Newswise — HOUSTON-(Dec. 2, 2020)–Diego Martin, M.D., Ph.D., has joined Houston Methodist Hospital as Chair of the Department of Radiology. 

Martin is internationally known for his work in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particularly as it relates to improving diagnosis of cancer and cardiovascular and inflammatory disorders. Most recently, he served as chair of the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at McGill University in Montreal.

“I am thrilled to join an organization that values and invests in state-of-the-art research and technology. I’m looking forward to leading the team of impressive clinicians and researchers that my predecessors have assembled, and expanding our clinical and scientific capabilities, to create the radiology department of the future,” said Martin.

Martin brings to Houston Methodist a reputation for influencing development of machine intelligence technology in MRI scanners, which have led to faster scanning, automation and consistent improved image quality. His research has focused on providing a quantitative imaging virtual biopsy of diseased tissues, minimizing need for invasive testing and for improving cost-effective precision diagnostics as a platform for precision medicine. He is interested in ways in which innovations in imaging technology can be trialed, tested and deployed into the clinical realm, improving access to cutting-edge diagnostics where patients truly benefit, and for research and discovery about disease mechanisms and treatments.

His research has been continually funded for more than 15 years and he has published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles and abstracts, reviews, books and book chapters, and he holds several patents. Martin currently serves as chair and director of Education for Body MRI at the American College of Radiology Learning Center and the Continuous Professional Improvement Program.

Martin received a Bachelor of Science in Neurosciences, Master of Science in Physiology, Ph.D. in Immunology and Medical Biophysics and his medical degree, all from the University of Toronto. He also completed residency training and a fellowship in Diagnostic Radiology at the University of Toronto. He served as Chair of the Medical Imaging Department at the University of Arizona from 2011 to 2019, and was Professor of Radiology, Director of the MRI Research Program and Founding Director of the Clinically Applied Body MRI Research Program at Emory University from 2004 to 2011. Prior to that, he held a variety of roles at West Virginia University, including Director of MRI, from 2000 to 2003.

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