Gülin Öz, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Radiology, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research

E-MAIL: [email protected]

Research Interests:

Non-invasive neuroimaging modalities, and in particular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have become indispensable tools for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring in clinical practice, as well as for understanding brain function in neuroscience research.  Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is one MRI modality that provides in vivo access to cellular composition (by measuring neurochemical concentrations) and to cellular function (by measuring metabolic activity).  The goal of my laboratory is to bring the versatility of high field, in vivo MRS to bear on longstanding biomedical questions and to increase the utility of this powerful technology in clinical practice.

A major focus has been to establish in vivo 1H MRS biomarkers of neurodegeneration, in parallel studies with patients and transgenic mouse models, with particular emphasis on spinocerebellar ataxias and Parkinson’s disease.  Such biomarkers are expected to facilitate early disease detection and treatment monitoring in pre-clinical and clinical trials. These are collaborative studies with colleagues from Departments of Neurology, Lab Medicine and Pathology, Neuroscience, Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Biostatistics.

A second goal has been to determine the effects of diabetes and the hypoglycemic consequences of intensive insulin therapy on brain glucose and glycogen metabolism in humans. In particular, we utilize 1H and 13C MRS to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of hypoglycemia unawareness syndrome, the limiting factor in achieving normoglycemia in patients with type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetes. For these studies we collaborate with Dr. Elizabeth Seaquist from the Department of Medicine.


Selected Publications:

(For a comprehensive list of recent publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine.)

  • Öz G, Cocozza S, Henry PG, Lenglet C, Deistung A, Faber J, Schwarz AJ, Timmann D, Van Dijk KRA, Harding IH; AGI Working Group on MRI Biomarkers. MR imaging in ataxias: Consensus recommendations by the ataxia global initiative working group on MRI biomarkers. Cerebellum. 2023 Jun 6. doi: 10.1007/s12311-023-01572-y.
  • McLoughlin HS, Gundry K, Rainwater O, Schuster KH, Wellik IG, Zalon AJ, Benneyworth MA, Eberly LE, Öz G. ASO silencing reverses abnormal neurochemistry in spinocerebellar ataxia 3 mice. Ann Neurol. 2023 May 26. doi: 10.1002/ana.26713.
  • Zarate N, Gundry K, Yu D, Casby J, Eberly LE, Öz G, Gomez-Pastor R. Neurochemical correlates of synapse density in a Huntington's disease mouse model. J Neurochem. 2023 Jan;164(2):226-241.
  • Deelchand DK, Henry PG, Joers JM, Auerbach EJ, Park YW, Kara F, Ratai EM, Kantarci K, Öz G. Plug-and-play advanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Magn Reson Med. 2022 Jun;87(6):2613-2620.
  • Park YW, Deelchand DK, Joers JM, Kumar A, Alvear AB, Moheet A, Seaquist ER, Öz G. Monitoring the neurotransmitter response to glycemic changes using an advanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy protocol at 7T. Front Neurol. 2021 Aug 18;12:698675.
  • Sahasrabudhe SA, Silamongkol T, Park YW, Colette A, Eberly LE, Klimes-Dougan B, Coles LD, Cloyd JC, Öz G, Mueller BA, Kartha RV, Cullen KR. Identifying biological signatures of N-acetylcysteine for non-suicidal self-injury inadolescents and young adults. J Psychiatr Brain Sci. 2021;6:e210007.
  • Öz G, Harding IH, Krahe J, Reetz K. MR imaging and spectroscopy in degenerative ataxias: toward multimodal, multisite, multistage monitoring of neurodegeneration.Curr Opin Neurol. 2020 Aug;33(4):451-461.
  • Costa MDC, Radzwion M, McLoughlin HS, Ashraf NS, Fischer S, Shakkottai VG, Maciel P, Paulson HL, Öz G. In vivo molecular signatures of cerebellar pathology in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Mov Disord. 2020 Oct;35(10):1774-1786.
  • Deelchand DK, Berrington A, Noeske R, Joers JM, Arani A, Gillen J, Schär M, Nielsen JF, Peltier S, Seraji-Bozorgzad N, Landheer K, Juchem C, Soher BJ, Noll DC, Kantarci K, Ratai EM, Mareci TH, Barker PB, Öz G. Across-vendor standardization of semi-LASER for single-voxel MRS at 3T. NMR Biomed. 2021 May;34(5):e4218.
  • Kartha RV, Joers J, Terluk MR, Travis A, Rudser K, Tuite PJ, Weinreb NJ, Jarnes JR, Cloyd JC, Öz G. Neurochemical abnormalities in patients with type 1 Gaucher disease on standard of care therapy. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2020 May;43(3):564-573.
  • Öz G, Harding IH, Krahe J, Reetz K. MR imaging and spectroscopy in degenerative ataxias: toward multimodal, multisite, multistage monitoring of neurodegeneration. Curr Opin Neurol. 2020;33(4):451-461.
  • Öz G, Deelchand DK, Wijnen JP, Mlynárik V, Xin L, Mekle R, Noeske R, Scheenen TWJ, Tkáč I; Experts' Working Group on Advanced Single Voxel 1H MRS. Advanced single voxel 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques in humans: Experts' consensus recommendations. NMR Biomed. 2020 Jan 10:e4236.
  • Cheong I, Deelchand DK, Eberly LE, Marjańska M, Manousakis G, Guliani G, Walk D, Öz G. Neurochemical correlates of functional decline in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2019 Mar;90(3):294-301.
  • Joers JM, Deelchand DK, Lyu T, Emir UE, Hutter D, Gomez CM, Bushara KO, Eberly LE, Öz G. Neurochemical abnormalities in premanifest and early spinocerebellar ataxias. Ann Neurol. 2018;83:816-829
  • Zeydan B, Deelchand DK, Tosakulwong N, Lesnick TG, Kantarci OH, Machulda MM, Knopman DS, Lowe VJ, Jack CR Jr, Petersen RC, Öz G, Kantarci K. Decreased glutamate levels in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: An sLASER proton MR dpectroscopy and PiB-PET study. J Neuroimaging. 2017;27(6):630-636.
  • Coles LD, Tuite PJ, Öz G, Mishra UR, Kartha RV, Sullivan KM, Cloyd JC, Terpstra M. Repeated-dose oral N-acetylcysteine in Parkinson's disease: Pharmacokinetics and effect on brain glutathione and oxidative stress. J Clin Pharmacol. 2018;58(2):158-167.
  • Seaquist ER, Moheet A, Kumar A, Deelchand DK, Terpstra M, Kubisiak K, Eberly LE, Henry PG, Joers JM, Öz G. Hypothalamic glucose transport in humans during experimentally induced hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2017;102:3571-3580.
