Eric Mellon

M.D., Ph.D., Student
Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group

B1 Stellar-Chance Laboratories
422 Curie Blvd., University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia PA 19104-6100
Tel: 215-898-9357
Fax: 215-573-2113

email: emellon@mail.med.upenn.edu

Education :
B.A., Biology and Psychology, University of Delaware, 2002

Research Interests :
My interests center on the development of MR technology towards the study of the brain. While my thesis project uses 17-Oxygen in pigs to assess cerebral metabolism, I maintain part-time projects in the areas of human high-resolution brain imaging, multinuclear brain imaging mostly involving 17O and 23Na, and fast imaging techniques to study the effects of 16Oxygen and other in vivo contrast agents.

As a member of the Reddy lab, I also contribute to projects related to musculoskeletal imaging. While I mainly play an assistive role in these projects, I like to think about novel ways to apply MR to ex vivo studies of tissues such as cartilage.

Professional Experience :
Summer 2002 - Summer 2003: Research Assistant
Department of Neuroscience, DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE
2000-2002: Research Assistant
Neuromorphic Systems Laboratory, Universityof Delaware, Newark DE

Related Experience:
1997-2000: Systems Administrator Access 2000, West Chester, PA

Publications :

Mellon EA, Borthakur A, Elliott MA, Witchey W, Wang C, Reddy R (2007) T1ρ prepared TRUE-FISP acquisition for ultra-fast detection of H₂¹⁷O with improved contrast. In Preparation. 

Baumgardner JE, Mellon E, Tailor D, Kasam M, Borthakur A, Reddy R (2007) Pulsed inhalation of ¹⁷O₂ for NMR imaging of cerebral metabolism. In review. 

Borthakur A, Mellon E, Niyogi S, Witchey W, Kneeland JB, Reddy R (2006) Sodium and T1ρ MRI for the molecular and diagnostic imaging of articular cartilage. NMR in Biomed 19:781-821. 

Chang JH, Mellon E, Schanen NC, Twiss JL (2003) Persistent TrkA activity is necessary to maintain transcription in neuronally differentiated PC12 cells. J Biol Chem 278:42877-42885.