Robert Bok, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology, UCSF
Cancer Center Program Memberships
Prostate CancerResearch Summary
Robert Bok, MD, PhD, is an Associate Adjunct Professor in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging and the Hyperpolarized MRI Technology Resource Center at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Bok obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois in 1984, and he earned his MD in Medicine from The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore in 1989. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 1992, followed by a fellowship in Hematology-Oncology from UCSF in 1996.
At the UCSF Mission Bay Surbeck Laboratory, Dr. Bok provides physician coverage for research on MRI/MRSI scans performed on patients. Dr. Bok’s research activities focuses on the development of better molecular imaging methods for detecting and monitoring prostate cancer. His primary interest is on the use of pre-clinical animal models to improve recent advances in MRSI for prostate cancer. This includes hyperpolarized carbon-13 techniques, high-resolution magic angle spectroscopy, and the use of novel nanoparticles. Dr. Bok and his colleagues are also investigating the use of hyperpolarized 13C-pryuvate in a transgenic mouse model for prostate cancer known as Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of Mouse Prostate (TRAMP).
Dr. Bok is a current member of the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, the CALGB, the Association of Northern California Oncologists, the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and the World Molecular Imaging Society. He has 60 published science articles and he has written 53 peer-reviewed articles and 90 abstracts.
Expertise:
Oncology
Specialty:
Prostate cancer, TRAMP, nanoparticles
Professional Interests:
Prostate cancer, urologic oncology, molecular imaging, hyperpolarized carbon-13 spectroscopy, high-resolution magic-angle spin spectroscopy, transgenic cancer models, extracellular proteases, metastases, molecular biomarkers
Education and Training:
• Medical School: The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore - Medicine
• Internship: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis - Internal Medicine
• Residency: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis - Internal Medicine
• Fellowship: University of California, San Francisco - Hematology-Oncology
• Doctor of Philosophy: University of Illinois, Urbana - Biochemistry
• Medical License, State of California
• ABIM, Board Certification in Internal Medicine
• ABIM, Board Certification in Medical Oncology
• ACLS Certification
Education
Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, IN, B.S., 1980, Biology and Chemistry
University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL, Ph.D., 1984, Biochemistry
John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, M.D., 1989, Medicine
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, Residency, 1992, Internal Medicine
University of California, San Francisco, Fellow, 1996, Hematology-Oncology
Professional Experience
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1980-84
Biochemical studies on the regulation of plasminogen activation by fibrin and lysine-binding sites, University of Illinois, Biochemistry Department. Advisor: Walter Mangel, Ph.D.- As Graduate Student -
1984-85
Studies on the distribution of ubiquitin, a regulator of intracellular proteolysis, in biological systems, St. Jude Children's Research hospital, Memphis, TN. Advisor: Victor Fried, Ph.D. -- as Post-Doc -
1985-86
Summer research project on evaluation of small molecule serine protease inhibitor in cell culture system, Children's Hospital, university of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA Advisor: Walter Laug, M.D. -- as Medical Student -
1987
Research elective studying inhibition of tumor angiogensis by the antibiotic minocycline, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Brain Tumor Lab, Baltimore MD. Advisor: Henry Brem, M.D. -- as Medical Student -
1988
Research elective investigating serum of patients with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) for potential anti-endothelial cell auto-antibodies, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Hematology Division, Baltimore, MD. Advisor: William Bell M.D. -- As Medical Student -
1990
Research honors rotation studying the effect of HSB on Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor -- 1 (PAI-1) expression by endothelal Cells, University of Minnesota, Hematology Division, Dept. of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN. Advisor: Greg Vercellotti, M.D. -- As Medical Resident -
1992-96
Isolation and characterization of genomic fragments of the murine beta3 integrin gene for purposes of homologous recombination, Hematology-Oncology Division, Univ. of Calif., San Francisco. Advisor: Marc Shuman, M.D. -- As Hematology-Oncology Fellow -
1996-98
Characterization of integrins in basal cells of prostatic epithelium; Targeting of recombinant proteins to platelet granules via Dodecapeptide sequence, Hem.-Onc. Div., UCSF. Advisor: Marc Shuman, M.D. -- As Visiting Post-Doc -
1998-2000
Clinical Instructor, Urological Oncology Program, UCSF/Mt. Zion Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA. Assistant Clinical Professor appointment pending. Establishment of TRAMP transgenic mouse colony and protease expression analysis in conjunction with the Protease Project Group at UCSF.
