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Phone: 765-494-0550

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HAMP 1173A
550 Stadium Mall Drive

Curriculum Vitae Back to Directory

Ulrike Dydak

Professor, School of Health Sciences

Director, Purdue Life Science MRI Facility
Associate Director, Women's Global Health Institute
Purdue Faculty Scholar

Courtesy Appointments

Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, IUSM; Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Purdue

Areas of Expertise

  • Neuroimaging of Manganese Toxicity in Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) of Neurotransmitters and Neurochemicals (GABA, Glu, GSH, ...)
  • Quantitative MRI of manganese and iron
  • 31P/1H MRS of the Liver to predict risk of Hepatocellular Cancer
  • MRS in Women's Health and Mental Health
  • Fast Spectroscopic Imaging

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

  • Developmental Health and Wellness
  • Healthy Lifestyles and Vital Longevity

School of Health Sciences Research Area(s)

  • Imaging Sciences
  • Medical Physics
  • Occupational Health and Environmental Health Sciences
  • Toxicology

Biography

Ulrike Dydak is a Professor in the School of Health Sciences at Purdue University and Director of the Purdue Life Science MRI Facility. She received her MS in physics from the University of Vienna, Austria, and did her PhD and postdoc in medical imaging at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ), Zürich. Her research focuses on the development and application of novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spectroscopy (MRS) techniques and their translation to clinical and life science studies – with applications in metal-induced parkinsonism, neurological and psychiatric disorders. A particular focus of her group is to study manganese-induced neurotoxicity in welders, using MRS techniques to measure changes in GABA, Glutamate and glutathione, while using quantitative MRI to assess the dynamics of metal deposition in the human brain. Other collaborative projects include application of MRS in post-partum depression and addiction, and 31P-MRS in hepatocellular cancer.

Education

  • Mag.rer.nat, 1996, University of Vienna, Austria
  • PhD, 2002, ETH Zürich, Switzerland

Websites

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

  • ADVANCE Search Committee Training (2021)
  • DEI Training for Search Committee (2021)
  • Purdue INSIGHTS Forum: Diversity and Inclusion - Best Practices (2020)
  • Member, Advisory Committee for Director of Diversity (2019-2020)

Current Courses

  • HSCI 312 - Radiation Science Fundamentals
  • HSCI 672 - MRI Quality Assurance Internship
  • HSCI 590 - Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Selected Publications

  • Craven AR, Bhattacharyya PK, Clarke WT, Dydak U, Edden RAE, Ersland L, Mandal PK, Mikkelsen M, Murdoch JB, Near J, Rideaux R, Shukla D, Wang M, Wilson M, Zöllner HJ, Hugdahl K, Oeltzschner G. Comparison of seven modeling algorithms for γ-aminobutyric acid-edited proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. NMR Biomed. 2022 Jan 25:e4702.
  • Edmondson DA, Helie Sebastien, Dydak U. Whole-brain R1 predicts manganese exposure and biological effects in welders. Arch Toxicol. 2020; 94(10), 3409-3420.
  • Edmondson DA2, Ma RE2, Yeh CL2, Ward E2, Snyder S, Azizi E, Zauber SE, Wells EM, Dydak U. Reversibility of neuroimaging markers influenced by lifetime occupational manganese exposure. Toxicol Sci. 2019 Aug 6;172(1):181-90
  • Ma RE, Ward EJ, Yeh CL, Long Z, Snyder S, Gokalp Yavuz F, Zauber SE, Dydak U. Thalamic GABA as early marker of manganese-induced toxicity: correlation with exposure levels and neurological functions. Neurotoxicology. 2018 Jan; 64:30-42
  • Pesch B, Casjens S, Woitalla D, Dharmadhikari S, Edmondson DA, Zella MAS, Lehnert M, Lotz A, Herrmann L, Muhlack S, Kraus P, Yeh CL, Glaubitz B, Schmitdt-Wilcke T, Gold R, Van Thriel C, Brüning T, Tönges M, Dydak U* (2019). Impairment of Motor Function Correlates with Neurometabolite and Brain Iron Alterations in Parkinson’s Disease. Cells 2019 Jan 29;8(2).

Selected Honors/Awards

  • Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University - 2018
  • Robert R. Landolt Excellence in Teaching Award - 2018
  • Midcareer Research Award, Purdue Sigma Xi Chapter - 2017
  • Purdue University Faculty Scholar - 2015
  • Outstanding New Environmental Scientist (ONES) Award, NIH/NIEHS - 2011

Selected Grants

  • Principal Investigator, Neuroimaging of Manganese Toxicity. NIH/NIEHS (R01 ES032478). Ulrike Dydak (PI). Period: 04/07/2021 – 01/31/2026. Total: $2,796,677
  • Principal Investigator, Exposure to Metal Mixtures in Welding Fumes. International Manganese Institute. Ulrike Dydak (PI). Period: 09/01/2021 – 08/31/2023. Total: $46,566
  • Co-Investigator, Relationships between Neuroactive Steroids, GABA and Glutamate MRS and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network in Postpartum Depression. NIH/NIMH (R01MH120313). Kristina M. Deligiannidis (PI). Period: 04/01/2020 – 03/31/2025.
  • Co-Investigator, Compounded Neuronal Damage in Comorbid Cigarette Smoking and Addiction. NIH/NINDS (R01 AA026014). Yoder & Durazzo (MPIs). Period: 09/20/2018 - 08/31/2023
  • Principal Investigator, 3T MRI Scanner dedicated to Life Sciences Research. NIH/ORIP (S10 OD012336). Period: 04/01/15- 03/30/2016. Total: $2,000,000

Professional Affiliations

  • Member, International Society for Magnetic Resonance for Medicine (ISMRM)
  • Member, Society of Toxicology (SOT)
  • Member, American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM)
  • Chair, ISMRM Psychiatric MRI and MRS Study Group (2018-19)
  • Charter Member, NIH MEDI Study Section (2016-2018)

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