David S. Wack PhD
David S. Wack
PhD
Associate Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Specialty/Research Focus
Artificial Intelligence; Biomedical Engineering; Brain Research; Image Processing and Analysis; Imaging Informatics; Molecular Imaging Techniques; MRI Methodology; Neuroimaging Analysis
Professional Summary:
My research interests have two main divisions. The first is developing methods for the analysis of medical images. This research focuses on creating parametric maps from post-reconstructed PET, SPECT, MRI, CT, and source localization EEG images. My current work focuses on improving parameter estimation using dynamic image noise reduction, segmentation algorithms, and the development of large image databases and specialized image search algorithms. Associated with my search algorithms are my machine learning methods, which often employ stochastic discrimination methods that are robust in protecting against over-training and proven very effective with neuro-images which have millions of features, but perhaps only hundreds of images with a classification.
My other line of work focuses on neuro-imaging of auditory and language processing. Past work has focused on binaural hearing; current work has moved towards neural markers of top-down compensation for language processing in subjects that do not perform well with speech in noisy backgrounds. This work has received past support from Canon Medical Systems, Inc, USA.
Current projects: A project with NIH support with Rutao Yao, PhD (PI) titled "Self-collimating Single Photon Emission Breast Tomography System with Three-Dimensional Sparse Position-Sensitive Detectors" is ongoing, and has a large simulation component. A project utilizing "4D flow" MRI imaging has received internal support for the purposes of assessing patients with Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease, with Kenneth Snyder, M.D., PhD. from UBNS, as PI.
Publications (h-index: 26, i10: 35) can be seen on Google Scholar.
Recent Biomedical engineering students have worked on comparisons of machine-learning algorithms for classifications of neuroimages, visualization methods utilizing dimension reduction methods for image search results, and natural language algorithms for the automated interpretation of medical reports.
I am currently a member of the faculty council for the Jacobs School of Medicine and a board member of the University at Buffalo's Faculty Student Association.
Education and Training:
- PhD, Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo (2010)
- MA, Applied Mathematics, State University of New York at Buffalo (1992)
- BA, Applied Mathematics, State University of New York at Buffalo (1989)
- BA, Music Performance, State University of New York at Buffalo (1989)
Employment:
- Research Associate Professor, Nuclear Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2013-present)
- Research Assistant Professor, Nuclear Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (1998–2013)
- Chief of Algorithm and Multimodal Integration Research, Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Center, Jacobs Neurological Institute (2007–2011)
- Instructor, Mathematics, State University of New York at Buffalo (1995–2008)
- IT Specialist / Applications Software, Veterans Administration Western New York Health Care System (1992–2006)
- Research Instructor, Nuclear Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (1992–1998)
- Instructor, Mathematics, Daemen College (1992)
- Assistant Professor, Mathematics, Erie Community College (1991–1992)
- Instructor, Mathematics, State University of New York at Buffalo Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (1991)
Research Expertise:
- Auditory Imaging: Functional Imaging of Auditory System
- Medical Imaging Analysis and Algorithms: Kinetic Modelling, Noise Reduction Methods, Medical Imaging Informatics
Journal Articles:
- Wack DS, Schweser F, Wack AS, Muldoon SF, Slavakis K, McGranor C, Kelly E, Miletich RS, McNerney K. (2025) Speech in noise listening correlates identified in resting state and DTI MRI images. Brain and language (Jan), 260: 105503.
- McNerney KM, Kaliyappan K, Wack DS, Muthaiah VPK. (2022) The Influence of Motoric Maneuvers on Cervical Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (cVEMPs). Journal of the American Academy of Audiology (Mar), 33(3): 134-141.
- Wood RP, Khobragade P, Ying L, Snyder K, Wack D, Bednarek DR, Rudin S, Ionita CN. (2015) Initial testing of a 3D printed perfusion phantom using digital subtraction angiography. Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering (Feb), 9417. doi:10.1117/12.2081471
- Badgaiyan RD, Sinha S, Sajjad M, Wack DS. (2015) Attenuated Tonic and Enhanced Phasic Release of Dopamine in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. PloS one (Jan), 10(9): e0137326. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0137326
- Badgaiyan RD, Weise S, Wack DS, Vidal Melo MF. (2014) Attenuation of regional cerebral blood flow during memory processing after coronary artery bypass surgery. Anesth Analg (Sep), 119(3): 550-553.
- Wack DS, Snyder KV, Seals KF, Siddiqui AH. (2014) Masked smoothing using separable kernels for CT perfusion images. BMC Med Imaging (Aug), 14: 28-28.
- Wack DS, Polak P, Furuyama J, Burkard RF. (2014) Masking level differences--a diffusion tensor imaging and functional MRI study. PLoS One (Feb), 9(2): 88466-88466.
- Wack DS, Dwyer MG, Bergsland N, Ramasamy D, Di Perri C, Ranza L, Hussein S, Magnano C, Seals K, Zivadinov R. (2013) Improved operator agreement and efficiency using the minimum area contour change method for delineation of hyperintense multiple sclerosis lesions on FLAIR MRI. BMC Med Imaging (Sep), 13(1): 29-29.