  • Öz G, DiNuzzo M, Kumar A, Moheet A, Khowaja A, Kubisiak K, Eberly LE, Seaquist ER. Cerebral glycogen in humans following acute and recurrent hypoglycemia: Implications on a role in hypoglycemia unawareness. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2017;37(8):2883-2893.
  • Deelchand DK, Kantarci K, Öz G. Improved localization, spectral quality, and repeatability with advanced MRS methodology in the clinical setting. Magn Reson Med. 2018;79(3):1241-1250
  • Cheong I, Marjańska M, Deelchand DK, Eberly LE, Walk D, Öz G. Ultra-high field proton MR spectroscopy in early-stage amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurochem Res. 2017;42:1833-1844.
  • Maliszewski-Hall AM, Alexander M, Tkáč I, Öz G, Rao R. Differential effects of intrauterine growth restriction on the regional neurochemical profile of the developing rat brain. Neurochem Res. 2017;42(1):133-140.
  • Joers JM, Deelchand DK, Kumar A, Moheet A, Seaquist E, Henry PG, Öz G. Measurement of hypothalamic glucose under euglycemia and hyperglycemia by MRI at 3T. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2017;45(3):681-691.
  • Terpstra M, Cheong I, Lyu T, Deelchand DK, Emir UE, Bednařík P, Eberly LE, Öz G. Test-retest reproducibility of neurochemical profiles with short-echo, single-voxel MR spectroscopy at 3T and 7T, Magn Reson Med. Magn Reson Med. 2016;76(4):1083-91.
  • Brouillette AM, Öz G, Gomez CM. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in spinocerebellar ataxia: A pilot study. Dis Markers. 2015;2015:413098.
  • Öz G, DiNuzzo M, Kumar A, Moheet A, Seaquist ER. Revisiting glycogen content in the human brain. Neurochem Res. 2015;40(12):2473-81.
  • Öz G. MR Spectroscopy: A longitudinal biomarker for substantia nigra pathology in Parkinson's Disease? Mov Disord. 2015;30(10):1304-5.
  • Bednařík P, Moheet A, Deelchand DK, Emir UE, Eberly LE, Bareš M, Seaquist ER, Öz G. Feasibility and reproducibility of neurochemical profile quantification in the human hippocampus at 3 T. NMR Biomed. 2015;28(6):685-93.
  • Deelchand DK, Adanyeguh IM, Emir UE, Nguyen TM, Valabregue R, Henry PG, Mochel F, Öz G. Two-site reproducibility of cerebellar and brainstem neurochemical profiles with short-echo, single-voxel MRS at 3T. Magn Reson Med. 2015;73(5):1718-25.
  • Öz G, Kittelson E, Demirgöz D, Rainwater O, Eberly LE, Orr HT, Clark HB. Assessing recovery from neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia 1: Comparison of in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy with motor testing, gene expression and histology. Neurobiol Dis. 2015;74:158-66.
  • Khowaja A, Choi IY, Seaquist ER, Öz G. In vivo Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of cerebral glycogen metabolism in animals and humans. Metab Brain Dis. 2015;30(1):255-61.
  • Adanyeguh IM, Henry PG, Nguyen TM, Rinaldi D, Jauffret C, Valabregue R, Emir UE, Deelchand DK, Brice A, Eberly LE, Öz G, Durr A, Mochel F. In vivo neurometabolic profiling in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia types 1, 2, 3, and 7. Mov Disord. 2015;15;30(5):662-70.
  • Armbrust KR, Wang X, Hathorn TJ, Cramer SW, Chen G, Zu T, Kangas T, Zink AN, Öz G, Ebner TJ, Ranum LP. Mutant β-III spectrin causes mGluR1α mislocalization and functional deficits in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 5. J Neurosci. 2014;34(30):9891-904.
  • Öz G, Alger JR, Barker PB, Bartha R, Bizzi A, Boesch C, Bolan PJ, Brindle KM, Cudalbu C, Dinçer A, Dydak U, Emir UE, Frahm J, González RG, Gruber S, Gruetter R, Gupta RK, Heerschap A, Henning A, Hetherington HP, Howe FA, Hüppi PS, Hurd RE, Kantarci K, Klomp DW, Kreis R, Kruiskamp MJ, Leach MO, Lin AP, Luijten PR, Marjańska M, Maudsley AA, Meyerhoff DJ, Mountford CE, Nelson SJ, Pamir MN, Pan JW, Peet AC, Poptani H, Posse S, Pouwels PJ, Ratai EM, Ross BD, Scheenen TW, Schuster C, Smith IC, Soher BJ, Tkáč I, Vigneron DB, Kauppinen RA; MRS Consensus Group. Clinical proton MR spectroscopy in central nervous system disorders. Radiology. 2014;270(3):658-79.
  • Terpstra M, Moheet A, Kumar A, Eberly LE, Seaquist E, Öz G. Changes in human brain glutamate concentration during hypoglycemia: insights into cerebral adaptations in hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure in type 1 diabetes. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2014;34(5):876-882.

Former Graduate Students:

Ian Cheong (Ph.D. 2018, Neuroscience, University of Minnesota)

Picture of Gülin Öz