Wu Lab

About

Our lab's research is focused on the development and translation of new technologies for Quantitative MRI-Guided Therapy, which includes detection/characterization, treatment planning, interventional guidance, and treatment monitoring of cancer and metabolic diseases.

Research Directions and Specific Projects

Quantitative Prostate MRI

• Quantitative T₂ and ADC mapping in prostate cancer
• High-resolution diffusion-weighted MRI
• Microstructural MRI
• Integrated diagnostics for prostate cancer (collaboration with Urology and Pathology)

Quantitative Liver and Abdominal MRI

• Free-breathing quantitative MRI of liver fat fraction and R₂*
• MRI and MRE of pediatric liver disease (collaboration with Pediatrics)
• Artificial intelligence for body composition analysis

Quantitative Placenta MRI

• Free-breathing quantitative MRI of placental R₂* (collaboration with Pediatrics and Ob/Gyn)

MRI-Guided Interventions

• Real-time non-Cartesian MRI
• Real-time MR temperature mapping
• MRI-guided targeted biopsy and focal ablation
• Artificial intelligence for procedural guidance
• MRI-compatible robotic systems (collaboration with Tsao lab in Mechanical Engineering)
• Precision MRI-guided nano-theranostics (collaboration with Zink lab in Chemistry)

News

• National Cancer Institute Award - UCLA Newsroom | The Cancer Letter
• UCLA Innovation Fund Therapeutics Award - UCLA Newsroom

Meet Our Team

Principal Investigator

Current Members

Past Members

• Ryan Andosca, MS (Lab rotation, Spring 2022)
• Alexandra Artura, BS (Undergraduate student, 2021-2022)
• Benjamin Azul, BS (Staff research associate, 2018-2019)
• Tongxin Chen (Visiting undergraduate student, Summer 2016)
• Chang Gao, BS (Lab rotation, Fall 2017)
• Irene Hwang (Undergraduate student, 2025-2026)
• Justin Kaufman (Undergraduate student, 2022-2023)
• Tristan Kelly, BS (Undergraduate student, 2021-2023)
• Kelsey Kuwahara, BS (Undergraduate student, 2020-2022)
• Michael Lauria, BS (Lab rotation, Fall 2017)
• Hannah Parish, BS (Medical student, 2021-2022)
• Matthew Quesada (undergraduate student, Fall 2014)
• Arash Safavi, MS (Staff research associate, 2017-2018)
• Chengyang Song, BS (Visiting graduate student, Fall 2015)
• Jacob Story, BS (Medical student, 2020-2022)
• M. Wasil Wahi-Anwar, BS (Graduate student, 2014)
• Yu Wang (Visiting undergraduate student, Summer 2017)
• Riley Wheeler (Undergraduate student, 2026)
• Cass Wong, BS (Undergraduate student, 2017)
• Jiaqi Zhou (Remote undergraduate student, Summer 2022)