Clinical Contacts
Administrative Contact
Biography
Dr. Cao has more than 25 years of experience in MRI, including technical development, image analysis and clinical application. She has built and leads a functional imaging group in the Department of Radiation Oncology at University of Michigan since 2003. The research projects of the group have been focused on optimization of MRI for radiation therapy, physiological based and deep learning based MRI signal processing and image reconstruction, and imaging-biomarker development and translation into clinical trials for adaptation of radiation therapy.
Under Dr. Cao's leadership, this group has developed an infrastructure for quantitative imaging development and translation for radiation therapy. They have been implementing, developing and validating imaging biomarkers and translating them into clinical trials to guide adaptive radiation therapy in head-and neck cancer, glioblastoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Recent projects include:
- Deep-learning based tools for detection and desalination of brain metastases from 3D MRI
- Deep-learning based MRI signal processing and image reconstruction with optimally under-sampled data
- Microstructural imaging development in cancers
- Translation of imaging biomarkers into clinical trials
Dr. Cao served as a member on the USA NCI Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN) through U01 funding. Her research group is funded by USA NIH and industry grants.
Areas of Interest
- Quantitative imaging for tumor and normal tissue therapy response assessment
Clinical Interests
- MRI
Credentials
- PhD, Ohio State University, 1987
Grants
- PI and co-PI on NIH/NCI 1U01CA183848 and RO1CA184153
- Co-I on NIH RO1 EB016079
- Co-I on industrial research grants from Siemens Healthenieer and Epicentrix, Inc.
Published Articles or Reviews
Selected from over 150 publications
- Wang H, Feng M, Jackson A, Ten Haken RK, Lawrence TS, Cao Y. The local and global function of the liver Based on portal venous perfusion image. Int J Rad Onc Biol Phy. 94(1):181-188 (2016). PMID:26700712. PMCID:PMC4692182.
- Wang P, Popovtzer A, Eisbruch A, Cao Y. An Approach to identify, from DCE MRI, significant subvolumes of tumors related to outcomes in advanced head-and-neck cancer. Med Phys. 39(8):5277-85, 2012. PMID: 22894453 PMCID: PMC3422362
- Cao Y, Nagesh V, Hamstra D, Tsien CI, Ross BD, Chenevert TL, Junck L, Lawrence TS. The extent and severity of vascular leakage as evidence of tumor aggressiveness in high-grade gliomas. Cancer Res. 66(17):8912-8917, 2006. PMID 16951209
- Cao Y, Tsien CI, Shen Z, Tatro DS, Ten Haken R, Kessler ML, Chenevert TL, Lawrence TS. The use of MRI to assess blood-brain/blood-glioma barrier opening during a course of conformal radiotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 23(18):4127-4136, 2005. PMID: 15961760
- Cao Y, Vikingstad EM, Huttenlocher PR, Towle VL, Levin DN. Functional magnetic resonance studies of the reorganization of the human hand sensorimotor area after unilateral brain injury in the perinatal period. Proc. Natl Acad Sci USA. 91(20):9612-9616, 1994.