Biography

Dr. Narayana is a Professor of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, Vice-Chair for Research and the Director of Magnetic Resonance Research at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). He also holds an Endowed Chair in Biomedical Engineering at UTHealth.

He served on numerous NIH Study Sections. He serves on the Editorial Board of Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and is a reviewer for a number of major neuroscience and MRI journals.

Dr. Narayana’s major research interests include Quantitative Magnetic Resonance of Central Nervous System, Development of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Techniques, and Image Processing with an emphasis on automatic analysis.  His current research interest include patient-adaptive and real time MRI.

Dr. Narayana directs a state-of-the-art 3T whole body MRI scanner and 7T animal-dedicated MRI scanner.

He has been continuously funded by NIH for the last 30+ years.  He directs the MRI Analysis Center that is involved in analyzing multi-center MRI data.  He is currently funded by NIH to analyze longitudinal MRI data on multi-center cohort and predicting contrast enhancement in multiple sclerosis with real time texture analysis.

He served as thesis advisor for more than 18 MS, PhD, and MD/PhD students. He trained more than 20 post-doctoral fellows and mentored 10 junior faculty members.  He has authored/coauthored more than 275 publications in peer-reviewed journals and numerous book chapters. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Radiology in Radiological Physics.

He is the PI on the following grants:

  • Lesion Activity and Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis: Analysis of Multi-center MRI (NIH)
  • Predicting contrast enhancement in multiple sclerosis with real time texture analysis (NIH)

Certifications

American Board of Radiology, Diagnostic Radiologic Physics, June 1, 1998

Education

Graduate School
M.Sc., Nuclear Physics, Andhra University, Andhra, India, 1965
Post Graduate School
Ph.D., Physics, Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, 1969

Areas of Interest

Research Interests

Research interests include Quantitative Magnetic Resonance of Central Nervous System, Development of Advanced Magnetic Resonance Techniques, Image Processing with an emphasis on automatic analysis, and patient-adaptive and real time MRI.

**Faculty profiles will only highlight current information (the last three years). Please see the faculty’s CV for more information.

Current Grant Support

Active Grants
1R56NS105857-01 (Narayana) 4/1/2018 – 3/31/2020
NIH Award DC $350,000 3.6 Calendar
Major Goals: Predicting contrast enhancement in multiple sclerosis with real time texture analysis.

Image Analysis Center (Narayana/Savitz) 6/15/15 – 6/30/2020
SanBio, Inc. Annual DC $255,784 1.8 Calendar
Major Goals: Provide MRI analysis on the traumatic brain injured patients treated with stem cells as a part of phase 2 clinical trials.

Image Analysis Center (Narayana/Savitz) 11/9/15 – 11/08/19 2.4 Calendar
Sunovian/SanBio, Inc. Annual DC $279,349
Major Goals: Provide MRI analysis on the Stroke patients treated with stem cells as a part of phase 2 clinical trials.

Past Grant Support
R01 NS078244-01A1 (Narayana) 9/1/12 – 5/31/18 (with NCE)
NIH Annual DC $299,592 2.4 Calendar
Lesion Activity and Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis: Analysis of Multi-center MRI
Major Goals: The analysis of longitudinal MRI data on multi-center cohort.

5R01MH085667-02 (Soares) 9/01/12 – 6/30/17 0.6 calendar
NIMH/NIH Annual DC $557,539
Searching for Endophenotypes of Bipolar Disorder
Major Goals: To search for Endophenotypes of Bipolar Disorder in patients

UL1 TR000371 (McPherson) 7/01/06 – 5/31/17 2.4 Calendar
NIH/NCATS DC $2,759,336
Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences
Major Goals: To develop translational research infrastructure

1 R01 NS078244-01A1 (Narayana) 9/1/2012 – 5/31/2017 2.4 Calendar
NIH/NINDS Annual DC $ 218,750
Lesion Activity and Atrophy in Multiple Sclerosis: Analysis of Multi-center MRI
Major Goals: The analysis of longitudinal MRI data on a multi-center cohort

Publications

**Faculty profiles will only highlight current information (the last three years). Please see the faculty’s CV for more information.

