Katja Pinker-Domenig, MD, PhD, EBBI obtained her medical degree at the Medical University of Vienna in 2003. From 2005 until 2010 he was trained as a radiologist at the Department of Radiology at the Medical University of Vienna. Her focus on breast imaging began right after completing medical school in 2003 when she joined the research team of the Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging in Vienna, Austria. She benefitted from clinical research training in world-leading groups, including the Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging and the MR Centre of Excellence in the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, the Breast Health Center at the Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the Pre-Clinical Imaging Laboratory, which endowed her with broad theoretical and practical knowledge in breast and cancer imaging, with a special focus on advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In 2008, she was awarded a European School of Radiology Visiting Scholarship at the Breast Unit, Barts and The London Cancer Centre, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London in 2008, and consecutively was received as a research fellow at the London Breast Institute, Princess Grace Hospital, London, UK, in 2009. In 2013, she was appointed Associate Professor of Radiology and Faculty Member of the Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Division of Molecular and Gender Imaging, Medical University of Vienna.

In 2014, she was awarded an Erwin Schrödinger Fellowship by the Austrian Science Fund for the project “Innovative Cancer Imaging with Advanced MRI and Novel Tracers” and has been a Visiting Researcher at the Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging and Therapy Service/ Breast Service at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA. Since 11/2017 she has been appointed as an Associate Member, MH at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), Associate Attending Radiologist at Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases, and Associate Professor of Radiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University. In addition, she serves as Affiliated Faculty at the Department of Scientific Computing at Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA.

Her research interests focus on molecular breast imaging with high-field/ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using multiple advanced MRI parameters and hybrid techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI with specific tracers to elucidate the underlying processes of cancer development and progression. Dr. Pinker-Domenig and her research team initially developed and improved upon several single MRI parameters, which characterized different hallmarks of breast cancer, and subsequently helped to established multiparametric multimodality breast imaging with MRI and PET/MRI in the clinics.

Dr. Pinker-Domenig`s research won her 11 competitive grants and 16 research awards. Dr. Pinker-Domenig has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, which mainly report the results of original scientific investigations in peer-reviewed international journals and has (co)-authored several book chapters. She has received several prestigious awards, including the Hans and Blanca Moser Award for Translational Cancer Research and the Carla Boetes Young Investigator Award in 2014 of the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI). She is the Deputy Editor of the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and section editor and reviewer for numerous prestigious medical journals. She earned a European Diploma in Breast Imaging (EBBI) from the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI) and became an executive board member of the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI) in 2012. She is currently also the Chairperson of the EUSOBI Young Club committee, which aims to create connections and foster collaborations between young researchers to share experiences, exchange ideas, knowledge, and educational information. Moreover, she is also a member of the Leadership Committee of Women in Molecular Imaging Interest Group of the World Molecular Imaging Society.

Most important grants (PI or Co-PI)

Molecular Imaging of Breast Tumors at 7 Tesla: Proof of Concept OENB#15082. Jubiläumsfonds of the Austrian National Bank
Amount, 185.910 EUR, PI, Dates: 2013-2016

HYPMED: Digital Hybrid Breast PET/MRI for Enhanced Diagnosis of Breast Cancer Horizon 2020. 2020 – Research and Innovation Framework Programme PHC-11-2015 # 667211-2. 5.861.960 EUR, Co-PI, PI Christiane Kuhl, Dates: 2015-2019

Virtual Physiological Human: Personalised Predictive Breast Cancer Therapy Through Integrated Tissue Micro-Structure Modeling (VPH-PRISM). Grant# 601040, European Union’s 7th Framework Programme for Research 2007-2016, 3,7M EUR, Co-PI, PI EIBIR/ Fraunhofer Mevis, Dates: 2007-2016

Magnetic Resonance Tumor Vessel Architecture Mapping as a Novel Imaging Biomarker for the Assessment of Breast Tumors: OENB#16219, Jubiläumsfonds of the Austrian National Bank, 110K EUR, Co-PI, PI Andreas Stadlbauer, Dates: 2009-2011

Multiparametric Functional PET-MRI in Breast Lesions: a New Technique for Detection and Assessment of Early Treatment Response: OENB#13652, Jubiläumsfonds of the Austrian National Bank, 70K EUR, Co-PI, PI Thomas Helbich, Dates: 2009-2011

Most important publications

Krammer J/ Pinker-Domenig K, Robson ME, Gönen M, Bernard-Davila B, Morris EA, Mangino DA, Jochelson MS. Breast cancer detection and tumor characteristics in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2017 Jun;163(3):565-571.

Pinker K, Riedl C, Weber WA. Evaluating tumor response with FDG PET: updates on PERCIST, comparison with EORTC criteria and clues to future developments. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging. 2017 Mar 30.

Pinker K, Riedl CC, Ong L, Jochelson M, Ulaner GA, McArthur A, Dickler M, Gönen M, Weber WA. The Impact That Number of Analyzed Metastatic Breast Cancer Lesions Has on Response Assessment by 18F-FDG PET/CT Using PERCIST. J J Nucl Med. 2016 Jul;57(7):1102-4

Pinker K, Baltzer P, Bogner W, Leithner D, Trattnig S, Zaric O, Dubsky P, Bago-Horvath Z, Rudas M, Gruber S, Weber M, Helbich TH. Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging with High-Resolution Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced and Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 7T Improves the Assessment of Breast Tumors: A Feasibility Study. Radiology. 2015 Aug;276(2):360-70.

Pinker K, Bogner W, Baltzer P, Karanikas G, Magometschnigg H, Brader P, Gruber S, Bickel H, Dubsky P, Bago-Horvath Z, Bartsch R, Weber M, Trattnig S, Helbich TH. Improved Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Breast Tumors with Multiparametric 18Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Magnetic Resonance imaging: A Feasibility Study. Clin Cancer Res. 2014 Jul 1;20(13):3540-9.

Pinker K, Bogner W, Baltzer P, Gruber S, Bickel H, Brueck B, Trattnig S, Weber M, Dubsky P, Bago-Horvath Z, Bartsch R, Helbich TH. Improved Diagnostic Accuracy with Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Breast using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI, Diffusion-weighted Imaging and 3D Proton MR Spectroscopic Imaging. Invest Radiol. 2014 May;49(5):354-62.

Pinker K, Bogner W, Baltzer P, Trattnig S, Gruber S, Abeyakoon O, Bernathova M, Zaric O, Dubsky P, Bago-Horvath Z, Weber M, Leithner D, Helbich TH. Clinical application of bilateral high temporal and spatial resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the breast at 7T. Eur Radiol. 2014 Apr;24(4):913-20.

Pinker-Domenig K, Bickel H, Helbich TH, Gruber S, Dubsky P, Pluschnig U, Rudas M, Bago-Horvath Z, Weber M, Trattnig S, Bogner W. Combined contrast enhanced magnetic resonance and diffusion weighted imaging reading adapted to the “Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System” for multiparametric 3 T imaging of breast lesions. Eur Radiol. 2013 Jul;23(7):1791-802

Pinker-Domenig K, Bogner W, Gruber S, Bickel H, Duffy S, Schernthaner M, Dubsky P, Pluschnig U, Rudas M, Trattnig S, Helbich TH. High resolution MRI of the breast at 3 T: which BI-RADS® descriptors are most strongly associated with the diagnosis of breast cancer? Eur Radiol. 2012 Feb;22(2):322-30. Epub 2011 Sep 14.

Pinker K, Grabner G, Bogner W, Gruber S, Szomolanyi, Trattnig S, Heinz-Peer G, Weber M, Fitzal F, Pluschnig U, Rudas M, Helbich TH. A Combined High Temporal and High Spatial Resolution 3 Tesla MR Imaging Protocol for the Assessment of Breast Lesions: Initial Results. Invest Radiol. 2009 Sep;44(9):553-8