Principal Investigator
M.Sc. (Jagiellonian University), Ph.D. (Institute of Nuclear Physics)
Associate Director, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Centre, University of British Columbia
Associate Professor, Departments of Radiology and Urologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
Associate Member, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia
Research Scientist, Vancouver Prostate Centre
Research Interests
Cancer; Diagnosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; MRI; Myelin; Plasticity; Preclinical models; Prostate cancer; Radiology; spinal cord injury; Urologic SciencesDr. Kozlowski’s research uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based techniques to study SCI. He has worked on the development of a non-invasive technique for monitoring changes in myelin in the spinal cord following injury. Myelin in the brain and spinal cord helps neurons function more efficiently by wrapping around them, but it also inhibits healing when the neurons are injured. Studying how myelin changes after an injury may shed light on how to improve healing. Dr. Kozlowski also applies MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy technology to his prostate cancer research—his group has developed a novel MRI-based technique for diagnosing prostate cancer.
Dr. Kozlowski is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia. He is a Principal Investigator at ICORD and Associate Director of the UBC Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Centre. He is also an Associate Member of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia and a Research Scientist at the Vancouver Prostate Centre. Dr. Kozlowski obtained his M.Sc. at the Jagiellonian University and his Ph.D. at the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow, Poland.
The technology that Dr. Kozlowski is developing can translate into improved models for research by allowing real-life assessment of new regeneration therapies. It can also further our understanding of the basic biology behind SCI.
Dr. Kozlowski values working at ICORD because of its excellent research environment. He is excited to have access to so many experts in the field of SCI research.
Dr. Kozlowski’s initial interest in physics was in the area of theoretical astrophysics and general theory of relativity. However, he quickly realized that working in an area closer to everyday life was more suitable for his future career, so he joined a group of physicists at the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Krakow, where he helped build the first research MRI scanner in Eastern Europe.
Recent Collaborations:
Dr. Kozlowski has been working with Dr. Wolfram Tetzlaff since 2004 on multiple projects including MRI techniques for studying white matter in the brain.
He has also worked with Dr. Tom Oxland on MRI techniques to recognize clinically relevant models of injury.
With Dr. Andrei Krassioukov, he has examined fat content in pre-SCI models and how this affects injury.
Major Findings:
In his work on prostate cancer, Dr. Kozlowski developed a diagnostic tool which combines two MRI techniques in order to detect tumours with greater sensitivity. He also determined that using MRI to detect a particular organic compound called EF5 is not suitable for assessing oxygen loss in prostate tumours. This helped clarify useful diagnostic techniques for detecting prostate cancer.
Myelin water mapping is a technique for measuring myelin content. Dr. Kozlowski demonstrated that myelin water mapping is possible in the spinal cord. This technique has the potential to be a valuable tool for studying myelin damage in spinal cord injuries. Dr. Kozlowski also developed an improved method of myelin water mapping which gives increased spatial detail.
For more of Dr. Kozlowski’s major findings, please see the selected publications below, as well as his recent publications listed at the bottom of the page:
- Highly prefocused selective pulses – a tool for in-vivo 31P spectroscopic imaging
- The effect of temperature in focal ischemia of rat brain studied by 31P and 1H spectroscopic imaging
- Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in rats subjected to noxious electrical and chemical stimulation of the forepaw
- Combined Diffusion Weighted and Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI for prostate cancer diagnosis – correlation with biopsy and histopathology
- High resolution myelin water measurements in rat spinal cord
Techniques employed in the lab:
- Diffusion imaging
- Dynamic Contrast Enhancement MRI
- Magnetic resonance elastography
- Magnetic resonance spectroscopy
- Quantitative MRI
Affiliation with organizations and societies:
- International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM)
- Associate Director, Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Centre, University of British Columbia
- Vancouver Prostate Centre (VPC)
Current Lab Members
| Research Staff | Administrative Staff |
|---|---|
| Andrew Yung | Karina Antonienko |
| Kirsten Bale |
*has graduated in the past year
Trainee Awards
| Year | Name | Award |
| 2013 | Evan Chen | Best Abstract by a Trainee at the 21st Annual Meeting of the ISMRM White Matter Study Group |
Current Opportunities in the Lab
There are currently no openings in Dr. Kozlowski’s lab. Please contact Dr. Kozlowski with inquiries.
Recent publications
- Dionne, A et al.. 2024. Canadian Spine Society: 24th Annual Scientific Conference, Wednesday, February 28 - Saturday, March 2, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Whistler, B.C., Canada.. Can J Surg. doi: 10.1503/cjs.011424.
- Morris, S et al.. 2024. Advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging Biomarkers of the Injured Spinal Cord: A Comparative Study of Imaging and Histology in Human Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.. J Neurotrauma. doi: 10.1089/neu.2023.0208.
- Cain, SM et al.. 2023. Chronic pregabalin treatment protects against spreading depolarization and alters hippocampal synaptic characteristics in a model of familial hemiplegic migraine-type 1.. Mol Brain. doi: 10.1186/s13041-023-01062-6.
- Mohammed, S, Kozlowski, P, Salcudean, S. 2023. Phase-regularized and displacement-regularized compressed sensing for fast magnetic resonance elastography.. NMR Biomed. doi: 10.1002/nbm.4899.
- Morris, SR et al.. 2023. Myelin biomarkers in the healthy adult brain: Correlation, reproducibility, and the effect of fiber orientation.. Magn Reson Med. doi: 10.1002/mrm.29552.
