DR. MARK WOODS
Mark Woods has focused his research program on the development of more effective, MRI contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Having recently been successful in designing an agent that functions a theoretical maximum effectiveness, Dr Woods is currently shifting the focus of his research program to investigate: methods to mitigate the environmental pollution caused by contrast agents, and; the effects of water compartmentalization on the function of contrast agents in vivo. Dr. Woods graduated from the University of York in 1995 with a B.Sc. (Hons) in chemistry. He earned his Ph.D. from Durham University in 1998 under the supervision of Professor David Parker. He was a TMS Fellow from 1998 – 99 at the Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 where he worked on palladium catalyzed cascade reactions. In 2000, he joined the group of Professor Dean Sherry at the University of Texas at Dallas as a postdoctoral research associate. In 2004, Dr. Woods accepted a position as senior research scientist (imaging) at Macrocyclics. After three years in this post, he returned to academic research, first at the University of Texas at Dallas and then as the first joint faculty appointment between Oregon Health & Science University and Portland State University. Dr. Woods continues to hold appointments in both the Advanced Research Imaging Center at OHSU and the Department of Chemistry at PSU. He is currently on leave from the Department of Chemistry while he serves as the Associate Dean of the Graduate School at PSU.