Sarah Palmquist, M.D.
Department of Abdominal Imaging, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
About Dr. Sarah Palmquist
Dr. Palmquist is a board certified Associate Professor and Co-Director of Fluoroscopy in the Department of Abdominal Imaging at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. She is a versatile abdominal radiologist engaged with all imaging modalities the department offers. She regularly teaches UT Houston and Baylor College of Medicine radiology residents and M.D. Anderson abdominal imaging fellows. She is an active participant in both the multidisciplinary gynecological oncology and rectal cancer tumor boards. Her research predominantly focuses on providing imaging analysis in collaborative projects with surgeons, oncologists, and imaging physicists in the areas of colorectal and gynecologic oncology.
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Associate Professor, Abdominal Imaging, Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Associate Professor, Abdominal Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2011 | Ruprecht-Karls-Universitat Medizinische Fakultat Heidelberg, Heidelberg, DE, MD |
| 2006 | University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, US, Master of Science in Genetics, M.S |
| 2002 | University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, US, Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology, BS |
| 2002 | University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, US, Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, BA |
Postgraduate Training
| 2017-2018 | Clinical Fellowship, Abdominal Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas |
| 2013-2017 | Clinical Residency, Diagnostic Radiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
| 2012-2013 | Clinical Internship, Internal Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas |
Licenses & Certifications
| 2018 | American Board of Medical Quality |
| 2018 | Texas Medical Board |
| 2018 | American Board of Radiology |
Experience & Service
Faculty Academic Appointments
Assistant Professor, Abdominal Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2019 - 2025
Other Professional Positions
Radiologist, Synergy Radiology Associates, PA, Houston, TX, 2018 - 2019
Honors & Awards
| 2021 | Cum Laude, Restaging MRI of rectal adenocarcinoma after chemoradiotherapy, when we are wrong: pearls, pitfalls and tricky cases, Radiological Society of North America |
| 2017 | Outstanding Improvement Performance Project: Imaging Appropriateness, Baylor College School of Medicine Department of Radiology |
| 2014 | Outstanding Teacher Award, Baylor College School of Medicine Department of Radiology |
| 2005 - 2011 | Full Scholarship, University of Heidelberg Medical School |
| 2003 - 2005 | National Institutes of Health Training Grant, University Of Chicago |
| 2003 | Invited Participant, 53rd Meeting of the Nobel Laureates 2003 |
| 2002 - 2003 | United States Fulbright Scholar in Bioethics, University of Tübingen, Germany |
| 2001 | Undergraduate Research Fellowship, University of Texas at Austin |
Professional Memberships
Selected Presentations & Talks
Regional Presentations
- 2015. Effect of Physician Education on Quality, Safety and Customer Satisfaction in Radiology. Conference. Texas Radiological Society 102nd Annual Meeting, US.
National Presentations
- 2021. Restaging MRI of rectal adenocarcinoma after chemoradiotherapy, when we are wrong: pearls, pitfalls and tricky cases. Conference. Radiological Society of North America. Chicago, IL, US.
- 2015. Angiosarcoma from Head to Toe: Imaging Features with Pathologic Correlation. Conference. Radiological Society of North America, US.
- 2015. Effect of Physician Education on Quality, Safety, and Customer Satisfaction in Radiology. Conference. Texas Radiological Society 102nd Annual Meeting and Baylor College of Medicine, US.
- 2014. Pictorial Education Exhibit for the new BIRADS Lexicon. Conference. Radiological Society of North America, US.
- 2013. Group G Streptococcal Endocarditis. Conference. Society of General Internal Medicine 36th Annual Meeting, US.
International Presentations
- 2022. 3D T2-weighted rectal cancer imaging using a 3D fast spin echo sequence with deep learning reconstruction. Conference. International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. London, GB.
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Thomas, R, Derasari, S, Palmquist, SM, Samms, N, Andring, L, Holliday, EB. Post-radiation levator ani atrophy is associated with worse Low Anterior Resection Syndrome score after nonoperative management for locally advanced rectal cancer. Frontiers in Oncology 15, 2026. e-Pub 2026. PMID: 41602378.
- Nguyen, D, Palmquist, SM, Hwang, KP, Ma, J, Salem, UI, Sun, J, Wang, X, Son, JB, Ernst, RD, Wei, P, Kaur, H, Stanietzky, N. T2-weighted imaging of rectal cancer using a 3D fast spin echo sequence with and without deep learning reconstruction. Journal of applied clinical medical physics 26(5), 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39976552.
- Korivi BR, Warneke CL, Shehata MA, Buoy S, Tang X, Patnana M, Palmquist SM, Javadi S, Rao SP, Rauch RA, Wang MX, Elsayes KM, Hutcheson KA. Fluoroscopy Time of Radiologist-Monitored Modified Barium Swallow Exams in Oncology: A 3-year Single Institution Retrospective Study. Dysphagia 40(5):1240-1249, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40156643.
- Awiwi MO, Jing JM, Salem UI, Palmquist SM, Stanietzky N, Kandemirli VB, Gjoni E, Surabhi VR. Rectal Cancer MRI: An Update. Semin Roentgenol 60(1):61-77, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 39914910.
