Department of Imaging

The Department of Imaging at Cedars-Sinai provides both inpatient imaging services to the Medical Center and outpatient services to the public at the S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center.

Committed to staying at the cutting edge of technology, Cedars-Sinai operates a filmless center with only the finest equipment. There are six 1.5 Tesla MR scanners and six CT scanners. One is a 64 slice and one is a state-of- the-art dual X-Ray source scanner optimized for cardiac CT angiography. Two 3T MRI scanners and a 64 slice CT scanner will be installed this year. The Nuclear Medicine section has 13 cameras, including two PET scanners, one 16 slice PET/CT scanner and one 64 slice PET/CT scanner.

The Department is in the middle of an expansion project that will double the size of its existing Interventional Radiology lab which will have 2 single plane and 2 dual plane angiographic units as well as a procedure room.

The Department of Imaging has assembled an internationally respected team of sub-specialist Imaging physicians, many of whom have developed and pioneered imaging technologies that have shaped medical protocols now used around the world.

The department's expert team includes:

  • Body imaging and MR radiologists
  • Breast imaging radiologists
  • Chest radiologists
  • Gastrointestinal radiologists
  • Imaging cardiologists
  • Interventional radiologists
  • Musculoskeletal radiologists
  • Neuroradiologists
  • Nuclear medicine physicians
  • Pediatric radiologists
  • Vascular radiologists
  • Nuclear pharmacists
  • Imaging technologists
  • Nurse practitioners
  • Registered nurses
  • Physicists
  • Researchers

Research

We view imaging as a focal point in medical diagnosis and treatment and as such our doctors and investigators undertake research projects to advance our diagnostic armamentarium.

Investigators within the Department of Imaging participate in clinical trials to observe and measure the effectiveness of diagnostic imaging procedures on patient outcomes and to compare promising new imaging techniques with existing ones. We are also using imaging to track the progress of experimental treatments.

In Radiology some of the topics under investigation include the use of radio frequency ablation (RFA) of the liver to treat hepatocellular carcinoma in patients, the effects of Statin treatment on cerebral blood flow and the use of contrast enhancement in diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis.

Cardiac imaging trials include a study observing the way in which information from a cardiovascular MRI scan influences diagnosis and management of different cardiovascular illnesses, and how the results of the MRI are useful in prediction of future health of patients. The study aims to help develop better methods of analyzing cardiac MRI examinations.

Cedars-Sinai researchers are conducting a Coronary Computed Tomography for Systemic Triage of Acute Chest Pain (CT-STAT) trial comparing the safety, diagnostic efficacy and efficiency of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) to the standard of care treatment of low to intermediate risk acute chest pain patients in the Emergency Department.

The nuclear medicine division has been awarded a grant to evaluate a new technology for early detection of breast cancer and axillary spread of tumor. Functional molecular imaging with PET and SPECT of the brain is helping to shed light on cognitive decline in patients with diseases such as Lupus and Parkinson's. This will be aided by the development of a PET brain normal data base.

An Imaging Research Core Lab will provide the most advanced imaging capabilities to our principle investigators. This core lab will house a 3 T MRI unit, a 320 sliced CT scanner, and a PET/CT scanner.

Education

The Department of Imaging offers a four-year academic and clinically oriented residency in Diagnostic Radiology that is subspecialty-based so that training is done by experts in radiology and nuclear medicine, not by generalists.

Cedars-Sinai is proud of our one-on-one teaching which maintains a staff-to-resident ratio of more than 2 to 1. Our procedure volume exceeds 460,000 per year, allowing plentiful research opportunities for interested residents.

It is our intention that residents become skilled in all radiological modalities when they complete their residency program and that they pass their written and oral examinations. Approximately 95% of graduates elect to pursue fellowships.

Cedars-Sinai offers fellowship programs in cardiac imaging and neuroradiology. The Neuroradiology Fellowship is a comprehensive academic and clinical experience covering the full continuum of neuroradiology. Interventional procedures including angioplasty and vascular stenting, spinal procedures and embolizations are some of the many procedures that the fellow participates in and performs. Completion of the ACGME-accredited program prepares physicians for a career in private practice, academics or research, and eligibility for Certification of Added Qualification by the American Board of Radiology.

Cedars-Sinai introduced a new two-year clinical research/cardiac imaging fellowship in 2008, under the direction of Daniel S. Berman, MD, Director of Cardiac Imaging. The primary focus of the research is the use of PET/CT for detection of vulnerable coronary artery plaque, using F-18 FDG and 64 slice coronary CT antiograms (CCTA). Since the program's faculty members are jointly appointed in the departments of Imaging and Medicine (Heart Institute), the fellow has the opportunity to be a part of the training program of both departments.

Leadership

Barry D. Pressman, MD
Chair, S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center;
Chief, Neuroradiology and Head and Neck Radiology

Alan Waxman, MD
Co-Chair, S. Mark Taper Foundation Imaging Center;
Chief, Nuclear Medicine