. Our objective is to create the consensus vision that begins to make this a reality."