Megan C. Jacobsen, Ph.D., DABR
Department of Imaging Physics, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
About Dr. Megan C. Jacobsen
Megan Jacobsen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Imaging Physics at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She earned her Ph.D. in Medical Physics from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2018. Her dissertation on dual-energy computed tomography (CT) and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was awarded the Aaron M. Blanchard Research Award in Medical Physics. Dr. Jacobsen continued her clinical and research training in the MD Anderson Imaging Physics Fellowship, served as Chief Resident in her final year of her fellowship, and graduated in 2021. She joined the MD Anderson faculty in 2021. Dr. Jacobsen currently serves as the Assistant Editor for Physics at RadioGraphics, Associate Editor at Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography, and a member of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) task groups 299 on multi-energy CT quality control and 392 on characterization of automatic exposure control systems in CT. In oncologic imaging, development of quantitative imaging biomarkers in all modalities is critical for diagnosis, identification of disease subtypes, and monitoring treatment response. Dr. Jacobsen's research has been focused on applications of quantitative CT for differentiating between disease states and monitoring novel medical devices and treatments, with an emphasis on advanced CT technologies such as multi-energy CT and photon-counting detector CT (PCD-CT). Dr. Jacobsen is currently assisting with the development of a pre-clinical PCD-CT program at MD Anderson to enable quantitative CT in small animals with the goal of enabling translational research and quantification of novel CT contrast agents such as gold, bismuth, gadolinium, and tantalum. She has also worked to develop MRI models for treatment response in locally advanced cervical cancer that utilize anatomical and functional imaging.
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Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Imaging Physics - Research, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Pre-clinical photon-counting detector CT imaging
Imaging novel CT contrast agentsClinical Interests
Development and standardization of CT protocols for quantitative imaging and machine learning applications
Clinical applications of multi-energy CT and photon-counting detector CT Multi-energy CT quality controlEducation & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2018 | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UT Health Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX, USA, PHD, Medical Physics |
| 2011 | Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, USA, BA, Physics and Mathematics |
Postgraduate Training
| 2018-2021 | Clinical Residency, Imaging Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
Board Certifications
| 2022 | American Board of Radiology - Diagnostic Medical Physics |
Experience & Service
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Medical Physics Fellow, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2021
Honors & Awards
| 2022 | Council of Early Career Investigators in Imaging, American Association of Physicists in Medicine/The Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research |
Professional Memberships
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Damasco JA, Huang SY, Perez JVD, Manongdo JAT, Dixon KA, Williams ML, Jacobsen MC, Barbosa R, Canlas GM, Chintalapani G, Melancon AD, Layman RR, Fowlkes NW, Whitley EM, Melancon MP. Bismuth Nanoparticle and Polyhydroxybutyrate Coatings Enhance the Radiopacity of Absorbable Inferior Vena Cava Filters for Fluoroscopy-Guided Placement and Longitudinal Computed Tomography Monitoring in Pigs. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 8(4):1676-1685, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35343679.
- Schellingerhout D, Jacobsen M, Le Roux L, Johnson J, Baladandayuthapani V, Hwang KP, Hazle J, Schomer D, Cody D. The Calcium Versus Hemorrhage Trial: Developing Diagnostic Criteria for Chronic Intracranial Susceptibility Lesions Using Single-Energy Computed Tomography, Dual-Energy Computed Tomography, and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping. Invest Radiol 56(6):385-393, 2021. PMID: 33534507.
- Ahmad M, Jacobsen MC, Thomas MA, Chen HS, Layman RR, Jones AK. A Benchmark for automatic noise measurement in clinical computed tomography. Med Phys 48(2):640-647, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33283284.
- Perez JVD, Jacobsen MC, Damasco JA, Melancon A, Huang SY, Layman RR, Melancon MP. Optimization of the differentiation and quantification of high-Z nanoparticles incorporated in medical devices for CT-guided interventions. Med Phys 48(1):300-312, 2021. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33216978.
- Fuentes D, Thompson E, Jacobsen M, Crouch AC, Layman RR, Riviere B, Cressman E. Imaging-based characterization of convective tissue properties. Int J Hyperthermia 37(3):155-163, 2020. PMID: 33426993.
