Kathleen M. Schmainda

Kathleen M. Schmainda, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Biophysics at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW). She joined the faculty in 2002 and leads a translational brain tumor imaging research laboratory focused on developing MRI biomarkers for brain tumor diagnosis and treatment monitoring. Her work has contributed to national consensus protocols for perfusion MRI in brain tumors and clinical trial leadership roles.

Education:

• BSE in Biomedical Engineering, Marquette University (1986)
• MSEE in Electrical Engineering, MIT (1989)
• PhD in Medical Engineering, Harvard-MIT (1993)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in MRI, Massachusetts General Hospital (1993-1995)

Research Interests: Dr. Schmainda’s lab develops MRI methods to assess tumor angiogenesis, invasion, and perfusion. Key areas include:

• Cerebral blood volume (CBV) and flow (CBF) measurements
• Diffusion MRI for tumor progression tracking
• Anti-angiogenic therapy evaluation
• Integration of machine learning with MRI

Publications & Awards: Over 100 peer-reviewed articles and patents, including awards such as the AIMBE Fellowship, Dean’s Award for Clinical Research, and Lucien Levy Best Research Article Award. Her work has been recognized for advancing MRI standards in neuro-oncology.

Lab & Teams: Collaborations include the MCW Neuro-Oncology team and industry partnerships. Current lab members include graduate students Robert Wujek and Casey Zoss, along with research staff like Mona Al-Gizawiy and Melissa Prah.