Description of Research Expertise
1. Evaluation of neuroinflammation using novel PET tracers.
2. Evaluation of brain development and understanding the neuronal mechanisms underlying various neurocognitive functions and etiopathogenesis of various neurological-psychiatric disorders.
3. My particular expertise/strength lies in being able to integrate and use advance multi-modal structural and functional imaging, such as MRI/fMRI, DTI, PET, SPECT, etc., in guiding neurosurgery and for the evaluation of various neurological disorders, including brain tumor, epilepsy, and neurodegenerative/neuroinflammatory/neuroimmune conditions.
Selected Publications
Joel M. Stein, Douglas Roberts-Wolfe, Daniel Zhou, Kathryn Davis, Jacob Dubroff, and Ajay Kumar: FDG-PET-CT Can Help Detect and Characterize Temporal Lobe Encephaloceles in Adult Focal Epilepsy American Epilepsy Society 2024 Annual Meeting : Poster 3.521,2024.
Juhász C, Luat AF, Behen ME, Gjolaj N, Jeong JW, Chugani HT, Kumar A: Deep Venous Remodeling in Unilateral Sturge-Weber Syndrome: Robust Hemispheric Differences and Clinical Correlates Pediatric neurology 139 : 49-58,2023.
Juhász C, Luat A, Behen M, Gjolaj N, Jeong JW, Kumar A: Deep cerebral venous remodeling in Sturge-Weber syndrome: Hemispheric differences and clinical correlates Child Neurology Society (CNS) Annual Meeting, Boston, MA : 2022.
Kumar A, Muzik O, Asano E, Sood S, Chugani HT: A Single Tertiary Care Referral Center Experience of 270 C-11-PK11195 Brain Positron Emission Tomography Scans in 206 Pediatric and Adult Patients for Evaluation and Management of Neuroinflammation American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) 60th Annual Meeting & The Foundation of the ASNR Symposium, New York City, NY : 2022.
Kumar A, Shandal V, Juhász C, Chugani HT: PET Imaging in Epilepsy Encyclopedia of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging 3 : 62-74,2022.
Kumar A, Chalasani S, Luat A, Intikhab O, Malkawi I, Rangunwala J, Juhasz C: Prospective Evaluation of the Effect of Vascular Compensatory Mechanisms on Neurocognitive Outcome in Children with Sturge-Weber Syndrome American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) Annual Meeting (Virtual) : 2021.
Chugani HT, Kumar A: Response to Letter by Yue and Yang Journal of child neurology 36 (2): 161,2021.
Chugani HT, Kumar A: Neuroinflammation in Children With Infantile Spasms: A Prospective Study Before and After Treatment With Acthar Gel (Repository Corticotropin Injection) Journal of child neurology 35 (12): 808-812,2020.
Kumar A, Asano E, Luat A, Sood S, Muzik O, Juhasz C, Chugani D, Chugani H: Evaluation of Neuroinflammation in Children with Infantile Spasms Using C-11-PK11195 Brain PET Before and After Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Treatment and mRNA Expression in Surgical Brain Tissue Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL : 2019.
Kumar A, Muzik O: Pharmacological Activation of Human Brown Adipose Tissue is Less Effective than Cold Exposure Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL : 2019.
Academic Contact Information
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Department of Radiology
1st Floor, Dulles Building
3400 Spruce Street
Philadelphia,
PA
19104