Tatiana Wolfe, Ph.D., is a Medical Physicist tenure track Assistant Professor within the UAMS Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC).
Dr. Wolfe’s research focuses on myelin mechanisms of brain’s response to natural aging, as well as to therapeutic interventions. Dr. Wolfe has particular interest in brain representations of aplastic cognitive function. Dr. Wolfe uses advanced MRI modalities to map brain structure and function, including q-space diffusion imaging (DSI), quantitative T2 relaxometry (qMRI), and advanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging (MRSI).
Recent advancements have expanded the number and quality of techniques available for brain mapping by MRI, directly impacting its analytical complexity. In order to make sense of multimodal brain studies while maintaining the biophysical integrity of these modernized measures, new methodologies are needed. Dr. Wolfe’s lab works in collaboration with stellar mental health and neurology scientists developing methods that combine advanced multimodal MRI measures into comprehensive data structures to investigate brain mechanisms in detailed manner. Dr. Wolfe’s research is applied to patient populations receiving therapeutic interventions, such as cancer therapy, immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), disease modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS), and accelerated transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for major depressive disorder (MDD). The lab also investigates mechanisms of natural cognitive decline and adaptive plasticity that occur later in life.
Complementary, Dr. Wolfe also works in the clinical translation of advanced MRI. Dr. Wolfe works with the BIRC team in the BIRC Advanced Clinical MRI Research Program in partnership with the UAMS Departments of Neurosurgery, Psychiatry, Neurology, and the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute (WPRCI) to provide advanced functional, structural, and neurometabolic MRI scans for patients receiving neuro-interventions, including neurosurgery for epilepsy and brain cancers, novel therapies for AD, and refractory psychiatric conditions. Dr. Wolfe’s translational activities primarily involve engineering MRI techniques to attend each of these clinical populations, advancing mechanism research and individualized clinical care.