About

The provided page text does not contain specific information about Professor Christine Chung's research focus, background, or key contributions. It primarily discusses the promotion process, criteria for advancement, and departmental guidelines within the Department of Radiology at UC San Diego. Therefore, there is no detailed professional biography available in the given content.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Computer Science
• Nuclear magnetic resonance
• Physical therapy
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Physics
• Radiology
• Pathology
• Internal medicine

Selected publications

• Publication metrics by rank: assessing musculoskeletal radiology faculty

  Skeletal Radiology · 2026-02-20 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• CD14-deficiency protects against osteoarthritic subchondral bone sclerosis via enhanced osteoclastogenesis following joint injury

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2026-02-11

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Aberrant bone remodeling is a hallmark of osteoarthritis, the most common arthritis affecting over 27 million US adults. Subchondral bone sclerosis, one sign of aberrant bone remodeling observable by routine x-rays, occurs as the trabeculae thicken, leading to increased bone volume. Toll-like receptors, pattern-recognition receptors of the innate immune system, have been implicated in OA pathogenesis, with TLR ligands, receptors, and co-receptors shown to mediate the severity and progression of OA. We have previously shown that CD14-deficiency protects mice against post-traumatic OA, and specifically reduces subchondral sclerosis post-injury. We hypothesized that depletion of CD14 protects against TLR4-dependent inhibition of osteoclastogenesis and therefore increases OC density in the SCB after injury, mitigating aberrant bone deposition in a murine model of OA . To determine how cellular changes correlate with bone structure derangements post-DMM, we performed MicroCT, Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, and alkaline phosphatase staining. To establish mechanistic changes in cellular signaling, we isolated WT and CD14-deficient osteoclast precursors and subjected them to LPS, an osteoarthritis-relevant TLR ligand, during differentiation. CD14-deficient mice, as well as WT mice treated with an anti-CD14 monoclonal antibody, show protection from post-injury increases in both bone volume fraction and bone mineral density. CD14-deficient mice had an increased osteoclast presence in the SCB two weeks post-injury, potentially protecting them from increases in bone volume and density. In vitro , CD14-deficient OCPs differentiated faster than WT OCPs, due to reduced Type I Interferon (IFN-I) signaling. In the presence of an LPS challenge, CD14-deficient OCPs were protected against LPS and TLR4-mediated inhibition, likely due to decreased MyD88-dependent TLR4 signaling. This work opens up new potential pathways to therapeutically target aberrant bone remodeling in the setting of joint injury and PTOA. Lay Summary Osteoarthritis is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. One of the hallmarks is subchondral sclerosis, or thickening of the bone in and around the joint. In this work, we used a mouse model of osteoarthritis to show that decreasing inflammatory signaling, through removal of CD14, protects against subchondral sclerosis, due to an increased presence of osteoclasts, cells that combat bone thickening. Osteoclasts without CD14 differentiate faster than osteoclasts with CD14, due to decreased Type I Interferon, an inflammatory cytokine. Graphical Abstract

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Global cortical morphometry as a mediator of longitudinal associations between music participation and language outcomes in a population-based cohort

  Research Square · 2026-02-03

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Small Joints: Imaging of the Hand and Forefoot

  IDKD Springer series · 2026-01-01

  book-chapterOpen access1st author

  Small joints of the hands and feet are frequent sites of musculoskeletal pathology and a common source of patient symptoms driving clinical evaluation. These joints are susceptible to a wide spectrum of conditions, including traumatic injuries, degenerative disorders, inflammatory arthritides, soft tissue, and osseous lesions. The often-subtle imaging findings in these small, complex articulations require a nuanced understanding of anatomy, pathology, and appropriate imaging techniques. This chapter provides a focused overview of diagnostic imaging in the evaluation of small joint pathology, with an emphasis on the use of high-resolution and multiplanar modalities such as MRI, CT, and ultrasound. Detailed attention is given to anatomy, injury patterns, and disease processes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Clinical applications of UTE-T2* in knee MRI

