Ho-Ling Anthony Liu, Ph.D.
Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
About Dr. Liu
Ho-Ling Anthony Liu, Ph.D., is a Professor and Director of the Imaging Physics Residency Program in the Department of Imaging Physics. Dr. Liu has more than 20 years of experience in advanced neuroimaging. His research interest is on development of perfusion and functional MRI methods for management of neurological diseases. He has been collaborating with clinicians and scientists in radiology, psychology and neuroscience, and serving as a PI or a co-investigator in research grants. He has authored over 100 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, lectured and chaired at national and international conferences and held symposia and hands-on workshops in related fields. He frequently serves as a reviewer for journals such as MRM, Med Phys, NeuroImage and PNAS, and for the ISMRM for many years. Dr. Liu’s current research directions include quantitative MRI for characterizing tumor microenvironment and precise functional localization with pre-surgical functional MRI.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
The focus of his research is to develop and optimize advanced MR neuroimaging methods for improving diagnosis, treatment planning and evaluation of early treatment response of tumors. Two specific directions are:
1. Quantitative MRI for characterizing tumor microenvironment: this includes the quantitation of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC), dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) and arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI for characterizing tumor angiogenesis, and the characterization of microvascular properties such as vessel caliber and vessel reactivity using MRI methods.
2. Advanced MRI for pre-surgical planning and intra-operative evaluation: this includes advanced functional MRI acquisition/processing strategy and the study of neurovascular coupling of brain activation adjacent to tumors for pre-surgical planning, and the incorporation of functional/physiological imaging for the intra-operative evaluation.
Clinical Interests
Advanced brain tumor imaging | Pre-surgical functional MRI and diffusion MR tractography | Optimization of MRI sequences for neurological applications
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2000 | University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA, PHD, Medical Physics |
| 1994 | National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, TWN, MS, Nuclear Science |
| 1992 | National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, TWN, BS, Physics |
Postgraduate Training
| 2004-2005 | Resident, Medical Physics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
Board Certifications
| 2004 | American Board of Radiology (Diagnostic Radiologic Physics) with MOC |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Residency Program Director, Department of Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2016 - Present
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Chen HS, Kumar VA, Johnson JM, Chen MM, Noll KR, Hou P, Prabhu SS, Schomer DF, Liu HL. Effect of brain normalization methods on the construction of functional connectomes from resting-state functional MRI in patients with gliomas. Magn Reson Med 86(1):487-498, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33533052.
- Noll KR, Chen HS, Wefel JS, Kumar VA, Hou P, Ferguson SD, Rao G, Johnson JM, Schomer DF, Suki D, Prabhu SS, Liu HL. Alterations in Functional Connectomics Associated With Neurocognitive Changes Following Glioma Resection. Neurosurgery 88(3):544-551, 2021. PMID: 33080024.
- Hsu AL, Chen HS, Hou P, Wu CW, Johnson JM, Noll KR, Prabhu SS, Ferguson SD, Kumar VA, Schomer DF, Chen JH, Liu HL. Presurgical resting-state functional MRI language mapping with seed selection guided by regional homogeneity. Magn Reson Med 84(1):375-383, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31793025.
- Kumar VA, Heiba IM, Prabhu SS, Chen MM, Colen RR, Young AL, Johnson JM, Hou P, Noll K, Ferguson SD, Rao G, Lang FF, Schomer DF, Liu HL. The role of resting-state functional MRI for clinical preoperative language mapping. Cancer Imaging 20(1):47, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32653026.
- Sanders JW, Chen HS, Johnson JM, Schomer DF, Jimenez JE, Ma J, Liu HL. Synthetic generation of DSC-MRI-derived relative CBV maps from DCE MRI of brain tumors. Magn Reson Med 85(1):469-479, 2020. PMID: 32726488.
- Chiu GS, Boukelmoune N, Chiang ACA, Peng B, Rao V, Kingsley C, Liu HL, Kavelaars A, Kesler SR, Heijnen CJ. Nasal administration of mesenchymal stem cells restores cisplatin-induced cognitive impairment and brain damage in mice. Oncotarget 9(85):35581-35597, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30473752.
