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S. Cheenu Kappadath, Ph.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Assistant Professor, Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment

Associate Faculty, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX

Bio Statement

I am a board-certified and licensed medical physicist with specialties in Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation (ABSNM) and Diagnostic Radiologic Physics (ABR) supporting Nuclear Medicine, PET, and Radiology. I am actively involved in a variety of funded research projects focusing on research and development in NM and PET imaging technologies to aid radiologists and clinicians in improving patient management by applying physics, engineering, mathematics and computer science principles. I am a faculty member at The University of Texas Health Science Center Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences and serve as an instructor and advisor to medical physics graduate students and residents. I am also an active member of professional medical physics societies.

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1998 University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, PhD, Physics
1994 University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, MS, Physics
1991 Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, BA, Physics and Mathematics

Postgraduate Training

1/2006-10/2007 Clinical Residency, Medical Physics, Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
9/1998-3/2001 Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Board Certifications

6/2008 American Board of Radiology, Diagnostic Radiologic Physics
7/2007 American Board of Science in Nuclear Medicine, Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation

Honors and Awards

2012 2nd Place Award Radiopharmacy Track Poster Presentation, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting
2012 2nd Place Award Technologist Oral Presentation, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting
2007 Reviewer's Choice Oral Presentation Award, AAPM Annual Meeting, Washington, DC
2007 Trainee Travel Grant Recipient, IEEE Medical Imaging Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii
2006-2008 Medical Physics Residency Award, Radiological Society of North America
2004 Honorable Mention Poster Award, SPIE Medical Imaging Symposium, San Diego, CA
1991 Cum laude, B.A, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois
1991 Meritorious Award, Mathematical Contest in Modeling, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Illinois

Professional Memberships

American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)
Member, AAPM Task Group 177: Gamma Camera, SPECT, and SPECT/CT Acceptance Testing and Annual Surveys, 2009-present
Member, Nuclear Medicine Subcommittee, 2009-present
The Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM)
Member, Computer and Instrumentation Council, 2009-present

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Wendy S, Kappadath S.C.. Performance characterisitics of a new pixelated portable gamma camera. Medical Physics 39(6):3435-3444, 2012.
2. Hulme KW, Rong J, Chasen B, Chuang H, Cody D, Wong F, Kappadath SC. A CT acquisition technique to generate images at various dose levels for prospective dose reduction studies. AJR 196(2):W144-51, 2011.
3. Mathieu KB, Kappadath SC, White A, Atkinson EN, Cody DD. An empirical model of diagnostic x-ray attenuation under narrow-beam geometry. Med Phys 38(8):4546-4555, 2011.
4. Kappadath SC. Effects of voxel size and iterative reconstruction parameters on the spatial resolution of 99mTc SPECT/CT. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics 12(4), 2011.
5. Kappadath SC, Erwin WD, Wendt RE. A novel method to evaluate gamma camera rotational uniformity and sensitivity variation. Med Phys 36(6):1947-1955, 2009.
6. Kappadath SC, Shaw CC. Dual-energy digital mammography: noise reduction techniques. Phys Med Bio 53:5421-43, 2008.
7. Mawlawi O, Kappadath SC, Pan T, Macapinlac H. Factors affecting quantification in PET/CT imaging. Current Medical Imaging Reviews 4, 2008.
8. Kappadath SC, Erwin WD, Wendt RE. Observed intercamera variability in clinically relevant performance characteristics for Siemens Symbia gamma cameras. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics 7(4), 2006.
9. Kappadath SC, Shaw CC. Dual-energy digital mammography for calcification imaging: scatter and nonuniformity corrections. Med Phys 32(11):3395-408, 2005. PMID: 16372415.
10. Lai CJ, Shaw CC, Whitman GJ, Johnston DA, Yang WT, Selinko V, Arribas E, Dogan B, Kappadath SC. Visibility of simulated microcalcifications-a hardcopy-based comparison of three mammographic systems. Med Phys 32(1):182-94, 2005. PMID: 15719969.
11. Kappadath SC, Shaw CC. Quantitative evaluation of dual-energy digital mammography for calcification imaging. Phys Med Biol 49:2563-76, 2004. PMID: 15272674.
12. Kappadath SC, Shaw CC. Dual-energy digital mammography: calibration and inverse-mapping techniques to estimate calcification thickness and glandular-tissue ratio. Med Phys 30(6):1110-7, 2003. PMID: 12852535.
13. Lemacks MR, Kappadath SC, Shaw CC, Liu X, Whitman GJ. A dual-energy subtraction technique for microcalcification imaging in digital mammography: a signal-to-noise analysis. Med Phys 29(8):1739-51, 2002. PMID: 12201421.

Grant & Contract Support

Title: Develop methodology to separately compute the trabecular and cortical bone-mineral density using the GE Discovery CT 750HD scanner with GSI
Funding Source: General Electric
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 2/1/2013 - 1/31/2014
 
Title: Multi-modal reconstruction and quantitative SPECT imaging
Funding Source: Siemens Medical Solutions
Role: Co-Investigator
Principal Investigator: Homer Macapinlac M.D.
Duration: 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2014
 
Title: A novel dose calculation method for targeted radionuclide therapy
Funding Source: NIH/NCI
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: 8/1/2010 - 7/31/2013

Last updated: 2/5/2013