 

ABSTRACTS

  1. Gabr R, Narayana PA. Imaging Intralesional Heterogeneity in Multiple Sclerosis using a T2 Filter. Cairo, Egypt. CIBEC December 20 – 22, 2018
  2. Narayana PA, Coronado I, Robinson M, Sujit S, Datta S, Sun X, Lublin F, Wolinsky JS, Gabr R. Multimodal MRI Segmentation of Brain Tissue and T2 Hyperintense White Matter Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks and a Large Multi-Center Image Database. Cairo, Egypt. CIBEC December 20 – 22, 2018
  3. Sujit S, Gabr R, Coronado I, Robinson M, Datta S, Narayana PA. Automated Image Quality Evaluation of Structural Brain Magnetic Resonance Images using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks. Cairo, Egypt. CIBEC December 20 – 22, 2018
  4. Tashman S, Zandiyeh P, Warth R, McDermott J.D., Narayana P, Gabr R, Kumaravel M, Lowe W, Harner C. ACL Graft Remodeling Revealed By Serial UTE T2* MRI.ORS 2019 Annual Meeting. Austin, TX. February 2 – 5, 2019
  5. Narayana P, Coronado I, Datta S, Sujit S, Lublin F, Wolinsky J, Gabr R. Deep Learning for Identification of Active Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis Without Administration of Gadolinium Based Contrast Agent. ISMRM 27th Annual Meeting. Montreal, QC, Canada. May 13, 2019
  6. Gabr R, Narayana P. Reducing Patient Anxiety in MRI using Acoustic Noise-Modulated Computer Animations: Experience in Pediatric Psychiatric Patients. ISMRM 27th Annual Meeting. Montreal, QC, Canada. May 13, 2019
  7. Coronado I, Gabr R, Datta S, Sujit S, Lublin F, Wolinsky J, Narayana P. Deep Learning for Characterizing Image Sequence Significance in Brain Tissue Segmentation. ISMRM 27th Annual Meeting. Montreal, QC, Canada. May 14, 2019
  8. Sujit S, Gabr R, Coronado I, Narayana P. Cascaded Deep Learning Networks for Automated Image Quality Evaluation of Structural Brain MRI. ISMRM 27th Annual Meeting. Montreal, QC, Canada. May 16, 2019
  9. Tashman S, Zandiyeh P, Kutzler M, Purtle B, Alford T, Wayne C, Warth RJ, McDermott J, Taher A, Narayana LA, Gabr RE, Kumaravel M, Lowe W, Harner CD. ACL Graft Remodeling Revealed by Serial UTE-T2* MRI. RSNA, SSJ16-03, 2019
  10. Tashman S, Zandiyeh P, Warth R, McDermott JD, Narayana PA, Gabr RE, et al. ACL Graft Remodeling Revealed By Serial UTE T2* MRI. In: Orthopedic Research Society (ORS) Annual conference Austin, Texas. 2019.
  11. Zandiyeh P, Rao M, Gabr R, Narayana P, Tashman S, Kumaravel M, Lowe W, Harner C, Warth R. Three-Dimensional UTE MR Imaging: Twelve-Month Analysis of ACL Autograft Remodeling. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020 Jul 31;8(7_suppl6):2325967120S00479.
  12. Gabr RE, Wang L, Lincoln JA, Narayana PA. Optimized patient-specific refocusing control in turbo spin echo FLAIR for improved detection of infratentorial lesions in multiple sclerosis. Annual Meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), 1410. 2020.
  13. Gabr RE, Coronado I, Narayana PA. Segmentation of contrast enhancing lesions in multiple sclerosis using deep learning and a large cohort study. Annual Meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), 1414. 2020.
  14. Gabr RE, Lincoln JA, Kamali A, Sun X, Narayana PA. Combined 3D FLAIR and T2-weighted (FLAIR3) improves the detection of infratentorial lesions in multiple sclerosis. Annual Meeting of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), 1415. 2020.
  15. Gabr RE, Yang M, Narayana PA. Reducing CSF contamination in cortical T2 using a fluid-suppressed dual-echo pulse sequence. AAPM-Association of Physicists in Medicine Annual Meeting. 2020.

 

REFEREED ORIGINAL ARTICLES IN JOURNALS:

