Peter S. LaViolette

Peter S. LaViolette is the Robert C. Olson, MD, Professor of Radiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he serves as Director of the Quantitative Imaging Laboratory and is part of the Section of Imaging Research within the Division of Imaging Sciences. His work bridges clinical radiology with advanced imaging research, focusing on developing techniques that directly impact patient care and treatment outcomes.

Dr. LaViolette's educational background includes:

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2011-2012)
• PhD in Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI (2011)
• MA/MS in Physics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (2005)
• BS in Physics, St. Norbert College, De Pere, WI (2003)

Dr. LaViolette's research focuses on creating and validating imaging techniques that improve patient outcomes and treatment efficacy, with emphasis on neurological diseases such as brain cancer and epilepsy. His laboratory develops neuro-imaging techniques to determine whether brain tumors respond to therapy or are progressing, using diffusion and perfusion MRI to characterize tumor cellularity and vascularity. His team studies histological features responsible for imaging characteristics measured in vivo, providing validation for imaging biomarkers. His epilepsy research focuses on developing image processing techniques for surgical planning and brain function mapping.

Analysis of Dr. LaViolette's publications reveals a strong focus on radio-pathomic mapping that correlates medical imaging with histopathological findings. His work spans brain tumor imaging (particularly glioma and glioblastoma), prostate cancer imaging, and advanced MRI techniques. A significant portion involves validating imaging biomarkers against histology, often using autopsy tissue. His research demonstrates how quantitative imaging can identify tumor invasion beyond traditional MRI-defined margins, predict treatment response, and estimate cellular growth kinetics that correlate with survival.

Dr. LaViolette actively collaborates with clinicians and researchers across multiple institutions, as evidenced by his numerous multi-site studies. His leadership in the Quantitative Imaging Laboratory fosters interdisciplinary research bridging radiology, oncology, neurology, and computational science. His extensive publication record suggests significant research funding supporting his work in advanced imaging techniques.

Under Dr. LaViolette's direction, the Quantitative Imaging Laboratory develops and validates imaging techniques that directly impact clinical decision-making. The lab's work on radio-pathomic maps represents a significant advancement in correlating non-invasive imaging with histopathological findings, potentially transforming how clinicians assess tumor characteristics and treatment response without requiring repeated invasive biopsies.