Galateia Kazakia

Galateia Kazakia, PhD, is a Professor in Residence in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She serves as Director of the Bone Quality Research Laboratory, the Quantitative Musculoskeletal-Imaging Core, the UCSF Core Center for Musculoskeletal Biology and Medicine (CCMBM) Imaging Core, and Co-Director of the Nutrition and Obesity Research Center (NORC) Human Metabolism Core. Her leadership roles reflect her central position in advancing musculoskeletal imaging research at UCSF.

Dr. Kazakia earned her BS in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University (1995) and her PhD in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Bone Biomechanics from UC Berkeley (2004). She completed an NIH F32 postdoctoral fellowship at UCSF before joining the faculty in 2009.

Her research focuses on assessing bone quality using high-resolution imaging modalities such as HR-pQCT, MRI, microCT, and FTIR spectroscopy. She investigates bone changes in aging and diseases including diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and HIV. Her work aims to understand the biomechanical and structural underpinnings of fracture risk beyond traditional bone mineral density measurements.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong trajectory in longitudinal imaging, segmentation techniques, and metabolic-bone interactions. Themes include cortical porosity, bone marrow adiposity, and non-invasive virtual biopsy methods. She leads multiple NIH-funded projects on bone loss post-fracture and diabetic bone disease.

• Summa Cum Laude Award, ISMRM, 2020
• Plenary Poster Award, ASBMR, 2019 and 2014
• Mentored Career Development Award, NIH, 2009
• Young Investigator Award, Sun Valley Workshop, 2006
• NSF Graduate Fellowship, 1999

Dr. Kazakia actively mentors postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduates. Her lab collaborates with clinicians and scientists across disciplines and institutions. She has served as PI or Co-PI on major NIH grants, including R01 awards from NIAMS, NIA, and NIAID, supporting her innovative work in musculoskeletal imaging and translational research.

She leads the Bone Quality Research Lab, which fosters interdisciplinary training and research in advanced imaging and bone biomechanics. The lab emphasizes innovation in image analysis and the development of non-invasive tools for clinical application.