People

Adam Wang, PhD

Dr. Wang is an Assistant Professor of Radiology and (by courtesy) of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. He completed his PhD in Electrical Engineering at Stanford on maximizing the information content of dual energy CT. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins University in the I-STAR Lab, developing reconstruction and registration methods for image-guided surgery. Dr. Wang then spent several years in industry as a Senior Scientist in the Applied Research division at Varian Medical Systems, working on a number of topics related to image-guided radiotherapy. Since returning to Stanford, Dr. Wang is leading a comprehensive research program in advanced x-ray and CT imaging systems and methods, applied to diagnostic imaging and image-guided interventions and therapies.

Dr. Wang enjoys spending time with his family. He also enjoys running, biking, hiking, and traveling.

Maria Jose Medrano-Hammon, PhD

Dr. Medrano-Hammon is a postdoctoral fellow in the Wang group from Tegucigalpa, Honduras. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, and her PhD in electrical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. During her PhD work she assessed and implemented model-based image reconstruction techniques and spectral material decomposition methods in proton radiotherapy. This line of research encompassed the assessment of model-based artifact reduction techniques, development of novel experiments, and implementation of Monte Carlo simulations through clinical proton therapy planning systems and Geant4/TOPAS. At Stanford, she will focus on the development of novel image reconstruction and deep-learning techniques to optimize CT image quality and patient dose delivery for different clinical tasks.

In her spare time Maria enjoys learning about new cultures, playing violin, long-distance running, hiking, and CrossFit. 

Kian Shaker, PhD

Dr. Shaker is a Wallenberg postdoctoral fellow in the Wang group. He obtained his undergraduate and PhD degree from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. In his PhD work, he explored non-conventional contrast mechanisms in X-ray imaging (X-ray fluorescence and phase contrast) for a variety of applications: early-stage tumor localization, mammography, and respiratory imaging. Here he developed instrumentation for proof-of-principle in vivo imaging on mice as well as computational modeling (e.g., Monte Carlo & wave-propagation methods). At Stanford he is interested in exploring intersections between clinical X-ray imaging and global health, particularly targeting the limited availability of chest radiography in many low- and middle-income countries (e.g., relevant for tuberculosis screening).

Outside research, Kian enjoys indoor climbing, cooking, learning about cultural and societal issues, and listening to experimental (mostly electronic) music.

Dennis Hein

Dennis is a visiting PhD student researcher from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. He previously completed an MPhil in Economics from the University of Oxford and a BSc in Mathematics from Lund University. His research interest broadly involves applications of AI in medical imaging.

Alice Ku

Alice is a junior Engineering Physics major at Stanford. She is working with Dr. Shaker on low-cost x-ray technologies.

Nicolas Muenster

Nicolas is a visiting research student from the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. He finished his bachelor’s in biomedical engineering with a focus in medical imaging and signal processing and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the same field. His current focus is on CT imaging and AI applications of all sorts. As part of the Wang Group, he is researching the quantification of metal artifacts in Cone Beam CT.

In his free time, he enjoys climbing, swimming and sports in general. Additionally, he enjoys listening to music and is interested in its creation across different genres.

Yirong Yang

Yirong is an EE PhD student. She completed her BS in Engineering Physics at Tsinghua University. Her research models the behavior of photon counting detectors and the expected improvements in CT imaging tasks such as diagnosing stroke.

Robert Bennett, M.Eng.

Robert is a research engineer in medical imaging, mechanical and electrical device and instrumentation design as well as system and computer integration. He is also the Lab Manager of the Wang laboratories, supporting the group and guest researchers with their x-ray imaging needs with both the Zeego and table-top cone-beam imaging systems.

He holds a B.Sc. in Physics and CS from the University of Toronto, and an M.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Victoria. Robert brings experience from industry, research and academia in medical imaging/physics (x-ray/CT), MEMS display technology, electronics, rapid prototyping, and mechatronics. Robert enjoys the diverse applications and collaborative efforts in the group.

Robert has a weakness for all things RPN: Electronic calculators - old and new, (Reverse Polish) LISP, PostScript, and real-world stacks: pancakes!

Linxi Shi, PhD

Dr. Shi is a senior scientist in the Wang lab. She earned her MS in Biomedical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, her PhD in Medical Physics from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a postdoctoral fellowship with the Stanford Cancer Imaging Training program in the Wang lab. Dr. Shi’s research interests focus on development of novel medical imaging techniques, including algorithm design for tomographic reconstruction, artifact correction, and image processing for various imaging modalities. During her PhD, she developed novel artifact corrections and reconstruction algorithms for cone beam computed tomography, with a focus on applications of breast cancer diagnosis and image-guided radiation therapy. At Stanford, Dr. Shi works on developing advanced clinical translational x-ray and CT imaging systems.

In her spare time, Dr. Shi enjoys running, playing basketball, and swimming. She also likes traveling and exploring interesting things with family and friends.

Sen Wang, PhD

Dr. Wang is a research scientist in the Wang group. He previously completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Wang group and his BS and PhD in the Department of Engineering Physics at Tsinghua University. Sen's research interests focus on technologies and methods for image processing, reconstruction, and recognition, especially in the medical field. His PhD work investigated reconstruction algorithms and applications of x-ray spectral imaging, including photon counting detector modeling and correction, as well as quantitative imaging and computer vision with deep learning on x-ray images and other medical images. At Stanford, Dr. Wang works on advanced CT detector designs and imaging algorithms.

Dr. Wang enjoys running, swimming, and reading in his spare time.

Manuela Vasquez

As an Administrative Associate, Manuela is dedicated to keeping scientists organized, prioritized, and less stressed. She practices a streamlined and intuitive approach to assistance. She is open-arms to opportunities that will broaden her horizon. Manuela is a team player, willing to lead or follow, eager to learn, and is self-motivated. She is committed to excellence in service. Manuela's philosophy centers around what role she can play in helping others find solutions. Enthusiastic and personable, her passion is to contribute, support, and make a difference.