  1. Gabr R, Pednekar A, Sun, X, Riascos-Castaned RF, Ramírez MG, Govindarajan K, Nelson F, Narayana PA. Patient-specific 3D FLAIR for enhanced visualization of brain white matter lesions in multiple sclerosis. J Magn Reson Imaging 2017;4:557-564.
  2. Herrera JJ, Bockhorst K, Kondraganti S, Stertz L De Quevedo JL, and Narayana PA Acute white matter tract damage following frontal mild traumatic brain injury. J Neurotrauma. 2017;34:291-299.
  3. Nelson F, Akhtar MA, Zúñiga E, Perez CA, Hasan KM, Jeffrey Wilken J, Wolinsky JS, Narayana PA and Steinberg JL. Novel fMRI working memory paradigm accurately detects cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scelor J 2017;23:836-847
  4. Ma L, Steinberg JL, Wang Q, Schmitz JM, Boone EL, Narayana PA, Moeller FG. A preliminary longitudinal study of white matter alteration in cocaine use disorder subjects. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017;173:39-46. PMID: 28192722
  5. Narayana PA. White matter changes in patients with mild traumatic brain injury: Magnetic resonance imaging perspective. Concussion 2017:(Accepted for Publication)
  6. Yu JJ, Spieler BM, Chan TL, Johnson EM, Gulani V, Sandler KL, Narayana PA, Mar WA, Brian JM, Ng CK. Promoting Collaborations Between Radiologists and Scientists. Acad Radiol. 2018;25:9-17.
  7. Schmitz JM, Green CE, Hasan KM, Vincent J, Suchting R, Weaver MF, Moeller FG, Narayana PA, Cunningham KA, Dineley KT, Lane SD. PPAR-gamma agonist pioglitazone modifies craving intensity and brain white matter integrity in patients with primary cocaine use disorder: a double-blind randomized controlled pilot trial. Addiction. 2017;112:1861-1868.
  8. Lublin FD, Cofieldb SC, Cutter GR, Gustafsona T, Kriegera S, Narayana PA, Nelson F, Saltere AR, Wolinsky JS. Long-term follow-up of a randomized study of combination interferon and glatiramer acetate in multiple sclerosis: Efficacy and safety results up to 7 years. Multiple Sclerosis Related Disorders. 2017;18:95-102.
  9. Gabr R, Tefera GB, William JA, Pednekar A, Narayana PA. GRAPE: A graphical pipeline environment for image analysis in adaptive magnetic resonance imaging. Int J Comp Assist Radiol Surg 2017;12:449-457. NIHMSID: 822486
  10. Ma L, Steinberg JL , Cunningham KA, Bjorka JM, Lane SD, Schmitz JM, Burroughs T, Narayana PA, Kosten TR, Bechara A, and F. Gerard Moeller FG. Altered anterior cingulate cortex to hippocampus effective connectivity in response to drug cues in men with cocaine use disorder. Psych Res: Neuroimaging 2018; 271: 59-66.
  11. Allen WJ, Gabr RE, Tefera GB, Pednekar AS, Vaughn MW, and Narayana PA. Platform for Automated Real-Time High Performance Analytics on Medical Image Data. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform. 2018;22:318-324.
  12. Haque ME, Gabr, RE, Zhao, X, Hasan KM, Valenzuela AR, Narayana PA, Ting S-M, Sun, G, Savitz SI, Aronowski, J. Serial Quantitative Neuroimaging of Iron in the Intracerebral Hemorrhage Pig Model. J Cereb Blood Flow Metabol. 2018;38:375-381.
  13. Gabr RE, Pednekar AS, Kamali A, Lincoln JA, Nelson FM, Wolinsky JS, Narayana PA. Interleaved Susceptibility-Weighted and FLAIR MRI for Imaging Lesion-Penetrating Veins in Multiple Sclerosis. Magn Reson Med. 2018;80:1132-1137
  14. Murray KO, Nolan MS, Ronca SE, Datta S, Govindarajan K, Narayana PA, Salazar L, Woods SP, Hasbun R. The neurocognitive and MRI outcomes of West Nile virus infection: Preliminary Analysis Using an External Control Group. Front Neurol 2018 27;9:111
  15. Mohamed ASR, Bahig H, Aristophanous M, Blanchard P, Kamal M, Ding Y, Cardenas CE, Brock KK, Lai SY, Hutcheson KA, Phan J, Wange J, Ibbott G, Gabr RE, Narayana PA, Garden AS, Rosenthal DI, Gunn G, Fuller CD. MD Anderson MRLinac Development Working Group. Prospective in silico study of the feasibility and dosimetric advantages of MRI-guided dose adaptation for human papillomavirus positive oropharyngeal cancer patients compared with standard IMRT. Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology 2018;11:11–18.
  16. Lane SD, Tannous J, Mwangi B, Hasan KM, Narayana PA, Walssbass C, Moeller FG, Schmitz J. Measures of Possible Allostatic Load in Comorbid Cocaine and Alcohol use Disorder: Brain White Matter Integrity, Telomere Length, and Anti-Saccade Performance. PLOS One (accepted).
  17. Haque ME, Gbar RE, George SD, Boren SB, Arevalo OD, Alderman S, Narayana P, Hasan KM, Friedman ER, Sitton CW, Savitz SI. Serial Cerebral Metabolic Changes in Patients with Ischemic Stroke Treated with Autologous Bone Marrow Derived Mononuclear Cells. Front Neurol (Stroke section) Accepted