- Baker JG, Williams AJ, Wack DS, Miletich RS. (2013) Correlation of cognition and SPECT perfusion: easy Z score and SPM analysis of a pilot sample with cerebral small vessel disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord (Aug), 36(5-6): 290-299.
- Leddy JJ, Cox JL, Baker JG, Wack DS, Pendergast DR, Zivadinov R, Willer B. (2013) Exercise treatment for postconcussion syndrome: a pilot study of changes in functional magnetic resonance imaging activation, physiology, and symptoms. J Head Trauma Rehabil (Jul), 28(4): 241-249.
- Schecklmann M, Landgrebe M, Poeppl TB, Kreuzer P, Männer P, Marienhagen J, Wack DS, Kleinjung T, Hajak G, Langguth B. (2013) Neural correlates of tinnitus duration and distress: a positron emission tomography study. Hum Brain Mapp (Jan), 34(1): 233-240.
- Magnano C, Schirda C, Weinstock-Guttman B, Wack DS, Lindzen E, Hojnacki D, Bergsland N, Kennedy C, Belov P, Dwyer MG, Poloni GU, Beggs CB, Zivadinov R. (2012) Cine cerebrospinal fluid imaging in multiple sclerosis. J Magn Reson Imaging (Oct), 36(4): 825-834.
- Wack DS, Cox JL, Schirda CV, Magnano CR, Sussman JE, Henderson D, Burkard RF. (2012) Functional anatomy of the masking level difference, an FMRI study. PLoS One (Jul), 7(7): 41263-41263.
- Wack DS, Dwyer MG, Bergsland N, Di Perri C, Ranza L, Hussein S, Ramasamy D, Poloni G, Zivadinov R. (2012) Improved assessment of multiple sclerosis lesion segmentation agreement via detection and outline error estimates. BMC medical imaging (Jul), 12: 17. doi:10.1186/1471-2342-12-17
- Li Z, Tan S, Bozorg-Grayeli E, Kodama T, Asheghi M, Delgado G, Panzer M, Pokrovsky A, Wack D, Goodson KE. (2012) Phonon dominated heat conduction normal to Mo/Si multilayers with period below 10 nm. Nano letters (Jun), 12(6): 3121-6.
- Magnano C Schirda C Weinstock-Guttman B Wack ds Lindzen E Hojnacki D Bergsland N Kennedy C Beloc P Dwyer MG Poloni GU Beggs CB Zivadinov R . (2012) Cine cerebrospinal fluid imaging in multiple sclerosis. journal of magnetic resonance imaging (Jun).
- Wack DS, Dwyer MG, Bergsland, N, Di Perri, C, Ranza, l, Hussein, S, Ramasamy, D, Poloni, G, Zivadinov R. (2012) Improved assessment of multiple sclerosis lesion segmentation agreement via detection and outline error estimates. BMC Medical Imaging (Jan), 12(17).
- Badgaiyan R, Wack DS. (2011) Evidence of Dopaminergic Processing of Executive Inhibition. PLos ONE (Dec), 6(e2807).
- Wack DS, Badgaiyan R. (2011) Complex Singular Value Decomposition Based Noise Reduction of Dynamic PET Images, with Application to 11C Raclopride Imaging. Current Medical Imaging Reviews (Jul), 7(2): 113-117.
- McNerney KM, Lockwood AH, Coad ML, Wack DS, Burkard RF. (2011) Use of 64-channel electroencephalography to study neural otolith-evoked responses. J Am Acad Audiol (Mar), 22(3): 143-155.
- Badgaiyan RD, Wack D. (2011) Evidence of dopaminergic processing of executive inhibition. PloS one (Jan), 6(12): e28075. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028075
- Schecklmann, M., Landgrebe, M., Poeppl, T.B., Kreuzer, P., Männer, P., Marienhagen, J., Wack, D.S., Kleinjung, T., Hajak, G., Langguth, B. (2011) Neural correlates of tinnitus duration and Distress: A positron emission tomography study. Human Brain Mapping (Jan).
- Badgaiyan RD. (2011) Evidence of Dopaminergic Processing of Executive Inhibition. PLos ONE (Jan), 6(12).
- Zivadinov R, Schirda C, Dwyer MG, Haacke ME, Weinstock-Guttman B, Menegatti E, Heininen-Brown M, Magnano C, Malagoni AM, Wack DS, Hojnacki D, Kennedy C, Carl E, Bergsland N, Hussein S, Poloni G, Bartolomei I, Salvi F, Zamboni P. (2010) Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency and iron deposition on susceptibility-weighted imaging in patients with multiple sclerosis: a pilot case-control study. Int Angiol (Apr), 29(2): 158-175.
- Burkard RF, Reyes, S, Wack DS, McNerney K. (2010) Can source localization and functional imaging help identify the generators of auditory evoked potentials?. Perspectives on Hearing and Hearing Disorder: Research and Diagnostics (Feb), 14: 4-11.
