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Wengen Chen, BM, PhD, MSc

Academic Title:

Professor

Primary Appointment:

Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine

Secondary Appointment(s):

Radiation Oncology

Location:

UMMC, Gudelski, C252

Phone (Primary):

866-408-6885

Education and Training

BM, Shanghai Medical University (now Fudan University), China

MPH, Shanghai Medical University (now Fudan University), China

PhD,  University of Tokyo, Japan

Postdoc., Columbia University, NY

Internship in Internal Medicine,  St. Peter's University Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ

Residency in Nuclear Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Fellowship in Nuclear Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Biosketch

I received my medical degree from China, and my Ph.D from Japan. I have more than a decade of basic science research experiences in molecular biology of lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis. After finishing my postdoctoral training at Columbia University, I restarted my clinical training, as a nuclear medicine resident and fellow, in the hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I started my current position in 2009 as an assistant professor, and was promoted to associate professsor in 2014, and to full professor in 2019. I am a full-time board certified nuclear medicine physician, and provide services in general nuclear medicine imaging, PET/CT, and radionuclide therapy.

Research/Clinical Keywords

PET/CT, atherosclerosis, infection

Highlighted Publications

Chen W, Dilsizian V. Diagnosis and Image-Guided Therapy of Cardiac Left Ventricular Assist Device Infections. Seminar Nuclear Medicine, 2020 Dec 3:S0001-2998 (20)30122-7

Chen W, Dilsizian V. Molecular Imaging of Amyloid Deposits in the Heart Allows Early Diagnosis of Cardiac Amyloidosis and the Potential for Monitoring Treatment Response. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2020, Jun;13(6):1348-1352.

Chen W, Dilsizian V. Molecular Imaging of Cardiovascular Device Infection: Targeting the Bacteria or the Host-Pathogen Immune Response? J Nucl Med. 2020, March; 61(3):319-326.

 

Chen W, Dilsizian V. Radioactive Iodine Treatment and Cancer Mortality in Hyperthyroid Patients: Questioning Standard Clinical Practice Requires Indisputable Scientific Data. J Nucl Med. 2019, Nov; 60(11):1502-1503

Chen W, Dilsizian V. Is 18F-Flurodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography More Reliable than Clinical Standard Diagnosis for Guiding Patient Management Decisions in Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Infection? Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2019, Jul;12(7):e009453. 

Chen W , Jeudy J, Assessment of Myocarditis: Cardiac MR, PET/CT, or PET/MR? Curr Cardiol Rep. 2019, Jun 26;21(8):76

Chen W, Dilsizian V. FDG PET/CT for the Diagnosis and Management of Infective Endocarditis: Expert Consensus versus Evidence-Based Practice. J Nucl Cardiol. 2019, Feb; 26(1):313-315.

Kim J, Feller ED, Chen W, Liang Y, Dilsizian V. FDG PET/CT for early detection and localization of left ventricular assist device infection: impact on patient management and outcome. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2019, Apr. 12(4):722-729

Chen W, Sajadi M, Dilsizian V. Merits of FDG PET/CT and Functional Molecular Imaging over Anatomic Imaging with Echocardiography and CT angiography for the Diagnosis of Cardiac Device Infections. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2018, Nov; 11(11):1679-1691.

 

 

Research Interests

New PET tracers for imaging atherosclerosis and infection

Clinical Specialty Details

Nuclear Medicine and PET/CT

 

Provide services of General Nuclear Medicine imaging, PET/CT cancer imaging, Cardiac Stress Perfusion, and radionuclide therapy

including I-131 for thyroid disoeders, radioimunotherapy for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, radionuclides for bone pain

palliation and Xofigo (Radium-223) for prostate cancer bone metastases.

Awards and Affiliations

Travel Grant Award, 34th ACNM annual meeting

Honorable Mention of the Siemens Award for Excellence in Practice Based Research, 55th SNMMI annual meeting

Teaching Award, Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Science Council Research Symposium Oral Presentation and the Best in Physics Poster, American Association of Physicists in Medicine Annual Meeting

First Place Poster - Clinical Diagnosis Track, 59th SNMMI Annual Meeting

Elite Reviewer, JACC, Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Third Place Poster - Oncology: Clinical Diagnosis Track, 60th SNMMI Annual Meeting

SNMMI Future Leaders Academy

FACNM, fellow of American College of Nuclear Medicine

Presidential Distinguished Service Award, SNMMI

Grants and Contracts

Active Grant:

08/01/2013-07/31/2020   Co-Inv (2% effort), PI: Dr. Mark Smith “Brain Imaging Device with Motion Compensation” Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program, MIPS 5201

08/19/2016-07/30/2021    Co-Inv (5% effort), PI: Dr. Amit Sawant “Investigating Radiation-Induced Injury to Airways and Pulmonary Vasculature in Lung Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy (SAbR)”, R01CA172638, NIH/NCI

 

Completed grant:

07/01/2013-06/30/2017, Co-Investigator (6.4% effort), R01CA172638, NIH/NCI, (PI: Dr. Wei Lu, Department of Radiation Oncology, UMB), Quantitative PET/CT Analysis to Improve Evaluation of Tumor Response

09/01/2012-08/30/2013     Principal Investigator ,UMB/UMD seed fund, 18F-Proline PET/CT Imaging for the Detection of Early Liver Fibrosis

07/01/2007-06/30/2008     Principal Investigator, Pilot Research Grant in Molecular Imaging, SNMMI, Glucose metabolism in macrophage foam cells: Molecular mechanism for FDG-PET imaging of atherosclerosis

In the News

Top Doctor in Nuclear Medicine, Baltimore Magazine, 2020

Professional Activity

2011-present   Editorial Board, Clinical Nuclear Medicine

2011-present   Abstract Review Panel (Endocrinology and Neuroendocrine tumor sections), SNMMI Annual Meeting       

2014-present   Committee Member, Membership Task Force, SNMMI

2014-present   Executive Committee, Mid-Eastern Chapter, SNMMI

2015-present   Editorial Board, Applied Radiology

2015-2020      Board of Directors, Cardiovascular Council, SNMMI

2018-2020      Secretary, Cardiovascular Council, SNMMI

2016-2018      Treasure, Mid-Eastern Chapter, SNMMI

2018-2020      Vice President, Mid-Eastern Chapter, SNMMI

2017-present   Board of Directors, American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM)

2017-present   Chair, Cardiovascular Section, American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM)

2020-present   President-elected, Mid-Eastern Chapter, SNMMI

2018-present   Co-Chair, Committee Member, Membership Task Force, SNMMI