  Skeletal Radiology · 2026-01-25 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Many of the tissues of interest in the evaluation of the knee by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including subchondral bone, deep calcified layer of cartilage, menisci, tendons, and ligaments, have very short transverse (T2 and T2*) relaxation times related to their intrinsic structure. These tissues appear anechoic on conventional MRI sequences as signal has already decayed to its minimum when image acquisition begins. Only in the setting of significant injury or degeneration is there detectable signal on conventional MRI sequences. Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI, which allows for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of short T2 tissues in their normal states, offers a unique opportunity to detect and intervene upon pathological changes early to prevent irreversible damage. Changes on UTE-T2* imaging allow for the identification of subtle alterations in collagen structure, hydration status, and mineralization of tissues that precede morphologic changes visible on conventional imaging. Early detection of such microstructural changes can allow for the earlier diagnosis of tendinopathy, meniscal injury or degeneration, and early osteoarthritis, potentially allowing for improved patient outcomes through earlier intervention. This review will focus specifically on the clinical applications of one UTE MRI technique, UTE-T2*, in the evaluation of musculoskeletal tissues about the knee.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Accelerated ultrashort echo time quantitative magnetization transfer (UTE-qMT) imaging of macromolecular fraction (MMF) in cortical bone based on a self-attention convolutional neural network

  Magnetic Resonance Imaging · 2025-05-04 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Assessing the Ergonomics of Gynecologic Surgeries

  Obstetrics and Gynecology · 2025-03-28

  article

  INTRODUCTION: The healthcare industry is known to have one of the highest work-related injuries. Despite evidence that musculoskeletal pain and injury can shorten the career of a surgeon and cause significant personal distress, there is limited data on the ergonomics of various surgical approaches and little discussion about prevention of musculoskeletal injury to increase career longevity and reduce burnout. More data on ergonomics in gynecologic surgery is needed to assist in the development of ergonomic devices and training that maintain the health of the surgeons. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare surgeon pain associated with different routes of four commonly performed gynecologic surgeries. METHODS: Gynecologic surgeons performing the following procedures: robotic sacrocolpopexy, laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, vaginal native tissue apical suspension, vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (VNOTES) uterosacral ligament suspension, and laparoscopic and robotic myomectomy or hysterectomy were surveyed between August 2023 and September 2024. A preoperative survey, including demographic data and baseline pain score, was completed before each case. A postoperative survey, including operative timing, surgeon positioning, and postoperative pain score by body location, was completed after each case. If both surveys were not completed, participant entries were removed from the data set. SPSS v18 was utilized for data analysis. RESULTS: There were 178 responses collected from a cohort of 30 surgeons. Majority of participants were female and right-handed (Table 1). Less than half (48.3%) reported use of pain management at a baseline. For all body regions except for the lower back, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score for both preoperative and postoperative were between 0 and 1. The lower back had a statistically significant increased standardized difference in pain change score, most notably among surgeons completing laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, vaginal and VNOTES native tissue apical suspension procedures (Table 2). The average pain change score in the lower back was approximately 10 mm, which is below the established minimum clinically important difference. When adjusted for age, there was an average pain change score of 19.6 mm in the lower back after VNOTES procedures. When comparing average change score between routes of native tissue apical suspension procedures, there was a statistically significant increase in postoperative pain score of 0.49 in the right wrist after VNOTES versus vaginal approaches (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal and VNOTES suspension may confer higher risk postoperative lower back pain compared to other routes of gynecologic surgery. Surgeons should be aware of this information and consider intraoperative adjustments and exercises targeted at the lower back to counteract undue strain on the region during surgery.

  PublisherDOI

• Fast Three-Dimensional Short TR Adiabatic Inversion Recovery Ultrashort Echo Time (STAIR-UTE) Imaging of Cortical Bone

  Proceedings on CD-ROM - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Scientific Meeting and Exhibition/Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Scientific Meeting and Exhibition · 2025-09-16

  article

  Motivation: The short TR adiabatic inversion recovery UTE (STAIR-UTE) sequence allows direct imaging of bone, providing CT-like positive contrast Goal(s): To evaluate the efficacy of 3D STAIR-UTE in imaging bone at different anatomic sites. Approach: This study evaluates the SNR and CNR efficiency of UTE, ZTE and STAIR-UTE for rapid, high-contrast bone imaging across various anatomical sites. Results: STAIR-UTE enables direct imaging of cortical bone with positive contrast, while UTE, and ZTE provide negative contrast for bone across various anatomical sites. Impact: STAIR-UTE allows fast direct imaging of cortical bone at various anatomical sites with high positive contrast, with potential for routine clinical applications

  PublisherDOI

• Novel Application of T1ρ Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Noninvasive Assessment of Bladder Hyperpermeability Biomarkers: A Focus on Glycosaminoglycan Content

  Neurourology and Urodynamics · 2025-05-04

  article

  PURPOSE: Bladder wall hyperpermeability due to glycosaminoglycan depletion is implicated in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome pathogenesis. This study sought to validate T1ρ MRI as a noninvasive imaging sequence for assessing bladder wall hyperpermeability biomarkers, with a focus on bladder glycosaminoglycan content, in protamine sulfate-induced models of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rat bladders (n = 8) treated with saline (control), protamine sulfate, pentosan polysulfate, or protamine sulfate + pentosan polysulfate (rescue) were imaged in situ using T1ρ and standard MRI sequences. Predominant bladder glycosaminoglycans, chondroitin and heparan sulfate, were measured in subsequently harvested rat bladders via aniline tagging coupled with mass spectrometry. Human bladder biopsies (n = 12) were similarly imaged before and after protamine sulfate treatment, and post-imaging glycosaminoglycan analysis was performed. Data were compared between groups using one-way ANOVA or paired Student t-test. T1ρ relaxivity was correlated with chemically measured glycosaminoglycan content using linear regression. RESULTS: Protamine sulfate-treated rat bladders had decreased glycosaminoglycans and higher T1ρ relaxivity relative to controls. Pentosan polysulfate also decreased glycosaminoglycans versus controls and did not mitigate protamine-mediated glycosaminoglycan depletion. Importantly, T1ρ relaxivity correlated with chemical glycosaminoglycan quantification (chondroitin sulfate: r = 0.86, p < 0.01; heparan sulfate r = 0.80, p = 0.02). In human biopsies, T1ρ relaxivity increased after protamine sulfate treatment versus baseline (154.2 ± 5.9 vs. 131.0 ± 4.4 ms, p < 0.001), consistent with decreased glycosaminoglycans, while chemical analyses failed to capture statistically significant changes in bladder glycosaminoglycans. CONCLUSIONS: T1ρ MRI accurately measured glycosaminoglycans in rat bladders and differentiated protamine sulfate-treated bladder biopsies from unperturbed specimens in humans. T1ρ MRI warrants further investigation as a novel biomarker of bladder glycosaminoglycan content in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

  PublisherDOI

• Estimation of Trabecular Bone Volume with Dual-Echo Ultrashort Echo Time (UTE) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Significantly Correlates with High-Resolution Computed Tomography (CT)

  Journal of Imaging · 2025-02-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  Trabecular bone architecture has important implications for the mechanical strength of bone. Trabecular elements appear as signal void when imaged utilizing conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI can acquire high signal from trabecular bone, allowing for quantitative evaluation. However, the trabecular morphology is often disturbed in UTE-MRI due to chemical shift artifacts caused by the presence of fat in marrow. This study aimed to evaluate a UTE-MRI technique to estimate the trabecular bone volume fraction (BVTV) without requiring trabecular-level morphological assessment. A total of six cadaveric distal tibial diaphyseal trabecular bone cubes were scanned using a dual-echo UTE Cones sequence (TE = 0.03 and 2.2 ms) on a clinical 3T MRI scanner and on a micro-computed tomography (μCT) scanner. The BVTV was calculated from 10 consecutive slices on both the MR and μCT images. BVTV calculated from the MR images showed strongly significant correlation with the BVTV determined from μCT images (R = 0.84, p &lt; 0.01), suggesting that UTE-MRI is a feasible technique for the assessment of trabecular bone microarchitecture. This would allow for the non-invasive assessment of information regarding bone strength, and UTE-MRI may potentially serve as a novel tool for assessment of fracture risk.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R21DE019008

  NIH · $426k · 2011

• Resource-based Center for the study of the joint microenvironment in rheumatology (Overall Application)

  NIH · $7.8M · 2018–2024

• Development and Translation of Novel UTE-MuSIC MR Sequence to Image Around Metal

  NIH · 2014–2017

• NIH Grant R01DE022068

  NIH · $2.4M · 2016

• MR Biomarkers of Inflammation in Knee Osteoarthritis

  NIH · 2022–2026

Frequent coauthors

• Eric Y. Chang

  University of California, San Diego

  272 shared

• Jiang Du

  169 shared

• Won C. Bae

  University of California, San Diego

  119 shared

• Sheronda Statum

  University of California, San Diego

  109 shared

• Saeed Jerban

  University of California, San Diego

  89 shared

• Yajun Ma

  University of California, San Diego

  76 shared

• Donald Resnick

  VA San Diego Healthcare System

  76 shared

• Hyungseok Jang

  55 shared

Education

• Fellowship, Osteoradiology

  University of California, San Diego

  1999

• Residency, Diagnostic Radiology

  Ohio State University Medical Center

  1998

• Doctor of Medicine

  University of Iowa College of Medicine

  1993

• BS Exercise Physiology/ BA French

  University of Iowa

  1989