The pages for Dr. Li’s lab are currently under construction. Please check back soon.
To facilitate physicians to fully utilize both the quantum and wave nature of x-rays for the diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.
Our Mission
Broad Research Focus
Multi-Contrast X-Ray Breast Imaging
We have been constructing and evaluating multi-contrast prototype systems that offer two complementary contrast mechanisms—x-ray phase contrast and dark field contrast—to conventional single contrast mammography to improve the diagnostic performance of breast cancer.
CT Perfusion Imaging
Synergy between advanced CT hardware and innovative acquisition, reconstruction, and postprocessing techniques enables the diagnostic and prognostic values of CT perfusion imaging to be improved with reduced radiation dose to patients.
Photon Counting Phase Contrast Imaging
Towards maximally and optimally utilizing the particle-wave duality of x-rays, a photon counting + phase contrast CT/tomosynthesis imaging system has been developed in our lab. A plethora of interesting research findings have been generated.
Task-Based Image Quality Assessment
The emerging use of iterative reconstruction and artificial intelligence in clinical x-ray CT imaging systems introduces tremendous challenge to the practice of clinical medical physics. Objective and subjective image quality assessments tailored for specific imaging tasks offer viable solutions to the challenge. These task-based approach also provide important scientific guidance to the development and optimization of our hardware systems.
Photon Counting Cerebrovascular CT Imaging
The capability of resolving individual x-ray photon’s location and energy offers tremendous opportunities to improve the diagnostic performance of cerebrovascular diseases such as strokes and aneurysms.
Physics and Mathematics in Imaging Science
Hardware instrumentations in our lab are guided by extensive theoretical modeling of the x ray-matter interaction processes and sub-components of the imaging system. Linear algebra, statistics, E&M, wave optics, and semiconductor physics are frequently checked out from our theoretical toolbox.
What We Do
Our lab focuses on the instrumentation of advanced CT and mammographic imaging systems that pick up precious anatomical and physiological information unfortunately ignored by current clinical imaging systems. In particular, we use photon counting technology to resolve the photon energy information encoded in the particle nature side of x-rays. Additionally, we also discipline the chaotic x-ray waves to behave coherently in order to obtain electron density information.
Collaboration
To translate imaging technologies developed in our lab to patient bedside, we have been collaborating with clinical experts in neuroradiology, breast radiology, breast surgery, and pathology at UW, as well as leading manufacturers of CT and breast imaging systems.
Check out the Faculty, Students and Alumni involved in our research!
Contact Us
Contact Information
Ke Li, Ph.D.
Email: kli23@wisc.edu
Telephone: (608) 262-4566