Selected Publications
- Taglang C, Korenchan DE, von Morze C, Yu J, Najac C, Wang S, Blecha JE, Subramaniam S, Bok R, VanBrocklin HF, Vigneron DB, Ronen SM, Sriram R, Kurhanewicz J, Wilson DM, Flavell RR. Late-stage deuteration of 13C-enriched substrates for T1 prolongation in hyperpolarized 13C MRI. Chem Commun (Camb). 2018 May 17; 54(41):5233-5236.
View on PubMed - Chen HY, Larson PEZ, Gordon JW, Bok RA, Ferrone M, van Criekinge M, Carvajal L, Cao P, Pauly JM, Kerr AB, Park I, Slater JB, Nelson SJ, Munster PN, Aggarwal R, Kurhanewicz J, Vigneron DB. Technique development of 3D dynamic CS-EPSI for hyperpolarized 13 C pyruvate MR molecular imaging of human prostate cancer. Magn Reson Med. 2018 Mar 25.
View on PubMed - Park I, Larson PEZ, Gordon JW, Carvajal L, Chen HY, Bok R, Van Criekinge M, Ferrone M, Slater JB, Xu D, Kurhanewicz J, Vigneron DB, Chang S, Nelson SJ. Development of methods and feasibility of using hyperpolarized carbon-13 imaging data for evaluating brain metabolism in patient studies. Magn Reson Med. 2018 Jan 10.
View on PubMed - Shin PJ, Zhu Z, Camarda R, Bok RA, Zhou AY, Kurhanewicz J, Goga A, Vigneron DB. Cancer recurrence monitoring using hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate metabolic imaging in murine breast cancer model. Magn Reson Imaging. 2017 Nov; 43:105-109.
View on PubMed - Chen HY, Larson PEZ, Bok RA, von Morze C, Sriram R, Delos Santos R, Delos Santos J, Gordon JW, Bahrami N, Ferrone M, Kurhanewicz J, Vigneron DB. Assessing Prostate Cancer Aggressiveness with Hyperpolarized Dual-Agent 3D Dynamic Imaging of Metabolism and Perfusion. Cancer Res. 2017 06 15; 77(12):3207-3216.
View on PubMed - Wilson DM, Di Gialleonardo V, Wang ZJ, Carroll V, Von Morze C, Taylor A, Sai V, VanCriekinge M, Bok R, Ohliger MA, Keshari KR. Hyperpolarized 13C Spectroscopic Evaluation of Oxidative Stress in a Rodent Model of Steatohepatitis. Sci Rep. 2017 Apr 20; 7:46014.
View on PubMed - Marco-Rius I, Gordon JW, Mattis AN, Bok R, Delos Santos R, Sukumar S, Larson PEZ, Vigneron DB, Ohliger MA. Diffusion-weighted imaging of hyperpolarized [13 C]urea in mouse liver. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2018 Jan; 47(1):141-151.
View on PubMed - Milshteyn E, von Morze C, Reed GD, Shang H, Shin PJ, Zhu Z, Chen HY, Bok R, Goga A, Kurhanewicz J, Larson PE, Vigneron DB. Development of high resolution 3D hyperpolarized carbon-13 MR molecular imaging techniques. Magn Reson Imaging. 2017 05; 38:152-162.
View on PubMed - Marco-Rius I, von Morze C, Sriram R, Cao P, Chang GY, Milshteyn E, Bok RA, Ohliger MA, Pearce D, Kurhanewicz J, Larson PE, Vigneron DB, Merritt M. Monitoring acute metabolic changes in the liver and kidneys induced by fructose and glucose using hyperpolarized [2-13 C]dihydroxyacetone. Magn Reson Med. 2017 Jan; 77(1):65-73.
View on PubMed - Shang H, Sukumar S, von Morze C, Bok RA, Marco-Rius I, Kerr A, Reed GD, Milshteyn E, Ohliger MA, Kurhanewicz J, Larson PEZ, Pauly JM, Vigneron DB. Spectrally selective three-dimensional dynamic balanced steady-state free precession for hyperpolarized C-13 metabolic imaging with spectrally selective radiofrequency pulses. Magn Reson Med. 2017 Sep; 78(3):963-975.
View on PubMed - Ohliger MA, von Morze C, Marco-Rius I, Gordon J, Larson PEZ, Bok R, Chen HY, Kurhanewicz J, Vigneron D. Combining hyperpolarized 13 C MRI with a liver-specific gadolinium contrast agent for selective assessment of hepatocyte metabolism. Magn Reson Med. 2017 Jun; 77(6):2356-2363.
View on PubMed - Reed GD, von Morze C, Verkman AS, Koelsch BL, Chaumeil MM, Lustig M, Ronen SM, Bok RA, Sands JM, Larson PE, Wang ZJ, Larsen JH, Kurhanewicz J, Vigneron DB. Imaging Renal Urea Handling in Rats at Millimeter Resolution using Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry. Tomography. 2016 Jun; 2(2):125-135.
View on PubMed - von Morze C, Chang GY, Larson PE, Shang H, Allu PK, Bok RA, Crane JC, Olson MP, Tan CT, Marco-Rius I, Nelson SJ, Kurhanewicz J, Pearce D, Vigneron DB. Detection of localized changes in the metabolism of hyperpolarized gluconeogenic precursors 13 C-lactate and 13 C-pyruvate in kidney and liver. Magn Reson Med. 2017 Apr; 77(4):1429-1437.
View on PubMed - Chen Y, Kim H, Bok R, Sukumar S, Mu X, Sheldon RA, Barkovich AJ, Ferriero DM, Xu D. Pyruvate to Lactate Metabolic Changes during Neurodevelopment Measured Dynamically Using Hyperpolarized 13C Imaging in Juvenile Murine Brain. Dev Neurosci. 2016; 38(1):34-40.
View on PubMed - Flavell RR, von Morze C, Blecha JE, Korenchan DE, Van Criekinge M, Sriram R, Gordon JW, Chen HY, Subramaniam S, Bok RA, Wang ZJ, Vigneron DB, Larson PE, Kurhanewicz J, Wilson DM. Application of Good's buffers to pH imaging using hyperpolarized (13)C MRI. Chem Commun (Camb). 2015 Sep 25; 51(74):14119-22.
View on PubMed - von Morze C, Bok RA, Ohliger MA, Zhu Z, Vigneron DB, Kurhanewicz J. Hyperpolarized [(13)C]ketobutyrate, a molecular analog of pyruvate with modified specificity for LDH isoforms. Magn Reson Med. 2016 May; 75(5):1894-900.
View on PubMed - Koelsch BL, Reed GD, Keshari KR, Chaumeil MM, Bok R, Ronen SM, Vigneron DB, Kurhanewicz J, Larson PEZ. Rapid in vivo apparent diffusion coefficient mapping of hyperpolarized (13) C metabolites. Magn Reson Med. 2015 Sep; 74(3):622-633.
View on PubMed - Keshari KR, Wilson DM, Sai V, Bok R, Jen KY, Larson P, Van Criekinge M, Kurhanewicz J, Wang ZJ. Noninvasive in vivo imaging of diabetes-induced renal oxidative stress and response to therapy using hyperpolarized 13C dehydroascorbate magnetic resonance. Diabetes. 2015 Feb; 64(2):344-52.
View on PubMed - Tang S, Jiang W, Chen HY, Bok R, Vigneron DB, Larson PE. A 2DRF pulse sequence for bolus tracking in hyperpolarized 13C imaging. Magn Reson Med. 2015 Aug; 74(2):506-12.
View on PubMed - von Morze C, Bok RA, Reed GD, Ardenkjaer-Larsen JH, Kurhanewicz J, Vigneron DB. Simultaneous multiagent hyperpolarized (13)C perfusion imaging. Magn Reson Med. 2014 Dec; 72(6):1599-609.
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