Department Overview

The Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco combines clinical excellence, trailblazing research, and outstanding education in a leading academic health sciences institution. Our faculty includes some of the foremost names in diagnostic and interventional radiology today.

Department about, Ron Arenson, Cathy Garzio, Kathy Knoerl
Dr. Ronald Arenson (chairman) with his Director of Administration,
Catherine Garzio and his Director of Operations, Kathy Knoerl.

Clinical Excellence

Patients receive exceptional patient care through our clinical programs, which feature sub-specialty expertise and span five hospitals and four outpatient locations:

Across our nine sites, we perform more than 500,000 procedures annually. That exceptionally high volume of imaging procedures leads to better clinical judgment and skill and results in better outcomes while providing valuable insight for referring physicians.

We offer the world’s newest clinical applications and techniques while also performing conventional procedures on state-of-the-art equipment. UCSF owns the most advanced imaging equipment in all modalities, including MR, CT, angiography, ultrasound and nuclear medicine. Furthermore, each of our expert radiologists is a specialist by sectional anatomy. The combination of radiologists with superior expertise and equipment that produces the best image quality ensures that each procedure is performed properly and that every radiologic interpretation is accurate.

In addition, at China Basin, we have a dedicated center, the UCSF Precision Spine and Peripheral Nerve Center, which combines both the latest diagnostic spine imaging with innovative image-guided therapeutic pain management services. UCSF is the only university medical center in Northern California to offer CT-guided advanced spine treatment and therapeutic nerve techniques which can help patients return to exercise, physical therapy and pain free lives.

UCSF Precision spine and Peripheral Nerve center

Patient safety is at the forefront of everything we do. Low-dose computed tomography (CT) is a top priority, and our radiologists are leading the way in low-dose procedures. For instance, our coronary CT angiography requires substantially less radiation than traditional nuclear stress testing. We have been monitoring patient dose levels for the past five years, and we are combining new scanning protocols and imaging software to ensure maximum information with the minimum radiation dosage for each scan. All of our 64-slice CT scanners are equipped with a sophisticated reconstruction program that significantly lowers the dose of radiation without any loss in image quality.

Innovative Research

Radiology research Our research efforts are flourishing, with increasing faculty and funded programs. Our department is consistently among the top institutions as ranked by the NIH, and in 2011 we were listed as second in the country in NIH funding. Industrial collaborations offer unique opportunities for our faculty and students to work with prototype equipment. These relationships also create close interactions with industrial scientists as we work together to explore new approaches to medical imaging. Our numerous research innovations have had a tremendous impact on patients and are reflected in our treatment and care of patients.

Several novel research centers foster the growth of our prolific research program. The Surbeck Laboratory for Advanced Imaging at the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (QB3) offers 3T and 7T MRI and exceptional translational research programs.

In addition, the outpatient imaging center and research facility at UCSF Imaging Center at China Basin houses:

The Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging, which includes a 3T MR system, as well as clinical MR, CT and PET/CT.
The Center of Research Translation for the Study of Osteoarthritis, whose goal is to translate promising new imaging methodologies and non-invasive biomarkers into clinical tools that directly impact patient care and management of osteoarthritis.

As UCSF Medical Center expands further to Mission Bay, we expect these important facilities to strengthen our reputation for leadership and vision in diagnostic imaging innovation as we enter a new era of molecular imaging.

Preparing Future Radiologists

Our residency program is among the very best in the country, attracting the brightest medical students in the United States. Our program emphasizes research experiences and training during residency, and many of our residents choose to pursue academic careers.

Every one of our residents continues his or her postgraduate training through a sub-specialty fellowship, most often at UCSF. Our clinical and research fellowships, covering every major sub-specialty, are among the finest in the world. Unique fellowship opportunities exist at each of our five hospitals, including a Clinical Instructor Fellowship equivalent experience at San Francisco General Hospital geared to those destined for private practice.

To Learn More

For the latest insights into the safety and benefits of our advanced imaging techniques, browse this website, visit our UCSF Imaging blog, follow us on Twitter, visit our Facebook page, and YouTube channel.

A Message to Referring Physicians

It is our priority to provide the very best and most accurate imaging and interventional services for the physicians who refer to us and whose patients we diagnose and treat. Please feel free to contact us for further information about any of our programs or services.

Thank you,

Ronald L. Arenson, MD
Alexander R. Margulis Distinguished Professor
Chairman, Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging