Meet the members of the LaViolette Lab

Peter LaViolette, PhD

Dr. LaViolette is an alum of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Biophysics Department, where he completed his PhD in 2011. He is now an Endowed Professor of Radiology, Biophysics, and Biomedical Engineering at MCW. His research focuses on developing radio-pathomic machine learning models using MRI and histology to characterize brain and prostate cancer. He directs the Quantitative Imaging Lab (QIL), supporting cancer clinical trials. If that wasn’t enough, he is also the Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Radiology! Dr. LaViolette has published over 70 papers and been awarded multiple grants from the NIH, industry, and foundations. He received the MCW Robert C. Olson Professorship in Radiology in 2021. Dr. LaViolette mentors numerous trainees and serves on NIH study sections.

Outside of lab, he likes spending time with his two crazy kids and lots of hobbies including home renovations, wood working, collecting orchids, and traveling.

Allison Lowman

Program Manager I

Allie has been with us since 2018 where she started as a Research Technologist.
She has climbed the ranks since then as
a Research Associate and now a Program Manager for the QIL. Around the lab she
is known for knowing where all data
exists, solving most problems, and doing independent projects in the brain.
Outside of the lab she can be found exploring State and National Parks or cheering on all things Wisconsin Badgers.

Fitzgerald Kyereme

Research Technologist I

Fitz joined us in 2020 after completing
his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry
from UW-Milwaukee. Fitz is primarily
responsible for digitizing stained
histology for the lab, as well as creating
3D printed slicing jigs for our prostate cancer patients.

Programmer Analyst II

Michael completed MCW’s software engineering apprenticeship in 2022 and has been with us since. He is responsible for the research infrastructure in the
lab, and deploying and managing the
local Kubernetes cluster and the services deployed on it, specifically OMERO and XNAT, digital pathology and radiology services, respectively. Michael loves
trying to figure out how new things
work and their applications.

Michael Barrett

Assistant Professor

Sam is the newest Assistant Professor in
MCW’s Department of Radiology! He is
a former LaViolette Lab graduate
student and post-doctoral fellow. His research focuses on training machine learning tools to non-invasively measure autopsy tissue characteristics using MRI
to improve disease tracking in brain cancer. In his free time he enjoys making pasta, playing with synthesizers, and watching old movies.

Samuel Bobholz, PhD

Savannah Duenweg, PhD

Research Scientist I

Savannah is a recent graduate of the LaViolette Lab and has stayed on as a Research Scientist with us. Her primary work focuses developing radio-pathomic machine learning models using MRI and whole mount prostate tissue to assess cancer risk. When she’s not in lab, you
can find her serving brunch at Café Benelux, playing with her dog, or
reading a good book.

Aleksandra Winiarz

Graduate Student

Aleks is a fifth year graduate student in
the lab from the Neuroscience Doctoral Program. Her research focuses on clinical applications of radio-pathomic mapping
in GBM patients. Aleks is the Biophysics representative for the Graduate Student Association for the second year. Aleks is
an avid runner and yogi. She also enjoys dancing, traveling, and Taylor Swift!

Biprojit Nath

Graduate Student

Bipro is a third year graduate student, joining us after receiving his MSc in Nuclear Medicine from Indian Institute
of Technology Kharagpur. He is
passionate about applying his
background in medical physics and
nuclear medicine to our brain datasets. The Huberman Lab podcast fuels his
brain, and he loves to travel and whip
up delicious meals in the kitchen.

Graduate Student | MSTP

Ben is a second year of graduate student
from the Medical Scientist Training Program. He is currently experimenting with new ideas of tumor probability
maps in GBM patients and plans to
predict longitudinal tumor growth patterns. Outside of work, Ben is a huge
gym rat, loves video games, his cat Corn, and mentoring at Badger Boy State.

Benjamin Chao

Rachel Beers

Clinical Research Coordinator III

Rachel joined MCW in 2021 as a Clinical Coordinator in Radiology after
completing her Masters at UW-Madison. She manages multiple studies within
the MRI research realm which are led by various departments. Her main focus is prostate and brain cancer, as well as regulatory efforts within the
department. Outside of work, Rachel
has an appointment as an Adjunct Professor at B&SC and can be found at local eats as a Milwaukee foodie.

MD/MS Dual Degree

Daniel is a second year student in the MD/MS program. He is currently
exploring the usage of radio-pathomic
maps as a noninvasive biomarker of
tumor biology and exploring clinical application of tumor probability maps. Outside of work and school, Daniel
enjoys playing golf and traveling.

Daniel Kim

MD | Post-Doctoral Fellow

Hope is a 4th year medical student
joining us for a postdoctoral fellowship. Since receiving her BS from the
University of Pittsburgh, her research passions have been in epilepsy and neurosurgery. Her role in the lab is to establish RPMs in epilepsy, and to
validate them inside the OR. When not
in lab at 3am, she is likely off solo-camping, rock climbing, teaching Sunday school, or tending to her 41 plants.