Bill Rooney

Bill Rooney is a Senior Scientist at the Advanced Imaging Research Center (AIRC) of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), where he holds a primary appointment as Research Professor. He is also a member of OHSU's Neuroscience Graduate Faculty. His career includes roles as Assistant Professor at UCSF Radiology and Research Scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Rooney earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Stony Brook University in 1990, followed by an NIH fellowship in neuroimaging.

His research focuses on quantitative MRI techniques to study brain vascular dynamics, cellular metabolism, and neurodegenerative diseases. Key areas include pharmacokinetic modeling of brain blood vessels in diseases like multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's, and 31P/1H spectroscopy for energy metabolism analysis. He has pioneered high-field MRI applications and contributed to understanding disease pathophysiology through imaging biomarkers.

Recent work emphasizes longitudinal studies on mitochondrial metabolism in multiple sclerosis, vascular risk factors' impact on brain ATP, and MRI-based models for Duchenne muscular dystrophy clinical trials. Rooney's publications span over 30 years, addressing topics from cerebral perfusion to neuro-oncology imaging.

His lab is equipped with state-of-the-art MRI facilities, including the W.M. Keck Foundation High-Field MRI Laboratory. Rooney collaborates extensively with clinical and research teams to translate imaging innovations into diagnostic and therapeutic advancements.