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) |
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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Chen CJ, Wu CH, Liao YP, Hsu HL, Tseng YC, Liu HL, Chiu WT. Working memory in patients with mild traumatic brain injury: functional MR imaging analysis. Radiology 264(3):844-51, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22829681.
- Liu HL, Wu YY, Yang WS, Chen CF, Lim KE, Hsu YY. Is Weisskoff model valid for the correction of contrast agent extravasation with combined T1 and T2* effects in dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI?. Med Phys 38(2):802-9, 2011. PMID: 21452717.
- Hsiao IT, Liao YP, Liu HL. Study of onset time-shift and injection duration in DCE-MRI: a comparison of a reference region model with the general kinetic model. NMR Biomed 23(4):375-81, 2010. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 20014049.
- Wu CW, Liu HL, Chen JH, Yang Y. Effects of CBV, CBF, and blood-brain barrier permeability on accuracy of PASL and VASO measurement. Magn Reson Med 63(3):601-8, 2010. PMID: 20146228.
- Hsu YY, Kuan WC, Lim KE, Liu HL. Breathhold-regulated blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) MRI of human brain at 3 tesla. J Magn Reson Imaging 31(1):78-84, 2010. PMID: 20027575.
- Chang TY, Liu HL, Lee TH, Kuan WC, Chang CH, Wu HC, Wu TC, Chang YJ. Change in cerebral perfusion after carotid angioplasty with stenting is related to cerebral vasoreactivity: a study using dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced MR imaging and functional MR imaging with a breath-holding paradigm. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 30(7):1330-6, 2009. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19474124.
- Hsu YY, Chang CN, Jung SM, Lim KE, Huang JC, Fang SY, Liu HL. Blood oxygenation level-dependent MRI of cerebral gliomas during breath holding. J Magn Reson Imaging 19(2):160-7, 2004. PMID: 14745748.
- Liu Y, Gao JH, Liu HL, Fox PT. The temporal response of the brain after eating revealed by functional MRI. Nature 405(6790):1058-62, 2000. PMID: 10890447.
- Liu HL, Pu Y, Liu Y, Nickerson LD, Andrews T, Fox PT, Gao J-H.. Cerebral blood flow measurement by dynamic contrast MRI using singular value decomposition with an adaptive threshold. Magn Reson Med 42:167-72, 1999.
- Liu HL, Gao J-H.. Perfusion based event-related functional MRI. Magn Reson Med 42:1011-3, 1999.
- 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. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26661184.
Invited Articles
- Gao JH, Liu HL. Inflow effects on functional MRI. Neuroimage 62(2):1035-9, 2012. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 22019882.