The Crouch Imaging Lab uses imaging to study various diseases at the basic science and translational science levels. Currently, we use preclinical ultrasound imaging to study cardiovascular biomechanics in various diseases and physiological states and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) to study: spatial heterogeneity of biomolecules (lipids, metabolites, peptides) and distribution of drugs in organ tissues. Current projects:
Multi-omics Study of Alzheimer’s Disease
Our goal is to develop a multimodal research protocol to map phenotypic signatures of the brain that can be used to identify changes due to aging or disease. Better understanding of the spatial heterogeneity of phenotypic changes occurring during disease progression will allow more targeted diagnosis and treatment. We will use computational algorithms to integrate data we generate from mass spectrometry imaging and spatial RNA sequencing from tissue sections of targeted brain regions to create a atlas/map of a portion of the brain. Detailed maps of the brain will aid discovery of new biomarkers and regulatory relationships that allow earlier diagnosis of neurological disorders as well as provide new targets for therapeutic development.
Collaborators: Dr. Hairong Qi, Dr. Kalynn Schulz, Dr. Thanh Do, Dr. Rebecca Prosser, Dr. Dan Jacobson
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.5c00148
Jarrahi A, Jones AR, Tang W, Qi H, Crouch AC. Mathematical Framework for Quantifying Delocalization in MALDI-MSI via a Composite Scoring Approach. ACS Meas. Sci. Au. 2026/01. doi: 10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.5c00148.
Vascular Contributions in Dementia
In this study, we examined how vascular dysfunction may play a critical early role in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease by assessing resulting biochemical changes in the brain.
Collaborators: Dr. Hairong Qi, Dr. Kalynn Schulz, Dr. Rebecca Prosser,
Jones AR, Jarrahi A, Karpowich K, Brown LP, Schulz KM, Prosser RA, Crouch AC. Neck Vascular Biomechanical Dysfunction Precedes Brain Biochemical Alterations in a Murine Model of Alzheimer’s Disease. eNeuro. 2026 Jan 9;. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0293-25.2025. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 41513467.
Blood Clot Composition
Venous thromboembolism and ischemic stroke affect over 1.5 million people yearly. Both diseases are a result of blood clots forming in venous or arterial vasculature. Characterizing spatial heterogeneity and mechanical properties of blood clots is important for understanding disease initiation/progression. Molecular spatial heterogeneity can contribute to variations in mechanical properties, and we are currently using MALDI imaging to assess this spatial heterogeneity.
Collaborators: Dr. Bryan Good and Dr. Rahul Sheth
McDonald RG, Poulos DA, Woodall B, Gutzwiller L, Sheth RA, Good BC, Crouch AC.A MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging Sample Preparation Method for Venous Thrombosis with Initial Lipid Characterization of Lab-Made and Murine Clots. J Am Soc Mass Spectrom. 2023 Jul 13;. doi: 10.1021/jasms.3c00079. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 37439461.
Cardio-oncology: Cardiac biomechanics and multi-omics imaging
HTXnext episode discussing preliminary results. Despite the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin (DOX) in targeting and eliminating neoplastic growth, cardiotoxicity remains a significant problem in oncologic and cardiovascular research. Traditional 2D echocardiography currently remains the gold standard for assessing left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), the most widely used clinical metric for characterizing systolic functioning. This imaging modality lacks the sensitivity needed for detecting regional myocardial dysfunction, rendering it incapable of identifying subclinical cardiotoxicity. Numerous studies have shown global longitudinal strain to be an independent predictor and unrivaled metric for prognosis in patients with reduced and preserved LVEF. To address the limitations of the ejection fraction metric, we implemented novel 4D ultrasound (4D US) strain-imaging for early detection of myocardial changes during chemotherapy treatment.
JoVE article for cardiac imaging and MALDI mass spec imaging
Canine Sarcoma Characterization
The companion animal health market is currently valued at over $4 billion and is expected to continue growing. As with humans, cancer is a leading cause of companion animal morbidity and mortality, and dogs provide an advanced translational model compared to other preclinical models because of spontaneous tumor occurrence and larger size. Opportunities for canine cancer research include: (1) developing better diagnostics and treatments for companion animals and (2) conducting comparative research for the benefit of human health. This work is focused primarily on lipid characterization in sarcomas, which account for 10-15% of malignant tumors. Lipids play an important role in many biological functions including energy storage, cell structuring, and cell signaling, and strong evidence indicates cancer incidence and prognosis are strongly correlated with changes in lipid metabolism. Using mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), lipids were profiled in a case-study of a canine soft tissue sarcoma.
Current Methods in the Lab:
