Erik M. Shapiro, PhD

Assistant Professor of Diagnostic Radiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Yale Stem Cell Center

Contact

Address:
Yale University, School of Medicine
Magnetic Resonance Research Center
TAC, N129, 300 Cedar Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8043
United States

Email: erik.shapiro@yale.edu
Telephone: (203) 785-2899
Fax: (203) 785-6643

Education

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Post-doctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, November 2001 - December 2004
Mentor: Alan P. Koretsky
Fellowship: "Molecular and Cellular Imaging"

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
PhD in Chemistry, May 2001
Thesis advisor: John S. Leigh (Radiology)
Thesis title: "Multi-nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods for Evaluating Cartilage Degeneration"

University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
MS in Chemistry, December 1997
Thesis advisor: Stanley J. Opella
Thesis title: "Isolation and Solid-State NMR Studies of merT, a Bacterial Membrane Protein"

State University of New York at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
BS in Chemistry, 1991-1995

Please click here for Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests

My research is generally focused on using magnetic resonance imaging for molecular and cellular imaging. Molecular and cellular imaging allows scientists and doctors to move past simple anatomic imaging, enabling the non-invasive observation and measurement of metabolic, physiological, and functional processes in living subjects.

Working at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and biology, my laboratory has three main cores. The first is the development of novel MRI contrast agents. Here, the focus is the construction of high relaxivity superparamagnetic nano- and micro-particles whose MRI properties can be made sensitive to various stimuli - gene expression, for example.

The second core is the use of magnetic resonance imaging in monitoring cell migration. Cells can be loaded with MRI contrast agents and observed using tailored experimental conditions. This can be accomplished both in transplant models and in the detection of endogenous cells, with the ability to detect single cells, in vivo. Current models under investigation in the laboratory are migration of native and non-native immune cells, homing of transplanted stem cells, and migration of endogenous neuronal progenitor cells.

The third focus of the laboratory is the use of targeted contrast agents to detect specific molecular epitopes. The strategy here is to selectively target MRI contrast agent to precise tissues or cells of interest by way of antibody- or receptor-mediated affinity. This could be particularly useful in detecting cancer and in identifying unique cellular populations.

Selected Publications

1. Sumner, J.P., Shapiro, E.M., Maric, D., Conroy, R., Koretsky, A.P., In vivo labelling of adult neural progenitors for MRI with micron sized particles of iron oxide: Quantitation of labelled phenotype, NeuroImage, in press (2008).
2. Shapiro, E.M., Koretsky, A.P., Convertible manganese contrast for molecular and cellular imaging, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 60(2), 265-269 (2008).
3. Bennett, K.M., Shapiro, E.M., Sotak, C.H., Koretsky, A.P., Controlled aggregation of ferritin to modulate MRI relaxivity, Biophysical Journal, 95(1), 342-351 (2008).
4. Slotkin, J.R., Cahill, K.S., Tharin, S.A., Shapiro, E.M., Cellular Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Nanometer and Micrometer Size Particles for Noninvasive Cell Localization, Neurotherapeutics, 4(3), 428-433 (2007).
5. Shapiro, E.M., Medford-Davis, L.N., Fahmy, T., Dunbar, C.E., Koretsky, A.P., Antibody-mediated cell labeling of peripheral T cells with micron-sized iron oxide particles (MPIOs) allows single cell detection by MRI, Contrast Media and Molecular Imaging, 2(3), 147-153 (2007).
6. Shapiro, E.M., Gonzalez-Perez, O., Garcia-Verdugo, J.M., Alvarez-Buylla, A., Koretsky, A.P., Magnetic resonance imaging of the migration of neuronal precursors generated in the adult rodent brain, NeuroImage, 32(3), 1150-1157 (2006).
7. Shapiro, E.M., Sharer, K., Skrtic, S., Koretsky, A.P., In vivo detection of single cells by MRI, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 55, 242-249 (2006).
8. Shapiro, E.M., Skrtic, S., Koretsky, A.P., Sizing it up: Cellular MRI using micron sized iron oxide particles, Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 53, 329-338 (2005).
9. Shapiro, E.M., Skrtic, S., Sharer, K., Hill, J.M., Dunbar, C.E., Koretsky, A.P., MRI detection of single particles for molecular and cellular imaging, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 191(30), 10901-10906 (2004).
10. Hinds, K.A., Hill, J.M., Shapiro, E.M., Silva, A.C., Varney, T.R., Combs, C.A., Balaban, R.S., Koretsky, A.P., Dunbar, C.E., Highly efficient endosomal labelling of progenitor and stem cells with large magnetic particles allows magnetic resonance imaging of single cells, Blood, 102(3), 867-872 (2003).

For a further list of Shapiro's publications, please see PubMed

Current and Former Trainees

Current trainees:
Post-doctoral: Dr. Dorit Granot
Graduate: Kevin Tang, Michael Nkansah, Justin Roh
Undergraduate: Bradley Hann

Former trainees:
Undergraduate: Allison Polland, Teodor Leahu