Ashish Raj

Ashish Raj, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine. His interdisciplinary research focuses on applying computational methods and graph theory to biomedical applications, particularly in neuroimaging and brain connectivity. He leads research teams in NIH-funded projects on neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, leveraging structural and functional connectome analysis. Raj has over 70 peer-reviewed publications, two US patents, and prestigious awards like the NIH EUREKA Award and BRAIN Initiative grants.

Education: PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University (2005) and BE in Electrical Engineering from the University of Auckland (1998).

Research interests include modeling brain network dynamics, tau and amyloid pathology progression, and developing algorithms for accelerated MRI and motion correction. His work bridges computer science, neuroradiology, and clinical neuroscience, aiming to advance precision medicine in neurology and radiology.

Key achievements include pioneering mathematical models of brain connectivity networks and developing novel imaging techniques like tractography and Q-ball imaging. His lab explores network diffusion models to predict disease progression and has contributed to understanding microglial roles in tauopathy.

Grants and collaborations span NIH-funded projects on network-based disease modeling, with a focus on translational applications. He directs the Brain Networks Laboratory, advancing computational neurology and multimodal data integration.