Stephanie Thorn, PhD, is an assistant professor of medicine (cardiology) with a secondary appointment in comparative medicine and associate director of the Yale Translational Research Imaging Center (YTRIC). Her research interests are centered on cardiovascular imaging with PET, SPECT, and CT to develop novel approaches to interrogate molecular pathways and quantify myocardial blood flow in various cardiac disease models.
Q+A
YBII Spotlight: Stephanie Thorn
What methods, organisms, systems, datasets, or tools do you use most?
I specialize in cardiovascular nuclear imaging using both PET and SPECT. It is an exciting and rapidly evolving field, with advances in both technologies providing deeper insights into radiotracer behavior and enabling more precise measurement of small regions of the heart.
Most of my research involves complex in vivo animal models of heart disease. One aspect of my work that I am especially proud of, is the exceptionally high standard of animal care and ethics maintained at YTRIC. These principles are integral to our research and ensure that our studies are conducted responsibly while producing high-quality scientific results.
What’s a hypothesis you’re currently testing, or a question you’re trying to de-risk?
I am currently working on an interesting project with Drs Carlos Davila and Albert Sinusas where we are investigating how mechanical unloading of the left ventricle in acute myocardial infarction affects myocardial blood flow and mechanics. To study this, we are using the PET clinical radiotracer Rb-82, to evaluate serial changes in myocardial blood flow at several stages: baseline, during coronary artery occlusion, occlusion with left ventricle unloading with a mechanical circulatory support device and following reperfusion. At the same time, we are simultaneously monitoring cardiac mechanics with intracardiac echocardiography. The mechanical heart support devices we are studying are already used to treat patients. Our goal is to better understand how these devices influence blood flow and heart function during and after a heart attack, which could help improve treatment and recovery for future patients.
What’s a collaboration that worked especially well, and what made it work?
I have been very fortunate at Yale to collaborate with investigators and clinicians from a wide range of disciplines. The most successful collaborations have been with colleagues who bring the same level of enthusiasm and curiosity to the research as I do.
Research should be innovative, engaging, and intellectually challenging, it is rarely easy. The best collaborators are those who are not only excited to ask complex biological questions, but who are equally committed to conducting the experiments, working through challenges in the lab, and carefully analyzing and interpreting the data. That shared dedication is what makes a collaboration truly rewarding and productive.
What advice would you give to someone entering your subfield?
Imaging is a highly multidisciplinary field. To be successful, I believe it is important to develop expertise in your own specialty while also having a solid understanding of the other disciplines that contribute to the work. Although I am a biologist at heart, my research requires a strong foundation in physics, an understanding of the engineering behind how imaging systems function, knowledge of radiochemistry to effectively use and evaluate radiotracers, and experience with a variety of image analysis techniques. Bringing these different areas together is what makes cardiovascular imaging both challenging and rewarding.
How can people connect with you?
YTRIC is a core lab that offers state-of-the-art hybrid SPECT/CT imaging on a unique high resolution CZT camera that can do high resolution, high sensitivity dynamic and whole body imaging with a 64 slice CT. We also have a Philips EPIQ echocardiography machine that can be integrated with the Philips Allura FD20 Interventional suite. We offer SPECT/CT rodent imaging facilities as well. We are happy to engage with our researchers and projects. Researchers can email me or our director, Albert Sinusas, to initiate a consultation for their project.