Kerry M. Link, MD, FACC, FAHA
Kerry M. Link, MD, FACC, FAHA, Professor
A classically trained cardiovascular radiologist, Dr. Kerry Link joined the faculty at Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1987. He worked primarily in coronary angiography, pediatric heart catheterizations, and cardiac MRI. In 1995, he won the Fulbright Fellowship in Medicine for his work in coronary artery flow measurements. As a fellow, he studied coronary artery physiology at the Royal Brompton Cardiac MRI Center in London, England. In 1997, he started the first cardiac MRI service in conjunction with cardiology, with an emphasis on ischemic heart disease. In 2000, recognizing the tremendous importance of imaging, not just in clinical diagnosis, but in clinical and basic science research, he gathered the resources to put in place a dedicated imaging research facility. What started as a small endeavor has grown into an institutional center, the Center for Biomolecular Imaging.
SYNOPSIS OF AREA OF INTEREST: Dr. Link is the Director of the Center for Biomolecular Imaging (CBI). He also has a strong interest in clinical cardiac imaging and as well as teaching.
DETAILED AREA OF INTEREST: Areas of interest include: Functional Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Flow Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Myocardial Tagging; Dobutamine Stress Functional MR Imaging; MR Imaging Assessment of the Contribution of Endothelial Dysfunction to Exercise Intolerance in Diastolic Heart Failure; Aortic Distensibility in Elderly Diastolic Heart Failure; Vasomotor Effects of Hormonal Replacement Regimens on the Peripheral and Coronary Endothelium in Postmenopausal Women; MR Imaging Assessment of Coronary Arterial Atherosclerosis using 3-Dimensional and Velocity Encoded Magnetic Resonance Angiography.
As Director of the CBI, he oversees all institutional clinical, animal, and molecular imaging research. The Center presently includes 1.5T, 3T and 7T MRI scanners, PET, PET-CT and microPET scanners, 16 and 64 MDCT scanners, two microCT scanners, two ultrasound, three optical scanners and a MEG scanner. In addition, the Center oversees biomarker development, including nanotechnology. The Center has worked with over 20 departments on over 70 imaging grants resulting in over 150 publications. Although he spends the bulk of his time overseeing the CBI, he continues to be actively involved in clinical cardiac imaging and teaching.