
Dr. Ekaterina Tchistiakova
Positions
Medical Physicist
Faculty of Science, Radiation Oncology Physics
Medical Physicist
Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Cumming School of Medicine, Department of Oncology
Member
Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute
Contact information
Phone number
Office: 403.522.3788
Preferred method of communication
Admin Assistant
Shirley Bullick
Email: shirley.bullick@ahs.ca
Office: 403.521.3788
Background
Biography
Dr. Tchistiakova received her BSc from McMaster University in Medical and Health Physics followed by a PhD from University of Toronto in Medical Biophysics. Her PhD work focused on the application of advanced MRI techniques to detect changes in the brain structure and vasculature caused by vascular risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension. Following her PhD she completed a Medical Physics residency at the Odette Cancer Centre.
Currently Dr. Tchistiakova is a full-time clinical medical physicist at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre as well as an Adjunct professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University of Calgary and Cumming School of Medicine. As a clinical physicist she is directly involved in the radiation therapy program at TBCC which gives her a unique opportunity to identify areas of research which could directly benefit our patients. Her research focus is on expanding the application of advanced MRI techniques and bridging the gap between the advancements made in the research field of MRI and its application in radiation therapy.
Research
Areas of Research
- Implementation of Advanced MRI techniques in radiation therapy practice
MRI is a versatile imaging technique that can provide a wide range of clinical information pertaining to metabolic, structural and vascular characteristics. The use of MRI in radiation therapy is often limited to its application for target identification on structural imaging. This limited scope of application is due both to the availability of the equipment as well as the ability to interpret and clinically integrate a more advanced MRI techniques. As MRI technology becomes more widely available the need for better understanding of advanced functional capabilities becomes imperative to fully utilize its potential. My primary research interest is in developing a platform for integration of functional MRI techniques into clinical protocol for the radiation therapy department. Functional MRI including diffusion and perfusion imaging as well as blood oxygenation characteristics can provide valuable information for radiation treatment planning including:
1) early tumor detection,
2) advanced tumor grading,
3) improved tumor segmentation,
4) therapy response prediction, and
5) recurrence detection.
My current research focus is on the application of advanced functional MRI techniques in patients with brain metastases undergoing stereotactic radiation therapy. Developed techniques could also be transferable to other sites. A long term goal for this research is to be able to integrate MRI as part of adaptive radiation therapy. During adaptive therapy, treatment effectiveness is monitored and treatment can be modified on a daily basis. This requires very sensitive imaging techniques capable of detecting early tumor cells changes. MRI has the potential to provide information on a number of characteristics of cancer cells, allowing doctors to make a better informed decision on the optimum course of treatment.
Publications
- Cardiovascular risk and encoding-related hippocampal connectivity in older adults. Meusel LC, Greenwood CE, Maione A, Tchistiakova E, MacIntosh BJ, Anderson ND. BMC Neuroscience. (2019)
- MR-safe personal radiation dosimeters. Tchistiakova E., Kim A., Song W.Y., Pang G.. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics. (2017)
- Summative effects of vascular risk factors on cortical thickness in mild cognitive impairment. Tchistiakova E., MacIntosh B.J.. Neurobiology of Aging. (2016)
- Vascular risk factor burden correlates with cerebrovascular reactivity but not resting state coactivation in the default mode network. Tchistiakova E., Crane D. E., Mikulis D. J., Anderson N. D., Greenwood C. E., Black S.E., MacIntosh, B. J.. JMRI. (2015)
- Combined effects of type 2 diabetes and hypertension associated with cortical thinning and impaired cerebrovascular reactivity relative to hypertension alone in older adults. Tchistiakova E., Anderson N. D., Greenwood C. E., MacIntosh B. J.. NeuroImage: Clinical. (2014)
- Evaluation of a new commercial Monte Carlo dose calculation algorithm for electron beams. Vandervoort E.J., Tchistiakova E., La Russa, D.J. and Cygler J. E.. The International Journal of Medical Physics Research and Practice. (2014)
- A systematic review of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in imaging studies of cognitive aging: time to establish new norms. Meusel L.C., Kansal N., Tchistiakova E., Yuen W., MacIntosh B. J.,.Greenwood C. E and Anderson N. D. . Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. (2014)
- Regional Cerebral Arterial Transit Time Hemodynamics Correlate with Vascular Risk Factors and Cognitive Function in Men with Coronary Artery Disease. MacIntosh B.J., Swardfager W., Robertson A.D., Tchistiakova E., Saleem M., Oh P.I., Herrmann N., Stefanovic B., and Lanctot K.L.. American Journal of Neuroradiology. (2014)
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