Magnetic Resonance Imaging Fellowship Program

Welcome from the Program Director

Gary M. Hollenberg, M.D., FACR
Program Director - Advanced MRI Fellowship  
Professor of Clinical Imaging Sciences
University of Rochester Medical Center

I would like to welcome prospective candidates to the University of Rochester Department of Imaging Sciences Advanced MRI Fellowship Training Program. Our program is one of a few in the nation to offer advanced training in outpatient MRI encompassing neuroradiology, musculoskeletal imaging and body imaging.  Training is provided for up to 3 MRI fellows per year at UR Medicine Imaging – UMI, a busy outpatient medical imaging center for the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Fellow teaching is provided at the work station by seven dedicated fellowship trained University of Rochester Department of Imaging Sciences faculty. Fellows actively participate in our MRI conferences and participate in the teaching of radiology residents, visiting sports medicine fellows and other visiting trainees. 

The strength of our program stems from our breadth of case material and exposure to a wide spectrum of pathologies. Neuroradiology cases encompass both acute and chronic abnormalities including degenerative spine and disc abnormalities, abnormalities of demyelination, and CNS and head and neck tumor evaluation.

Our large musculoskeletal referral base includes both University of Rochester and community based orthopedic specialists. We perform imaging for professional, collegiate and recreational athletes with a full range of orthopedic sports medicine abnormalities. We also perform imaging for pediatric and adult patients with a variety of degenerative and post traumatic orthopedic abnormalities.  

The MRI fellows are actively involved in the protocolling and interpretation of MR cases including body MRI cases. Advanced imaging techniques include multiparametric prostate MR imaging evaluation, advanced liver imaging and MR neurography. MRA and MRV is also performed for many of our patients to evaluate both atherosclerotic, developmental, and oncologic abnormalities. 

UR Medicine Imaging – UMI serves as a outpatient medical imaging center for the University of Rochester Medical Center.  The facility offers four echoplanar magnets – two at 3 Tesla and two at 1.5 Tesla performing over 20,000 MRI’s per year. In addition, we interpretation of MRI’s from offsite UR Medicine magnets. The facility also supports a busy CT and xray service. 

A typical work day for the fellows begins with protocolling MRI cases and review of cases from the evening shift. Interaction with nurses, technologists and attendings provides for a dynamic training experience. Fellows spend 1 week dedicated MR rotations on neuroradiology, musculoskeletal imaging or body imaging. The assignment then switches the following week. A fellow generally will read between 20-30 MRI exams per day, depending on complexity.  Following dictation, the cases are reviewed in person with the attending radiologist before noon and again in the afternoon each day. The goal is for the fellow to run the particular MR service they are assigned to for that week.

Fellows take evening call with the same attendings they work with during the day shift, providing for continuity. Many moonlighting opportunities are available to fellows within UR Medicine Imaging.

The UMI faculty has had the pleasure and honor of training and graduating over 70 highly qualified MRI fellows since our fellowship program began in the late 1990’s. Many of our former fellows are current academic and clinical faculty in our department at UR Imaging, UR affiliate hospitals and at Rochester General Hospital. We look forward to meeting you and discussing our program with you further.

Cheryl Papaleo
Fellowship Program Coordinator
Phone: (585) 273-5476
Fax: (585) 273-1033

Our Fellows

Recent Graduates

• 2023: Austin Jameson, D.O.
• 2023: Taylor Rising, M.D.
• 2023: Hayden Sandler, M.D.
• 2022: Tyler Poublon, M.D.
• 2022: Roger Sequeira, M.D.
• 2022: Alicia Shaikh, D.O.
• 2021: Jeffrey Dines
• 2021: Dane Lee
• 2021: Anthony Mirabella
• 2019: Monica Bhattacharjee, Radiologist
• 2019: Rami Farhat, Radiologist
• 2014: Vikas Datta, Radiologist, Seton Imaging; Buffalo, NY
• 2014: Narasimhachar Prativadi, Radiologist, Harry S. Truman Memorial Veteran's Hospital; Columbia, MO
• 2014: Scott Wilbur, Radiologist, URMC via Thompson Health; Canandaigua, NY
• 2013: Parul Patel, Radiologist, Rochester General Hospital; Rochester, NY
• 2013: Stephanie Soehnlein, Radiologist, Southtowns Radiology; Buffalo, NY
• 2013: Nadia Yusaf, Radiologist, Borg and Ide Imaging; Rochester, NY
• 2012: Daniel O'Connor, Emergency Radiologist, University of Rochester Medical Center; Rochester, NY
• 2011: Damien Dawson, Radiologist, URMC via Highland Hospital; Rochester, NY