  18. Sujit SJ, Coronado I, Kamali A, Narayana PA, Gabr RE. Automated image quality evaluation of structural brain MRI using an ensemble of deep learning networks. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2019;50:1260–1267.
  19. Gabr RE, Zunta-Soares G, Soares JC, Narayana PA. MRI acoustic noise modulated computer animations for patient distraction and entertainment with application in pediatric psychiatric patients. Magn Reson Imaging 2019;61:16–19.
  20. Gabr RE, Coronado I, Robinson M, Sujit SJ, Datta S, Sun X, Allen WJ, Lublin FD, Wolinsky JS, Narayana PA. Brain segmentation in multiple sclerosis using fully-convolutional neural networks: A large-scale study. Multiple Sclerosis J 2019 (Accepted for publication).
  21. Bearda CL, Schmitza JM, Sodera HE, Suchtinga R, Yoona JH , Hasan KM, Narayana PA, Moeller FG, Lane SD. Regional differences in white matter integrity in stimulant use disorders: A meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2019;201:29–37.
  22. Lenchik L, Heacock L, Weaver AA, Boutin RD, Cook TS, Itri J, Filippi CG, Gullapalli RP, Lee J, Zagurovskaya M, Retson T, Godwin K, Nicholson J, Narayana PA. Automated Segmentation of Tissues using CT and MRI: A Systematic Review. Acad Radiol. 2019 Aug 10. pii: S1076-6332(19)30353-8. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2019.07.006. [Epub ahead of print]
  23. Narayana PA, Coronado I, Sujit SJ, Wolinsky JS, Lublin FD, Gabr RE. Deep Learning-Based Neural Tissue Segmentation of MRI in Multiple Sclerosis: Effect of Training Set Size. J. Magn Reson Imaging 2019; accepted for publication
  24. Narayana PA, Coronado I, Sujit SJ, Wolinsky JS, Gabr RE. Are multi-contrast magnetic resonance images necessary for segmenting Multiple Sclerosis brains? A large cohort study based on deep learning. Magn Reson Imaging 2019; accepted for publication
  25. Narayana PA, Coronado I, Sujit SJ, Wolinsky JS, Lublin F, Gabr RE. Deep Learning for Predicting Enhancing Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis from Non-contrast MRI. Radiology. 2020; 294(2):398-404. (Awaiting for PMCID)
  26. Coronado I, Gabr RE, Narayana P Deep learning segmentation of gadolinium-enhancing lesions in multiple sclerosis [published online ahead of print, 2020 May 22]. Mult Scler. 2021 Apr;1352458520921364. DOI:10.1177/1352458520921364 PMID: 32442043
  27. Suchting R, Beard CL, Schmitz JM, Doder HE, Yoon JH, Hasan KM, Narayana PA, Lane SD. A meta-analysis of tract-based spatial statistics studies examining white matter integrity in cocaine use disorder [published online ahead of print, 2020 Apr 8]. Addict Biol. 2021 Mar;e12902. doi:10.1111/adb.12902 PMID: 32267062
  28. Snyder AD, Zuniga E, Ma L, Steinberg JL, Woisard K, Narayana PA, Lane S, Schmitz J, Moeller FG.  Examination of preliminary behavioral and effective connectivity findings from treatment response to citalopram in cocaine use disorder: A dynamic causal modeling study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2020 Sep 30;303:111127. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111127. Epub 2020 Jun 15. PMID: 32593950
  29. Warth, RJ, Zandiyeh P, Rao M, Gabr RE, Tashman S, Kumaravel M, Narayana PA, Low WR, Harner C. Quantitative Assessment of In-Vivo Human ACL Autograft Remodeling: A Three-Dimensional UTE-T2* Imaging Study. American Journal of Sports Med. Am J Sports Med. 2020 Sep 11;363546520949855. PMID: 32915640. DOI: 10.1177/0363546520949855. Online ahead of print.
  30. Contro J, Silva DA, Santisteban OAN, Narayana PA, Nery JG. In vitro and in vivo comparative performance studies of gadolinium-loaded zeolites and Gd-DOTA as contrast agents for MRI applications. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2021 Aug;109(8):1105-1115. doi: 10.1002/jbm.b.34773. Epub 2020 Dec 6. PMID: 33283412.
  31. Gabr RE, Lincoln JA, Kamali A, Arevalo O, Zhang X, Sun X, Hasan KM, Narayana PA. Sensitive detection of infratentorial and upper cervical cord lesions in multiple sclerosis with combined 3D FLAIR and T2-weighted (FLAIR3) imaging. AJNR (Amer J Neuro Radiol). Accepted for publication.

INVITED LECTURES

  1. Invited talk at 13th Annual ARSEP MRI Workshop, Magnetic Resonance Imaging. “Spinal cord lesions imaging.” Paris, France – February 2, 2018
  2. Invited talk at TACC Symposium for Texas Researchers (TACCSTeR) 2018. “MRI and The Role of TACC’s High Performance Computational Facility: UT-H’s Perspective.” Austin, TX – September 20, 2018
  3. Invited talk at International Conference on Disease Biomarkers and Precision Medicine (DBPM-2018). “Precision Magnetic Resonance Imaging” Houston, TX – October 22-24, 2018
  4. Plenary lecture at Cairo International Biomedical Engineering Conference (CIBEC 2018). “Precision MRI.” Cairo, Egypt – December 20 – 22, 2018