Kannie W.Y.

Chan

,

PhD

Education

Dr. Kannie Chan attended The University of Hong Kong, where she received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of philosophy degree. Her thesis focused on the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. She conducted post-doctoral research in biomaterials and medical imaging with a focus on MRI at Department of Radiology at Johns Hopkins in 2010. Then she joined the F.M. Kirby Research Center as an instructor in 2013, and currently serves as an assistant professor at the Center.

Research

Dr. Kannie Chan is an inorganic chemist by training and her present research focuses on the development of biomaterials and imaging techniques to facilitate the clinical translation of cell therapy and cancer therapy. One of the main imaging techniques is the chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST), which is an emerging MRI contrast mechanism for molecular imaging. In cell therapy, a non-invasive way to monitor cell fate after transplantation has a critical role in translating cell therapy to patients. Dr. Chan has shown the use of nanoparticle, such as liposome, and hydrogel to monitor the molecular and cellular events in vivo using CEST. She is now investigating the potential applications of this system in stem cell therapy, especially neural stem cell.

Liposome not only acts as nanosensor, it has been widely used in drug delivery. Dr. Chan has devised nanocarriers for chemotherapeutics to overcome barriers in cancer treatments. In the aspect of cancer imaging, she is actively developing non-invasive CEST technique to monitor glucose in tumors in animal model, which is named as glucoCEST. This is to exploit the potential of this technology in diagnosis and treatment monitoring in cancer.

Research Publications

Chan KW, Jiang L, Cheng M, Wijnen JP, Liu G, Huang P, van Zijl PC, McMahon MT, Glunde K(2016). CEST-MRI detects metabolite levels altered by breast cancer cell aggressiveness and chemotherapy response. NMR Biomed. 29(6), 806-16. 

Chan KW, Liu G, van Zijl PC, Bulte JW, McMahon MT (2014). Magnetization transfer contrast MRI for non-invasive assessment of innate and adaptive immune responses against alginate-encapsulated cells. Biomaterials. 35(27), 7811-8. 

Yadav NN, Xu J, Bar-Shir A, Qin Q, Chan KW, Grgac K, Li W, McMahon MT, van Zijl PC(2014). Natural D-glucose as a biodegradable MRI relaxation agent. Magn Reson Med. 72(3), 823-8. 

Yang M, Yu T, Wang YY, Lai SK, Zeng Q, Miao B, Tang BC, Simons BW, Ensign LM, Liu G, Chan KW, Juang CY, Mert O, Wood J, Fu J, McMahon MT, Wu TC, Hung CF, Hanes J (2014). Vaginal delivery of paclitaxel via nanoparticles with non-mucoadhesive surfaces suppresses cervical tumor growth. Adv Healthc Mater. 3(7), 1044-52. 

Xu J, Yadav NN, Bar-Shir A, Jones CK, Chan KW, Zhang J, Walczak P, McMahon MT, van Zijl PC (2014). Variable delay multi-pulse train for fast chemical exchange saturation transfer and relayed-nuclear overhauser enhancement MRI. Magn Reson Med. 71(5), 1798-812. 

Chan KW, Yu T, Qiao Y, Liu Q, Yang M, Patel H, Liu G, Kinzler KW, Vogelstein B, Bulte JW, van Zijl PC, Hanes J, Zhou S, McMahon MT (2014). A diaCEST MRI approach for monitoring liposomal accumulation in tumors. J Control Release. 180, 51-9. 

Liu G, Qin Q, Chan KW, Li Y, Bulte JW, McMahon MT, van Zijl PC, Gilad AA (2014). Non-invasive temperature mapping using temperature-responsive water saturation shift referencing (T-WASSR) MRI. NMR Biomed. 27(3), 320-31. 

Bar-Shir A, Liu G, Chan KW, Oskolkov N, Song X, Yadav NN, Walczak P, McMahon MT, van Zijl PC, Bulte JW, Gilad AA (2014). Human protamine-1 as an MRI reporter gene based on chemical exchange. ACS Chem Biol. 9(1), 134-8. 

Chan KW, Bulte JW, McMahon MT (2013). Diamagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (diaCEST) liposomes: physicochemical properties and imaging applications.Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol. 6(1), 111-24. 

Liu G, Bettegowda C, Qiao Y, Staedtke V, Chan KW, Bai R, Li Y, Riggins GJ, Kinzler KW, Bulte JW, McMahon MT, Gilad AA, Vogelstein B, Zhou S, van Zijl PC (2013). Noninvasive imaging of infection after treatment with tumor-homing bacteria using Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) MRI. Magn Reson Med. 70(6), 1690-8. 

Bar-Shir A, Gilad AA, Chan KW, Liu G, van Zijl PC, Bulte JW, McMahon MT (2013). Metal ion sensing using ion chemical exchange saturation transfer 19F magnetic resonance imaging. J Am Chem Soc. 135(33), 12164-7. 

Yadav NN, Chan KW, Jones CK, McMahon MT, van Zijl PC (2013). Time domain removal of irrelevant magnetization in chemical exchange saturation transfer Z-spectra. Magn Reson Med. 70(2), 547-55. 

Liu G, Song X, Chan KW, McMahon MT (2013). Nuts and bolts of chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI. NMR Biomed. 26(7), 810-28. 

Arifin DR, Kedziorek DA, Fu Y, Chan KW, McMahon MT, Weiss CR, Kraitchman DL, Bulte JW(2013). Microencapsulated cell tracking. NMR Biomed. 26(7), 850-9. 

Chan KW, Liu G, Song X, Kim H, Yu T, Arifin DR, Gilad AA, Hanes J, Walczak P, van Zijl PC, Bulte JW, McMahon MT (2013). MRI-detectable pH nanosensors incorporated into hydrogels for in vivo sensing of transplanted-cell viability. Nat Mater. 12(3), 268-75. 

Liu G, Chan KW, Song X, Zhang J, Gilad AA, Bulte JW, van Zijl PC, McMahon MT (2013). NOrmalized MAgnetization Ratio (NOMAR) filtering for creation of tissue selective contrast maps. Magn Reson Med. 69(2), 516-23. 

Chan KW, McMahon MT, Kato Y, Liu G, Bulte JW, Bhujwalla ZM, Artemov D, van Zijl PC(2012). Natural D-glucose as a biodegradable MRI contrast agent for detecting cancer.Magn Reson Med. 68(6), 1764-73. 

Liu G, Moake M, Har-el YE, Long CM, Chan KW, Cardona A, Jamil M, Walczak P, Gilad AA, Sgouros G, van Zijl PC, Bulte JW, McMahon MT (2012). In vivo multicolor molecular MR imaging using diamagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer liposomes. Magn Reson Med. 67(4), 1106-13. 

Other Publications

Yu T, Chan KW, Anonuevo A, Song X, Schuster BS, Chattopadhyay S3, Xu Q, Oskolkov N, Patel H, Ensign LM, van Zjil PC, McMahon MT, Hanes J. (2014). Liposomal mucus-penetrating particles (MPP) for efficient mucosal delivery and intravaginal diamagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (diaCEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine. doi: 10.1016/j.nano.2014.09.019.