Danhong Wang, Ph.D.


Assistant Investigator
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Mass General Research Institute
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Harvard Medical School
Research Staff
Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Education

PhD Changchun University of Chinese Medicine 2008

Research Interests

brain variation; clinical quality improvement; personalized therapy

Research Narrative

No two individuals are alike, however, the extent to which brain networks can differ between people is often underestimated in many clinical practices. We systematically investigated the inter-individual variability in functional organization, and found that it is the higher cognitive regions that are most variable between subjects. These areas are known to be activated when the brain performs complex tasks, and when we feel emotions. Besides providing better knowledge of how our brain works, this research has clinical importance, since knowing the individual variability in functional organization is crucial for the development of customized therapeutic approaches. When interventions (surgery, brain stimulation) are provided in areas of high variability, doctors could perform specific tests to check the relevance of standardized procedures. Building upon these findings, we recently developed a novel technology that can accurately map the unique functional network organization in each individual subject. This will benefit patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric diseases by providing critical information to determine the optimal treatment strategy for each individual, and to gain a deep understanding of the therapeutic effect in a particular patient.
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Liu Lab Publications
dwang0@mgh.harvard.edu
6176437460
Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
CNY-Building #149
149 13th Street
Charlestown, MA 02129-2000