Professor Kwok joined the University of Rochester in 1990 after receiving his Ph.D. in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is currently an associate Professor of Imaging Sciences. His research interests in MRI include MR safety, high resolution imaging, RF coil development, water/fat ...
Professor Kwok joined the University of Rochester in 1990 after receiving his Ph.D. in Physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and is currently an associate Professor of Imaging Sciences. His research interests in MRI include MR safety, high resolution imaging, RF coil development, water/fat imaging, dynamic contrast enhanced MRI, brain functional MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI. He has been developing RF coils and pulse sequences for research and clinical applications since 1990, and is in charge of RF coils at both Strong Memorial Hospital and UR Center for Advanced Brain Imaging & Neurophysiology. He is a recipient of six U.S. patents related to new pulse sequence and RF coil technologies.
Professor Kwok is board certified in Diagnostic Radiological Physics by the American Board of Radiology (since 1998) and certified as Medical Physicist - Diagnostic Radiological by New York State (since 2004). He supervises MRI quality assurance and ACR MRI accreditation at Strong Memorial Hospital, Golisano Children’s Hospital, East River Road, University Medical Imaging, Highland Hospital, Strong West, Penfield Crossings, Thompson Hospital and Noyes Memorial Hospital. He participates in the purchase and site planning, and conducts acceptance testing of new MRI systems. He also works with clinicians to optimize MRI protocols, provides consultation support to clinical scanning, and educates physicians and technologists on MRI technology.
Professor Kwok is also certified as an MR Safety Expert by the American Board of Magnetic Resonance Safety (since 2016). He is a member of the MRI Safety Committee at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He participates in the development of UR MRI safety policies and educational programs, and advises on the safety in scanning patients with implants or foreign objects.
Faculty Appointments
Professor
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Department of Imaging Sciences (SMD)
Credentials
Education
PhD | Rensselaer Polytech Inst.Physics.1990
MS | Rensselaer Polytech Inst.Physics.1988
BS | Hong Kong - Non-Medical School.Physics.1984
Awards
Cum Laude Award for an Educational Exhibit at the Annual Meeting.2020
Roadie Award (for being the most viewed presentation in the RSNA MRI Preview).2019
Magna Cum Laude Merit Award for an Electronic Poster Presentation in the Annual Meeting.2012
Certificate of Merit Citation for a Scientific Exhibit in the Annual Meeting.1999
Student Fellowship.1985 - 1989
Full Tuition Scholarship.1982 - 1983
Research
Patents
System and Method for Three-Dimensional Interleaved Water and Fat Image Acquisition with Chemical-Shift Correction
Issue date: April 16, 2002
Patent #: 6,373,249
Country: United States
Inventors: Wingchi E Kwok, Saara Totterman, Jianhui Zhong
Optimized Orthogonal Gradient Technique for Fast Quantitative Diffusion MRI on a Clinical Scanner
Issue date: September 11, 2001
Patent #: 6,288,540
Country: United States
Inventors: Zhong Chen, Wingchi E Kwok, Jianhui Zhong
Interleaved Water and Fat Dual-Echo Spin Echo Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Intrinsic Chemical Shift Elimination
Issue date: June 24, 2003
Patent #: 6,583,623
Country: United States
Inventors: Wingchi E Kwok, Saara Totterman, Jianhui Zhong
Intermolecular Multiple-Quantum MR Imaging in Humans
Issue date: March 04, 2003
Patent #: 6,528,997
Country: United States
Inventors: Zhong Chen, Wingchi E Kwok, Jianhui Zhong
Cryogenically Cooled Phased Array RF Receiver Coil for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Issue date: November 30, 2004
Patent #: 6,825,664
Country: United States
Inventors: Wingchi E Kwok, Zhigang You, Jianhui Zhong
Cryogenically Cooled Phased Array RF Receiver Coil for Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Issue date: February 21, 2006
Patent #: 7,002,348
Country: United States
Inventors: Wingchi E Kwok, Zhigang You, Jianhui Zhong
Kwok WE, You Z, Seo G, Lerner A, Totterman S, Ritchlin C, Monu J
Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.. 2011 January 33 (1):245-51. Epub 1900 01 01.
TNF is required for the induction but not the maintenance of compression-induce BME signals in murine tail vertebrae: limitations of anti-TNF therapy for degenerative disc disease
Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI.. 2010 January 31 (1):240-7. Epub 1900 01 01.
Chronic axial compression of the mouse tail segment induces MRI bone marrow edema changes that correlate with increased marrow vasculature and cellularity
Totterman S, Tamez-Pena J, Kwok E, Strang J, Smith J, Rubens D, Parker K
Studies in health technology and informatics.. 1998 50 :27-33. Epub 1900 01 01.
Evaluation of the renal arteries in kidney donors: Value of three-dimensional phase contrast MR angiography with maximum-intensity-projection or surface rendering.