- Jittapiromsak N, Hou P, Liu HL, Sun J, Schiffman JS, Chi TL. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of orbital and anterior visual pathway lesions. Magn Reson Imaging 51:44-50, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29709464.
- Jen ML, Hassan I, Hou P, Li G, Kumar AJ, Prabhu SS, Colen RR, Liu HL. Comparison of functional localization accuracy with different co-registration strategies in presurgical fMRI for brain tumor patients. Med Phys 45(7):3223-3228, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29799635.
- Sin ELL, Liu HL, Lee SH, Huang CM, Wai YY, Chen YL, Chan CCH, Lin C, Lee TMC. The relationships between brain structural changes and perceived loneliness in older adults suffering from late-life depression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 33(4):606-612, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29266531.
- Weng HH, Noll KR, Johnson JM, Prabhu SS, Tsai YH, Chang SW, Huang YC, Lee JD, Yang JT, Yang CT, Tsai YH, Yang CY, Hazle JD, Schomer DF, Liu HL. Accuracy of presurgical functional MR imaging for language mapping of brain tumors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Radiology 286(2):512-523, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28980887.
- Hsu AL, Hou P, Johnson JM, Wu CW, Noll KR, Prabhu SS, Ferguson SD, Kumar VA, Schomer DF, Hazle JD, Chen JH, Liu HL. IClinfMRI Software for Integrating Functional MRI Techniques in Presurgical Mapping and Clinical Studies. Front Neuroinform 12(11):11, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29593520.
- Jittapiromsak N, Hou P, Liu HL, Sun J, Slopis JM, Chi TL. Prognostic role of conventional and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in optic pathway gliomas. J Neuroimaging(6):594-601, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28524459.
- Lin YT, Liu HL, Day YJ, Chang CC, Hsu PH, Chen JC. Activation of NPFFR2 leads to hyperalgesia through the spinal inflammatory mediator CGRP in mice. Exp Neurol 291:62-73, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28179153.
- Li CH, Chen FH, Schellingerhout D, Lin YS, Hong JH, Liu HL. Flow versus permeability weighting in estimating the forward volumetric transfer constant (K(trans)) obtained by DCE-MRI with contrast agents of differing molecular sizes. Magn Reson Imaging 36:105-111, 2017. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27989901.
- Wong NM, Liu HL, Lin C, Huang CM, Wai YY, Lee SH, Lee TM. Loneliness in late-life depression: structural and functional connectivity during affective processing. Psychol Med 46(12):2485-99, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27328861.
- Chen FH, Wang CC, Liu HL, Fu SY, Yu CF, Chang C, Chiang CS, Hong JH. Decline of tumor vascular function as assessed by dynamic contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Is Associated With poor responses to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 95(5):1495-503, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27325478.
- Chang TY, Huang KL, Ho MY, Ho PS, Chang CH, Liu CH, Chang YJ, Wong HF, Hsieh IC, Lee TH, Liu HL. Graph theoretical analysis of functional networks and its relationship to cognitive decline in patients with carotid stenosis. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 36(4):808-18, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26661184.
- Liu HL, Chang TT, Yan FX, Li CH, Lin YS, Wong AM. Assessment of vessel permeability by combining dynamic contrast enhanced and arterial spin labeling MRI. NMR Biomed 28(6):642-9, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 25880892.
- Fan YT, Wu CY, Liu HL, Lin KC, Wai YY, Chen YL. Neuroplastic changes in resting-state functional connectivity after stroke rehabilitation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 9:546, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26557065.
- Wong AM, Yan FX, Liu HL. Comparison of three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling perfusion imaging with gradient-echo and spin-echo dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI. J Magn Reson Imaging 39(2):427-33, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23677620.
- Quirarte JA, Kumar VA, Liu HL, Noll KR, Wefel JS, Lang FF. Language supplementary motor area syndrome correlated with dynamic changes in perioperative task-based functional MRI activations: case report. J Neurosurg:1-5. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32502992.
- Shao R, Liu HL, Huang CM, Chen YL, Gao M, Lee SH, Lin C, Lee TMC. Loneliness and depression dissociated on parietal-centered networks in cognitive and resting states. Psychol Med:1-11. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31615593.