Zaver M. Bhujwalla, MSC, PhD

Highlights

Languages

English

Gender

Female

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About Zaver M. Bhujwalla

Professional Titles

Director, Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Department of Radiology
Co-Leader, Cancer Molecular and Functioning Imaging Program (CMFI), Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center
Vice Chair of Research, Department of Radiology
William R. Brody Professor in Radiology

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science

Background

Dr. Bhujwalla’s work is dedicated to the applications of molecular and functional imaging to understand and target cancer and the tumor microenvironment. Her major focus areas are the tumor microenvironment, cancer-induced cachexia, and theranostic imaging. Dr. Bhujwalla is a Fellow of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the American Institute of Biomedical Engineers, and the World Molecular Imaging Society. Dr. Bhujwalla was awarded a Gold Medal from the World Molecular Imaging Society in 2017. She was awarded a Gold Medal from the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine in 2019.

Dr. Bhujwalla is currently associated with the editorial boards of Molecular Imaging, NMR in Biomedicine, Cancer Biology and Therapy, and Tomography. She serves as the Specialty Chief Editor-Cancer Imaging and Diagnosis, Frontiers in Oncology. Dr. Bhujwalla has over 240 publications in this field.

At the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Bhujwalla serves as Director of the Division of Cancer Imaging Research, Vice-Chair of Research, and Director of the MRB Molecular Imaging Center and Cancer Functional Imaging Core in the Dept. of Radiology. She also co-directs the Cancer Molecular and Functional Imaging Program of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center (SKCCC).

Dr. Bhujwalla served as Chair of the Career Development Advisory Committee of the Department of Radiology from 2011-2022.

Additional Academic Titles

Professor of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Professor of Oncology

Research Interests

Cancer-induced cachexia, Choline metabolism in cancer, Inflammation and COX-2 in breast cancer, Theranostic imaging for precision medicine, Vascularization, cancer stem cells, hypoxia, pH, collagen, macromolecular transport

Lab Website

In-vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center - Lab Website

The In-vivo Cellular and Molecular Imaging Center conducts multidisciplinary research on cellular and molecular imaging related to cancer. We provide resources, such as consultation on biostatistics and bioinformatics and optical imaging and probe development, to understand and effectively treat cancer. Our molecular oncology experts consult on preclinical studies, use of human tissues, interpretation of data and molecular characterization of cells and tumor tissue.

Research Summary

Dr. Bhujwalla’s research is dedicated to the applications of molecular and functional imaging to understand and target cancer and the tumor microenvironment.

Significant research contributions include:

Developing ‘theranostic agents’ for image-guided precision targeting of cancer including delivery of siRNA, cDNA, prodrug enzymes, and phototherapy agents,
Understanding the role of inflammation and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in cancer using molecular and functional imaging,
Developing noninvasive imaging techniques to detect COX-2 expression in tumors,
Understanding the role of hypoxia and choline metabolism in stem-like breast cancer cells,
Using molecular and functional imaging to understand the role of the tumor microenvironment including the extracellular matrix, hypoxia, vascularization, and choline phospholipid metabolism in cancer invasion and metastasis,
Molecular and functional imaging characterization of cancer-induced cachexia to understand the cachexia-cascade and identify novel targets in the treatment of this condition,
Development of cancer cell membrane coated nanoparticles to disrupt cancer cell-stromal cell interactions and induce an immune response.

PubMed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=bhujwalla+z

Selected Publications

Aboagye, E. and Bhujwalla, Z. M. Malignant Transformation Alters Membrane Phospholipid Metabolism of Human Mammary Epithelial Cells. Cancer Research, 59: 80-84, 1999. PRIOR TO 2008
Chen Z, Penet MF, Nimmagadda S, Li C, Banerjee SR, Winnard PT Jr, Artemov D, Glunde K, Pomper MG, Bhujwalla ZM. PSMA-Targeted Theranostic Nanoplex for Prostate Cancer Therapy. ACS Nano. 6: 7752-62, 2012. PMCID:PMC4066818
Krishnamachary B, Penet MF, Nimmagadda S, Mironchik Y, Raman V, Solaiyappan M, Semenza GL, Pomper MG, Bhujwalla ZM. Hypoxia regulates CD44 and its variant isoforms through HIF-1α in triple negative breast cancer. PLoS One. 7: e44078, 2012. PMCID:PMC3429433
Stasinopoulos I, O'Brien DR, Wildes F, Glunde K, and Bhujwalla ZM. Silencing of cyclooxygenase-2 inhibits metastasis and delays tumor onset of poorly differentiated metastatic breast cancer cells. Mol Cancer Res. 5: 435-42, 2007
Winnard PT Jr, Bharti S, Penet MF, Marik R, Mironchik Y, Wildes F, Maitra A, Bhujwalla ZM. Detection of Pancreatic Cancer-induced Cachexia using a Fluorescent Myoblast Reporter System and Analysis of Metabolite Abundance. Cancer Res. 2016; 6(6):1441-50. PMCID: PMC4794402

Honors

SAASCR Outstanding Achievement Award, 1/1/21
Gold Medal Award, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), Montreal, Canada, 1/1/19
William R. Brody Professor of Radiology, 1/1/18
The National Cancer Institute's Outstanding Investigator Award (R35), National Institutes of Health, 11/1/17
World Molecular Imaging Society's Gold Medal, World Molecular Society, 11/1/17
Fellow, World Molecular Imaging Society, 1/1/13
Distinguished Investigator, Academy of Radiology Research, 1/1/12
Outstanding Teacher Award, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Honolulu, 1/1/09
Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 1/1/07
Fellow, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 1/1/07

Lectures & Presentations

A Molecular Imaging Journey through the Cancer Universe, Raymond E. Counsell Lecture, Departments of Radiology and Pharmacology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 11/11/21
A Molecular Imaging Journey through the Tumor Microenvironment, Emory University Radiology Grand Rounds and Visiting Professor Program, Department of Radiology Grand Rounds, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, 1/1/15
Molecular and Functional Imaging of the Tumor Microenvironment, The Alan C. Burton Lecture, University of Western Ontario and Schulich Medical Center, London, Ontario, Canada, 4/24/14
Molecular Imaging and Theranostics of Cancer: Unraveling the Gordian Knot, Plenary Lecture, Inaugural Alavi-Bradley Symposium on Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, 5/24/22
Theranostic MRI in Oncology, Plenary Lecture, ISMRM, Honolulu, HI, 1/1/17
To Image and Imagine: A Molecular Imaging Journey through the Cancer Universe, Paul C. Lauterbur Lecture, ISMRM, Toronto, 6/8/23
To Image and Imagine: Molecular and Functional Imaging of Cancer, The Negendank Lecture, Cancer Study Group of the ISMRM, 1/1/06

Memberships

American Association of Cancer Research
American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Radiation Research Society
Society for Molecular Imaging

Professional Activities

World Molecular Imaging Society, President, 1/1/12 - 1/1/13

Additional Training

Diploma in Radiological Physics (BARC, University of Bombay)
Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, (1991) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance