Welcome to the Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory
Led by Dr. Michael Lipton, the Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory investigates brain mechanisms of neurobehavioral dysfunction due to injury and disease and how inter-individual diversity alters these mechanisms and their consequences. Our research has focused for nearly two decades on detecting and characterizing the effects of concussion and repetitive subconcussive head impacts in sports.
Latest @ The Lab
Welcome to Student Collaborator Sammy Sendersky!
May, 2025
Sammy is an undergraduate student at the University of Florida. She is majoring in Psychology on the Behavioral-Cognitive Neuroscience track with plans of getting a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Sammy is excited to join the Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory and study the effects of traumatic brain injury!
Welcome to Student Collaborator Zain Akhtar!
May, 2025
Zain is an undergraduate at Fordham University studying Computational Neuroscience. He is broadly interested in the intersection of neuroscience, technology, and healthcare innovation. He joined the Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory to gain hands-on research experience in brain imaging and neurobehavioral studies and is eager to contribute to the lab’s ongoing work.
Welcome to VP&S Student Collaborator Luca Bremner!
May, 2025
Luca is a medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. As an undergraduate at Columbia, he worked in the Tzagoloff lab investigating mitochondrial biogenesis and in the Agalliu lab, studying the molecular pathophysiology of autoimmune encephalitis. In medical school, he worked with Dr. Andrew Einstein studying utilization trends, safety, and diagnostic utility of cardiovascular imaging modalities.
Congratulations to Simone Glajchen on her recent grant!
May, 2025
Congratulations to Simone Glajchen, Columbia College rising junior, on her receipt of a grant from the Columbia College Summer Funding Program which will support her return to the Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory to work on the NYFC study during summer 2025.
Congratulations to Bluyé DeMessie on his successful thesis defense!
April, 2025
Congratulations to Bluyé DeMessie for successfully defending his thesis titled:
“Brain Microstructure at Depths of Sulci: Vulnerability to Repetitive Head Impacts”
Congratulations to Jo Song on her successful thesis defense!
April, 2025
Congratulations to Jo Song for successfully defending her thesis titled:
“Techniques for Gray Matter-White Matter Interface Characterization Link Adverse Cognitive Performance to Soccer Heading”
New Paper Published
January, 2025
Published in Neuroimage
Translational Neuroimaging Lab featured in Newsweek
December, 2024
New research from the lab on the effects of soccer heading on brain structure and function was featured in Newsweek, the New York Post, and other publications.
Translational Neuroimaging Lab at #RSNA24!
December, 2024
Bluyé DeMessie presented work at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago: In Vivo Detection of Pathology at the Depths of Cortical Sulci in Sports Repetitive Head Impacts
2024 Minnie Winner for “Image of the Year”
November, 2024
An image from the Translational Neuroimaging Lab was selected as the winner for AuntMinnie.com‘s event recognizing excellence in radiology, in the category “Image of the Year”.
New Paper Published
November, 2024
Published in Practical Neurology
TBI Today: Quantitative Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Assessment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Translational Neuroimaging Lab at #SfN24!
October, 2024
Bluyé DeMessie, Jo Song, and Katherine Ho presented work at the recent Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in Chicago:
– Bluyé DeMessie, In Vivo Detection of Pathology at the Depths of Cortical Sulci in Sports Repetitive Head Impacts
– Joan Song, Characterization of the Gray Matter-White Matter Distribution: An Automated Approach with Demonstration of Age-Related Decline
– Katherine Ho, Changes in brain structure and function in mild COVID-19: change from pre-pandemic assessment
Welcome to Adriana Dipple, our new Research Coordinator
September, 2024
Adriana is a recent graduate from Northwestern University, with a degree in theatre. She gained research experience in the Functional Optical Imaging Lab where she studied optic imaging techniques and processing.
Congratulations to Roman Fleysher!
Congratulations to Dr. Roman Fleysher, on the selection of his project, “Identification of microstructural abnormalities in patients with mild traumatic brain injury” for funding under the Columbia University Data Science Institute Scholars program. Roman will be mentoring Xinran Shi, whom we welcome to the Translational Neuroimaging Lab.
Welcome to PhD candidate Alma Davidson, MSc
August, 2024
Alma will pursue her PhD Research (Biomedical Engineering) in the Lipton Lab. Visit our members page to read more.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
August, 2024
Published in Heliyon
Brain effects of mild COVID-19 in healthy young adults: A pilot study
Congratulations to Bluyé DeMessie on being selected for the 2024 SfN Trainee Professional Development Award
August, 2024
The Society for Neuroscience Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) recognizes undergraduate and graduate students and post baccalaureate and postdoctoral scholars who demonstrate scientific merit and excellence in research.
Michael Lipton, MD, PhD: Recent Presentations
July, 2024
MRI Bioeffects and Safety: An Intensive Course and Guidance for Safe Practice, Department of Radiology, Assuta Hospital Medical Center, Ashdod, Israel
Exploring Microstructure with Diffusion MRI: Applications, Challenges, and Opportunities, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
Seeing the invisible injury: quantitative diffusion tensor MRI to detect concussion pathology in the clinic, Department of Radiology, Rambam Hospital Medical Center, Haifa, Israel
Congratulations to Shira Siegel!
June, 2024
Shira will be starting medical school @SUNY Downstate in a few short weeks. Shira has been a key lab member and will be greatly missed. We wish her much success in her medical career!
Translational Neuroimaging Lab at #NNS2024
June, 2024
Jo Song presented her work at the recent Neurotrauma Symposium in San Francisco:
Repetitive Head Impacts (RHI) in Soccer are associated with Orbitofrontal and Limbic Structural Connectivity
Translational Neuroimaging Lab at #NNS2024
June, 2024
Bluyé DeMessie presented his work at the recent Neurotrauma Symposium in San Francisco:
In Vivo Detection of Pathology at the Depths of Cortical Sulci in Sports Repetitive Head Impacts
Translational Neuroimaging Lab at #NNS2024
June, 2024
Dr. Michael Lipton presented his work at the recent Neurotrauma Symposium in San Francisco:
Subconcussive Head Impacts: Sex Divergent Effects on Brain Structure and Function in Rodents and Humans
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
June, 2024
Published in Neurobiology of Aging
Hypothalamic MRI-derived microstructure is associated with neurocognitive aging in humans
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
May, 2024
Published in PLOS ONE
TRANSLATIONAL NEUROIMAGING LAB AT #ISMRM2024
May, 2024
Bluyé DeMessie presented his work at the recent International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) annual meeting in Singapore:
TRANSLATIONAL NEUROIMAGING LAB AT #ISMRM2024
May, 2024
Dr. Michael Lipton at the recent International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) annual meeting in Singapore:
Identifying & Correcting for Artifacts.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
April, 2024
Published in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
WELCOME TO VP&S STUDENT COLLABORATOR, KATHERINE HO!
February, 2024
Katherine is a medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is currently working on our approaches to assess microstructure at the gray matter white matter junction.
WELCOME TO VP&S STUDENT COLLABORATOR, MASON GONZALEZ!
February, 2024
Mason is a medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. He will be working on assessment of repetitive head impacts on academic performance in student athletes.
WELCOME TO STUDENT COLLABORATOR, SIMONE GLAJCHEN!
February, 2024
Simone, an undergraduate at Columbia University, worked in the Lipton Lab while a high school student. She will extend her work with our studies on repetitive head impacts to learn about neuroimaging.
WELCOME TO ARIANA OLIVARES OUR NEW RESEARCH COORDINATOR
December 2023
Ariana is a recent graduate from Teachers College at Columbia University, where she received her MS in Neuroscience and Education. She is currently a research coordinator for Dr. Lipton, assisting in all aspects of his various research projects
EXPANSION OF THE NYFC NIH-NINDS GRANT
The New York Fitness Cohort Study (NYFC) was just awarded additional funding by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to expand the scope of the study and support the training of MD-PhD candidate Bluyé DeMessie, MSc.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
November, 2023
Published in Brain Communications
Evolving brain and behaviour changes in rats following repetitive subconcussive head impacts
TRANSLATIONAL NEUROIMAGING LAB AT #RSNA2023
November, 2023
Dr. Michael Lipton and Jo Song presented their work at the recent Radiological Society of North America annual meeting in Chicago:
TRANSLATIONAL NEUROIMAGING LAB AT #SfN2023!
November, 2023
Congratulations to Bluyé DeMessie and Jo Song, who presented their work at the recent Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in Washington, DC:
CONGRATS TO BLUYÉ DEMESSIE, AB MS
June 2023
Bluyé successfully passed his Qualifying Examination and will now pursue his dissertation research in the Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory. Way to go, Bluyé!!!
CONGRATULATIONS MOLLY CHARNEY, MD!!!
June 2023
Molly graduated from Einstein, earning an MD degree with Distinction in Research.
Molly also won several awards, including the American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for Excellence in Neurology and, for her extensive work in the Lipton Lab, the Harold and Muriel Block Institute for Clinical and Translational Research Award for Excellence from Einstein. We look forward to the continued publication of her work.
Molly will pursue a Neurology Residency at Columbia University.
WE MOVED!
June 2023
The Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory has relocated to Columbia University Irving Medical Center, effective June 1, 2023.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MD STUDENT MOLLY CHARNEY ON HER RECENTLY PUBLISHED PAPER IN FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY!
February 2023
Age of first exposure to soccer heading: Associations with cognitive, clinical, and imaging outcomes in the Einstein Soccer Study. Molly F Charney, Kenny Q. Ye, Roman Fleysher, Bluye DeMessie, Walter F. Stewart, Molly E. Zimmerman, Mimi Kim, Richard B. Lipton, Michael L. Lipton
CONGRATULATIONS TO MD-PHD STUDENT JO SONG ON HER RECENTLY PUBLISHED PAPER IN FRONTIERS IN NEUROENDOCRINOLOGY!
December 2022
Hormonal contraceptives and the brain: A systematic review on 60 years of neuroimaging, EEG, and biochemical studies in humans and animals. Joan Y Song, Caroline Delbourgo Patton, Renee Friedman, Lakshmi S Mahajan, Rachel Nordlicht, Rahman Sayed, Michael L Lipton
CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. KENNY YE ON HIS NEWLY PUBLISHED PAPER IN THE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE AND MEDICINE IN SPORT!
November 2022
Repetitive soccer heading adversely impacts short-term learning among adult women
Kenny Ye, Roman Fleysher, Richard B Lipton, Molly E Zimmerman, Walter F Stewart, Martin J Sliwinski, Mimi Kim, Michael L Lipton
WELCOME TO SHIRA SIEGEL OUR NEW RESEARCH COORDINATOR
September 2022
Shira is a recent graduate from Stern College where she received her BA in Biology. She is currently a Research Assistant for Dr. Lipton, assisting in all aspects of his various research projects
WELCOME TO BLUYE DEMESSIE OUR NEW MD-PHD STUDENT
August 2022
Bluyé is a current MD-PhD candidate at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology. As an undergraduate researcher, he worked in the Hensch Lab and studied the critical period of the mouse auditory cortex. He is interested in advanced MRI techniques to improve our understanding of brain trauma and neuroplasticity
NEW GRANT: $3.5M NIH-NINDS GRANT AWARDED TO STUDY RISKS-BENEFITS OF SOCCER
August 2022
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded a 5-year $3.5 million grant to Dr. Lipton to continue his long-running study of adult amateur soccer players. This new phase of the Einstein Soccer Study will assess both potential risks of heading and beneficial effects of athletics and fitness, by enrolling non-contact athletes, healthy non-athletes as well as soccer players.
WELCOME OUR NEW HIGH SCHOOL INTERN, SIMONE GLAJCHEN!
August 2022
Simone is a rising high school senior. She is very excited to learn about brain imaging technology and collaborate with other lab members!
NEW GRANT: $3.5M NIH-NINDS GRANT AWARDED TO STUDY RISKS-BENEFITS OF SOCCER
August 2022
The next phase of our study of sport-related head injury will continue, with a new focus on beneficial as well as hazardous effects of athletics. The new project will be called the New York Fitness Cohort study.
CONGRATULATIONS TO JO SONG!
May 2022
Jo successfully passed her Qualifying Examination, earning the Master of Science degree. She will now pursue her thesis research in the lab, leading to the PhD degree. Way to go Jo!
NEW GRANT: NEUROLOGIC EFFECTS OF SARS-COV-2 INFECTION
April 2022
The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has awarded a 5-year $3.56 grant to Dr. Michael Lipton and co-PI Dr. Johanna Daily, entitled Characterizing persistent subclinical neurobehavioral effects of COVID-19 in a diverse urban population. This project will assess change in brain structure and function during the COVID-19 pandemic in people who experienced mild infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
WELCOME TO SHALIKA, OUR NEW CLINICAL STUDY COORDINATOR
March 2022
She is Ph.D with seven years of clinical research experience. She will be working with us in a COVID-BRAIN study focusing on neuro-imaging and antibody response.
WELCOME TO JO SONG OUR NEW MD-PHD STUDENT!
September 2021
Jo Song has declared the Lipton Lab for her MSTP thesis research. She is currently exploring approaches to structural and functional connectivity analyses.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
July 2021
Just published in Journal of Neuroimaging.
“Arterial spin labeling compared to dynamic susceptibility contrast MR perfusion imaging for assessment of ischemic penumbra: A systematic review”.
Congratulations to first author and receint Einstein MD graduate Dr. Jin Liu.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. TODD RUBIN ON HIS GRADUATION
May 2021
Congratulations to Todd Rubin, M.D., Ph.D. on his graduation. He will be beginning his position as a Research Track Neurology Resident at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. WOUTER HOOGENBOOM ON HIS GRADUATION
May 2021
Congratulations to Wouter Hoogenboom, Ph.D. on his graduation. He will be starting as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Radiology Department at Einstein.
CONGRATULATIONS TO WOUTER HOOGENBOOM FOR BEING SELECTED FOR A NATIONAL NEUROTRAUMA SOCIETY TRAINEE AWARD
July 2021
Congratulations to Wouter for being selected for a Trainee Award for the 2021 National Neurotrauma Society Symposium based on his PhD work. Wouter will be presenting at the Virtual Neurotrauma 2021 Conference in July.
Click here to read Wouter’s Neurotrauma2021 abstract.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
April 2021
Just published in PLOS ONE.
“Oral contraceptive use is associated with smaller hypothalamic and pituitary gland volumes in healthy women: A structural MRI study”
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
December 2020
Just published in Research in Sports Medicine.
“Evaluating the validity of self-report as a method for quantifying heading exposure in male youth soccer”.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
December 2020
Just published in NeuroImage.
“Registration quality filtering improves robustness of voxel-wise analyses to the choice of brain template”.
Congratulations to Nelson Gil, MSTP student, and his mentor Dr. Roman Fleysher.
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
August 2020
Just published in PLOS ONE.
“Soccer heading and concussion are not associated with reduced brain volume or cortical thickness”
COVID-19 PROJECT FUNDED
August 2020
Dr. Lipton with Dr. Tim Duong, Dr. Jeffrey Levsky, and Dr. Parsa Mirhaji received one of five challenge grants from Dean Tomaselli to study artificial intelligence for COVID-19 prognosis.
Hear Dr. Lipton speak about this project (starting at 3:40).
NEW PAPER PUBLISHED
July 2020
Just published in Brain Imaging and Behavior.
“Framing potential for adverse effects of repetitive subconcussive impacts in soccer in the context of athlete and non-athlete controls”
CONGRATULATIONS TO WOUTER HOOGENBOOM ON HIS SUCCESSFUL THESIS DEFENSE
June 2020
Congratulations to Wouter Hoogenboom for successfully defending his thesis titled
CONGRATULATIONS TO DR. LIANE HUNTER ON HER GRADUATION
May 2020
Liane Hunter, M.D., Ph.D. has been working in the lab since 2012. She will be doing an internship in Philadelphia, after which, she will be returning to Montefiore for her residency in neurology.
Click below to read a blog post Liane authored about choosing a mentor during the M.D./Ph.D. program and her reflection on her experiences as she graduates.
WELCOME OUR NEW STUDENT COLLABORATOR, MOLLY CHARNEY!
May 2020
Molly Charney is a current medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She will be conducting analyses on our Soccer and Lifespan studies!
PHD CANDIDATE WOUTER HOOGENBOOM, WINS PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD
Fall 2019
A cyclist with a prosthetic leg checks out a race in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. Einstein Ph.D. student Wouter Hoogenboom snapped this photo last year, which won third place in an international photography competition focused on road cycling.