Biography
Natalie L. Adolphi holds a B.A. in Physics (1989) from Augustana College (IL), an M.S. in Medical Physics (2013) from the University of New Mexico and a Ph.D. in Physics (1995) from Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Adolphi is currently an Associate Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, with secondary appointments in Radiology and Pathology, at the University of New Mexico, School of Medicine. Since 2017, she has served as the Director of the Center for Forensic Imaging (CFI) at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI). Additionally, Dr. Adolphi is a Board Member and past Chair (2019-20) of the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging (ISFRI).
Personal Statement
I have leveraged my formal training in Magnetic Resonance and Medical Physics to develop expertise in both pre-clinical and forensic imaging. Currently I am the PI of two NIJ-funded grants focused on developing and utilizing MRI and CT for forensic pathology and anthropology applications. Recently, my lab characterized the temperature-dependence of several tissue-specific MR imaging parameters in post-mortem subjects and demonstrated the optimization of MR acquisition protocols to compensate for contrast changes due to temperature variation, also under NIJ funding. As a PI or key collaborator involved with a number of multi-disciplinary biomedical research projects at UNM, my research experience also includes projects aimed at developing and imaging nanoparticles for diagnostic and/or therapeutic delivery applications, microcoil NMR methods for in vitro detection of magnetic particles, and novel MRI techniques for pulmonary imaging. I am an inventor on two U.S. patents (both involving in vitro magnetic nanoparticle detection methods).
Areas of Specialty
Post-Mortem Medical Imaging, Magnetic Resonance, Magnetic Detection
Graduate: MS in Medical Physics
Doctoral: PhD in Physics
Achievements & Awards
STC.UNM Innovation Award, 2016, Phi Beta Kappa, 1988-present
Research
Currently, as a faculty member at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, her research is focused on two areas: 1) the development and application of advanced imaging methods (MRI and CT) for medicolegal death investigation, and 2) biomedical applications of nanotechnology, including magnetic particles for therapeutic applications and methods for improving the targeting of nanoparticles for diagnosis and therapy.
Other recent research projects include SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) relaxometry methods for detecting targeted magnetic nanoparticles in vivo, targeted magnetic nanoparticles for MRI detection of cancer, microcoil NMR methods for in vitro detection of magnetic particles, and novel MRI techniques for pulmonary imaging.
Courses Taught
Physical Biochemistry (BIOC 451)
Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR 555)
Research and Scholarship
Norii T, Makino Y, Unuma K, Hatch GM, Adolphi NL, Dallo S, Albright D, Sklar D, Braude D. Extraglottic Airway Device Misplacement: A Novel Classification System and Findings in Post-mortem Computed Tomography. Ann Emerg Med 2020 (accepted 10/5/2020).
Dogra P*, Adolphi NL*, Wang Z*, Lin YS, Butler KS, Durfee PN, Croissant JG, Noureddine A, Coker EN, Bearer EL, Cristini V, Brinker CJ. Establishing the effects of mesoporous silica nanoparticle properties on in vivo disposition using imaging-based pharmacokinetics. Nat Commun. 2018 Oct 31;9(1):4551. doi:10.1038/s41467-018-06730-z. PubMed PMID: 30382084; PubMed Central PMCID:PMC6208419. *equal contributors
Aalders MC, Adolphi NL, Daly B, et al. Research in Forensic Radiology and Imaging; identifying the most important issues. J Forensic Radiol Imaging 2017; 8:1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jofri.2017.01.004
Adolphi NL. An Equation-free Introduction to Post-mortem MR Image Contrast and Pulse Sequence Optimization. J. Forensic Radiol. Imaging 2016;4:27-34. (DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jofri.2015.12.007)
Adolphi, NL, Butler KS, Lovato DM, Tessier TE, Trujillo JE, Hathaway HJ, Fegan DL, Monson TC, Stevens TE, Huber DL, Ramu J, Milne ML, Altobelli SA, Bryant HC, Larson RS, Flynn ER. Detection and Imaging of Her2-Targeted Magnetic Nanoparticles: Comparison of SQUID-detected Magnetic Relaxometry and MRI. Contrast media & molecular imaging. 2012; 7(3):308-19. NIHMSID: NIHMS536186 NIHMSID: NIHMS536186