- Tran Cao HS, Witt RG, Elsayes KM, Baiomy AA, Xiao L, Palmquist S, Lee SS, Mohamed YI, Mahvash A, Tzeng CD, Chun YS, Koay EJ, Rashid A, Hassan MM, Yao JC, Vauthey JN, Kaseb AO. Development of a novel comprehensive hepatocellular carcinoma outcome prognostic scoring system with integration of imaging features. Oncologist 29(6):e803-e810, 2024. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 38159256.
- DiBrito SR, Manisundaram N, Kim Y, Peacock O, Hu CY, Bednarski B, You YN, Uppal A, Tillman M, Konishi T, Kaur H, Palmquist S, Holliday E, Dasari A, Chang GJ. Perioperative and oncological outcomes following robotic en bloc multivisceral resection for colorectal cancer. Colorectal Dis. e-Pub 2024. PMID: 38576073.
- Foster KI, Handley KF, Glassman D, Sims TT, Javadi S, Palmquist SM, Saleh MM, Fellman BM, Fleming ND, Bhosale PR, Sood AK. Characterizing morphologic subtypes of high-grade serous ovarian cancer by CT: a retrospective cohort study. Int J Gynecol Cancer 33(6):937-943, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36948527.
- Awiwi MO, Kaur H, Ernst R, Rauch GM, Morani AC, Stanietzky N, Palmquist SM, Salem UI. Restaging MRI of rectal adenocarcinoma after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: imaging findings and potential pitfalls. Radiographics 43(4):e220135, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 36927125.
- Kothari A, White MG, Peacock O, Kaur H, Palmquist SM, You N, Taggart M, Salem U, Overman M, Kopetz S, Chang GJ. Pathological response following neoadjuvant immunotherapy in mismatch repair-deficient/microsatellite instability-high locally advanced, non-metastatic colorectal cancer. Br J Surg 109(6):489-492, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35576377.
- Virarkar M, Diab R, Palmquist S, Bassett R, Bhosale P. Diagnostic performance of MRI to differentiate uterine leiomyosarcoma from benign leiomyoma: a meta-analysis. J Belg Soc Radiol 104(1):69, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33283149.
- Palmquist SM, Kundra V. Radiogenomic analysis may complement staging and genomic analysis primary colorectal cancer for predictive modeling of prognosis. Radiol Imaging Cancer 2(5):e209027, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33778741.
Review Articles
- Lee, S, Palmquist, SM, Ma, J, Kaur, H. Rectal MR Imaging. Radiologic Clinics of North America 63(3):419-434, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 40221184.
- Stanietzky, N, Salem, AE, Elsayes, KM, Rezvani, M, Palmquist, SM, Ahmed, I, Marey, A, Faria, SC, Gaballah, AH, Menias, CO, Shaaban, A. Unusual liver tumors. Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology 31(2):58-67, 2025. e-Pub 2025. PMID: 38856323.
- Gao M, Bhosale P, Devine C, Palmquist S, Javadi S. US, MRI, CT performance and interpretation of uterine masses. Semin Ultrasound CT MR 44(6):541-559, 2023. e-Pub 2023. PMID: 37821051.
- Bonde A, Andreazza Dal Lago E, Foster B, Javadi S, Palmquist S, Bhosale P. Utility of the diffusion weighted sequence in gynecological imaging: review article. Cancers (Basel) 14(18), 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 36139628.
- Elsaiey A, Mahmoud HS, Jensen CT, Klimkowski S, Taher A, Chaudhry H, Morani AC, Wong VK, Salem UI, SM||B P, Elsayes KM. Mastocytosis-A Review of Disease Spectrum with Imaging Correlation. Cancers (Basel) 13(20), 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 34680251.
- Virarkar M, Ganeshan D, Gulati AT, Palmquist S, Iyer R, Bhosale P. Diagnostic performance of PET/CT and PET/MR in the management of ovarian carcinoma-a literature review. Abdom Radiol (NY) 46(6):2323-2349, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33175199.
- Nassar S, Menias CO, Palmquist S, Nada A, Pickhardt PJ, Shaaban AM, Gaballah AH, Elsayes KM. Ligament of treitz: anatomy, relevance of radiologic findings, and radiologic-pathologic correlation. AJR Am J Roentgenol 216(4):927-934, 2021. e-Pub 2021. PMID: 33566632.
- Gaballah AH, Jensen CT, Palmquist S, Pickhardt PJ, Duran A, Broering G, Elsayes KM. Angiosarcoma: clinical and imaging features from head to toe. Br J Radiol 90(1075):20170039, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28471264.
Book Chapters
- Saleh, M, Virarkar, M, Javadi, S, Palmquist, SM, Bhosale, PR. PET imaging in cervical and uterine cancers, 323-331, 2022.
- Javadi, S, Wong, VK, Palmquist, SM, Devine, CE, Bhosale, PR. PET imaging in ovarian cancer. In: Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, 332-339, 2022.
- Bushong S, Clarke G. Magic Angle Artifact in Muskuloskeletal MRI. In: Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 4th. Elsevier, 2013.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified July 22, 2026