Thomas M. Link

Dr. Thomas M. Link serves as Professor and Division Chief of Musculoskeletal Radiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, with additional leadership roles as Director of the T32 Program, Clinical Director of the Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research (MQIR) Group, and Co-Director of Clinical & Translational Musculoskeletal Imaging.

His educational foundation includes an M.D. from Johannes Gutenberg University (1987), clinical training at Groote Schuur Hospital (University of Cape Town), multiple German radiology residencies, and a Ph.D. from University Hospital Muenster. Following a UCSF fellowship (1996) and Visiting Associate Professorship (1999-2001), he joined UCSF in 2003 after serving as Vice-Chair of Radiology at Technical University of Munich.

Dr. Link's research centers on translational musculoskeletal imaging through three interconnected pillars: osteoporosis imaging (novel bone quality/density assessment), osteoarthritis and cartilage imaging (prevention of degeneration using high-field MRI), and interventional bone tumor techniques. His work leverages 3.0T/7.0T MRI and MR-guided focused ultrasound to bridge laboratory discoveries with clinical applications, emphasizing quantitative biomarkers for disease progression.

His extensive publication record (400+ peer-reviewed articles) reveals current trends in adipose tissue's role in joint degeneration, AI-driven image analysis (particularly GPT-4 for report extraction), and multicenter validation of imaging biomarkers using Osteoarthritis Initiative data, with recent work increasingly incorporating machine learning for diagnostic precision.

Scientific recognition includes election to AIMBE College of Fellows (2019), multiple mentoring awards (UCSF Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Award 2019), the Lodwick Award (Harvard 2019), and Distinguished Investigator Award (Academy of Radiology Research 2016), reflecting sustained contributions across research, education, and clinical innovation.

As T32 Program Director, he oversees NIH-funded training for imaging scientists while leading MQIR's interdisciplinary team in developing clinical applications. His mentorship excellence is evidenced by the Pathways to Discovery Long-Term Mentor Award (2018) and sustained involvement in collaborative projects like the Osteoarthritis Initiative, demonstrating exceptional grant management across multi-institutional consortia.

The MQIR Group under his direction integrates basic scientists and clinicians to translate imaging innovations into clinical practice, with current focus on quantitative MRI biomarkers for early disease detection and MR-guided therapeutic interventions for musculoskeletal disorders.