Azra Alizad, M.D.

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a new ultrasonic method for assessment of infant bone by evaluating structural and mechanical characteristics of infant tibia.

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate imaging methods for detection and differentiation of thyroid nodules.

The purpose of this study is tp evaluate the effectiveness of quantitative ultrasound bladder vibrometry (QUBV) as a noninvasive tool for detrusor overactivity assessment and for BPH treatment selection.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of ultrasound perfusion imaging technique for assessing the progression of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and monitoring its response to therapy by measuring changes in microvessel alterations and perfusion variations.

The purpose of this study is to develop a new noninvasive tool for early diagnosis of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and use the proposed method for monitoring the disease progression and the response to interventional treatment in PAD patients.  

Specific Aim of this protocol is to measure bladder wall stiffness and compliance by Ultrasound Bladder Vibrometry (UBV) in a group of healthy volunteers. The goal is to obtain normal range of bladder elasticity in and its normal variations in different bladder volumes and in two different positions, standing and supine positions.

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the efficacy of a new breast tissue assessment tool that provides new diagnostic information about breast masses and potential for early classification of malignant masses.

This study is being done to:

• Test an investigational breast imaging system;

• Image the breast and see if we can differentiate lesions by using the investigational imaging system;

• Test an investigational breast stiffness measurement method

• Test and compare to an FDA approved ultrasound stiffness imaging system (GE LOGIQ E9 (LE9)

• Compare to ultrasound images using Alpinion clinical ultrasound platform, FDA approved ECUBE 12 and a non-FDA approved ECUBE 12R

The short-term goal of the proposed research is to develop a new method for viscoelasticity imaging of breast that can work with any type of wave, and not restricted to plane shear waves.

The long-term goal of this project is to develop an ultrasound-based breast imaging technique to improve the diagnostic specificity in breast cancer.

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate imaging methods for detection and differentiation of thyroid nodules.

The purpose of this study is to determine the diagnostic performance of the nonlinear elasticity parameter mapping method by associating its results with pathology in a population of patients with suspicious breast masses.

The goal of the proposed project is to develop a new type of quantitative ultrasound, based on a fundamentally new mechanism of generation of acoustic waves in bone that allows evaluation of bone properties in a wide frequency range.

The purpose of ths study is to evaluate a contrast-free ultrasound tool for the visualization and quantification of tumor microvessel morphologies, called quantitative high-definition microvessel imaging (qHDMI). This technology includes three components: (1) novel processing procedures to reveal small microvasculatures using high frame rate ultrasound imaging; (2) quantification procedures to analyze the morphology of the microvasculatures in terms of 10 parameters (e.g., tortuosity, branch angle, number of branch points, etc.); and (3) a classification method to automatically determine if the lesion is benign or malignant based on its morphological signature. 

The proposed technique is noninvasive, affordable, portable, and utilizes tools without the risks and adverse effects inherent to the use of contrast agents. This project includes several novelties, including the innovative approach to differentiate benign versus malignant ocular tumors without using contrast agents, quantitative assessment of microvessel morphology for automated classification of the ocular tumor, and the first application of the proposed approach in a clinical study on patients with ocular/orbital tumors.

The purpose of this study is to apply new microvasculature imaging for differentiation of breast lesions, and prediction of response to preoperative chemotherapy.

The purpose of this research is to optimize and evaluate the efficacy of strain magnitude imaging of the placental interface using ultrasound techniques for prediction of placental attachment abnormalities in pregnant women at risk and evaluate the placenta condition.

The purpose of this research is to optimize and evaluate the efficacy of strain magnitude imaging of the placental interface using ultrasound techniques for prediction of placental attachment abnormalities in pregnant women at risk.

The purpose of this research is to optimize and evaluate the efficacy of a hybrid imaging and quantitative viscoelasticity measurement tool for breast cancer detection and monitoring.

This study is being done to:

• Test an investigational stiffness measurement and imaging method on the lymph node found in the underarm area.

• Compare investigational imaging to sonography images.

• Compare investigational information to FDA approved US elasticity imaging conducted by SuperSonic Imaging (SSI) machine on the same lymph node in your underarm area.

• Compare to FDA approved ultrasound stiffness imaging system (GE Logiq E9)

• Compare to ultrasound images using Alpinion clinical ultrasound platform, FDA approved ECUBE 12and a non-FAD approved ECUBE 12R