- Huang SY, Damasco JA, Tian L, Lu L, Perez JVD, Dixon KA, Williams ML, Jacobsen MC, Dria SJ, Eggers MD, Melancon AD, Layman RR, Whitley EM, Melancon MP. In vivo performance of gold nanoparticle-loaded absorbable inferior vena cava filters in a swine model. Biomater Sci 8(14):3966-3978, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32558854.
- Le Roux LG, Qiu X, Jacobsen MC, Pagel MD, Gammon ST, Piwnica-Worms DR, Schellingerhout D. Axonal Transport as an In Vivo Biomarker for Retinal Neuropathy. Cells 9(5), 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32456061.
- Javadi S, Elsherif S, Bhosale P, Jensen CT, Layman RR, Jacobsen MC, Le O, Jia S, Parikh RJ, Tamm EP. Quantitative attenuation accuracy of virtual non-enhanced imaging compared to that of true non-enhanced imaging on dual-source dual-energy CT. Abdom Radiol (NY) 45(4):1100-1109, 2020. PMID: 32052130.
- Jacobsen MC, Cressman ENK, Tamm EP, Baluya DL, Duan X, Cody DD, Schellingerhout D, Layman RR. Dual-Energy CT: Lower Limits of Iodine Detection and Quantification. Radiology 292(2):414-419, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31237496.
- Ger RB, Yang J, Ding Y, Jacobsen MC, Cardenas CE, Fuller CD, Howell RM, Li H, Stafford RJ, Zhou S, Court LE. Synthetic head and neck and phantom images for determining deformable image registration accuracy in magnetic resonance imaging. Med Phys 45(9):4315-4321, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30007075.
- Jacobsen MC, Schellingerhout D, Wood CA, Tamm EP, Godoy MC, Sun J, Cody DD. Intermanufacturer Comparison of Dual-Energy CT Iodine Quantification and Monochromatic Attenuation: A Phantom Study. Radiology 287(1):224-234, 2018. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 29185902.
- Nute JL, Jacobsen MC, Stefan W, Wei W, Cody DD. Development of a dual-energy computed tomography quality control program: Characterization of scanner response and definition of relevant parameters for a fast-kVp switching dual-energy computed tomography system. Med Phys 45(4):1444-1458, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 29446082.
- Ger RB, Yang J, Ding Y, Jacobsen MC, Fuller CD, Howell RM, Li H, Jason Stafford R, Zhou S, Court LE. Accuracy of deformable image registration on magnetic resonance images in digital and physical phantoms. Med Phys 44(10):5153-5161, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28622410.
- Nute JL, Jacobsen MC, Chandler A, Cody DD, Schellingerhout D. Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for the Characterization of Intracranial Hemorrhage and Calcification: A Systematic Approach in a Phantom System. Invest Radiol 52(1):30-41, 2017. PMID: 27379697.
- Jacobsen MC, Dogan BE, Adrada BE, Plaxco JS, Wei W, Son JB, Hazle JD, Ma J. 3-T breast diffusion-weighted MRI by echo-planar imaging with spectral spatial excitation or with additional spectral inversion recovery: an in vivo comparison of image quality. J Comput Assist Tomogr 39(3):343-8, 2015. PMID: 25695868.
- Christner JA, Braun NN, Jacobsen MC, Carter RE, Kofler JM, McCollough CH. Size-specific dose estimates for adult patients at CT of the torso. Radiology 265(3):841-7, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23091173.
- Leng S, Christner JA, Carlson SK, Jacobsen M, Vrieze TJ, Atwell TD, McCollough CH. Radiation dose levels for interventional CT procedures. AJR Am J Roentgenol 197(1):W97-103, 2011. PMID: 21701002.
Invited Articles
- Vlahos I, Jacobsen MC, Godoy MC, Stefanidis K, Layman RR. Dual-energy CT in pulmonary vascular disease. Br J Radiol 95(1129):20210699, 2022. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34538091.
- Jacobsen MC, Thrower SL, Ger RB, Leng S, Court LE, Brock KK, Tamm EP, Cressman ENK, Cody DD, Layman RR. Multi-energy computed tomography and material quantification: Current barriers and opportunities for advancement. Med Phys 47(8):3752-3771, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32453879.