- Di Perri C, Dwyer MG, Wack DS, Cox JL, Hashmi K, Saluste E, Hussein S, Schirda C, Stosic M, Durfee J, Poloni GU, Nayyar N, Bergamaschi R, Zivadinov R. (2009) Signal abnormalities on 1.5 and 3 Tesla brain MRI in multiple sclerosis patients and healthy controls. A morphological and spatial quantitative comparison study. Neuroimage (Oct), 47(4): 1352-1362.
- Dwyer M, Bergsland N, Hussein S, Durfee J, Wack D, Zivadinov R, Wack DS. (2009) A sensitive, noise-resistant method for identifying focal demyelination and remyelination in patients with multiple sclerosis via voxel-wise changes in magnetization transfer ratio. J Neurol Sci (Jul), 282(1-2): 86-95.
- Kassab M, Bakhtar O, Wack D, Bednarczyk E, Wack DS. (2009) Resting brain glucose uptake in headache-free migraineurs. Headache (Jan), 49(1): 90-97.
- Paul AK, Lobarinas E, Simmons R, Wack D, Luisi JC, Spernyak J, Mazurchuk R, Abdel-Nabi H, Salvi R, Wack DS. (2009) Metabolic imaging of rat brain during pharmacologically-induced tinnitus. Neuroimage (Jan), 44(2): 312-318.
- Lockwood AH, Wack DS, Benedict RH, Coad ML, Sussman JE, Burkard RF. (2008) Multi-site phasic neural activity mediates the execution of an auditory continuous performance task: a PET and electrophysiological study. J Neuroimaging (Oct), 18(4): 364-374.
- Lockwood AH, Wack DS, Benedict RH, Coad ML, Sussman JE, Burkard RF. (2008) Multi-site phasic neural activity mediates the execution of an auditory continuous performance task: a PET and electrophysiological study. Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging (Jul), 18(3): 241-51.
- Lackner JM, Lou Coad M, Mertz HR, Wack DS, Katz LA, Krasner SS, Firth R, Mahl TC, Lockwood AH. (2006) Cognitive therapy for irritable bowel syndrome is associated with reduced limbic activity, GI symptoms, and anxiety. Behav Res Ther (May), 44(5): 621-638.
- Reyes SA, Lockwood AH, Salvi RJ, Coad ML, Wack DS, Burkard RF. (2005) Mapping the 40-Hz auditory steady-state response using current density reconstructions. Hear Res (Jun), 204(1-2): 1-15.
- Amer Wack D Supala A Hershey L Bednarczyk E. (2005) The effect of topiramate (TPM) on dural blood flow (DBF) in migraineurs during and after an infusion of nitroglycerin (GTN ). Clinical Pharmacology (Jan), 79(2).
- Reyes SA, Salvi RJ, Burkard RF, Coad ML, Wack DS, Galantowicz PJ, Lockwood AH. (2004) PET imaging of the 40 Hz auditory steady state response. Hear Res (Aug), 194(1-2): 73-80.
- Santa Maria MP, Benedict, RHB, Bakshi, R, Coad ML, Wack DS, Burkard RF, Weinstok-Guttman B, Roberts S, Lockwood AH. (2004) Functional imaging during covert auditory attention in multiple sclerosis. J Neurol Sci (Mar), 218(1-2): 9-15.
- Lockwood AH, Linn RT, Szymanski H, Coad ML, Wack DS. (2004) Mapping the neural systems that mediate the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT). J Int Neuropsychol Soc (Jan), 10(1): 26-34.
- Bednarczyk EM, Wack DS, Kassab MY, Burch K, Trinidad K, Haka M, Gona J. (2002) Brain blood flow in the nitroglycerin (GTN) model of migraine: measurement using positron emission tomography and transcranial Doppler. Cephalalgia (Nov), 22(9): 749-757.
- Bednarczyk EM, Wack DS, Kassab M, Burch K, Trinidad KS, Haka MS, Gona JM. (2002) Brain blood flow in the nitroglycerin (GTN) model of migraine: measurement using positron emission tomography and transcranial Doppler. Cephalalgia (Nov), 22(9): 749-757.
- Reyes SA, Salvi RJ, Burkard RF, Coad ML, Wack DS, Galantowicz PJ, Lockwood AH. (2002) Brain imaging of the effects of lidocaine on tinnitus. Hear Res (Sep), 171(1-2): 43-50.
- Salvi RJ, Lockwood AH, Frisina RD, Coad ML, Wack DS, Frisina DR. (2002) PET imaging of the normal human auditory system: responses to speech in quiet and in background noise. Hear Res (Aug), 170(1-2): 96-106.
- Benedict RH, Shucard DW, Santa Maria MP, Shucard JL, Abara JP, Coad ML, Wack D, Sawusch J, Lockwood A. (2002) Covert auditory attention generates activation in the rostral/dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Journal of cognitive neuroscience (May), 14(4): 637-45.
- Lockwood AH, Wack DS, Burkard RF, Coad ML, Reyes SA, Arnold SA, Salvi RJ. (2001) The functional anatomy of gaze-evoked tinnitus and sustained lateral gaze. Neurology (Feb), 56(4): 472-80.
- Lockwood AH, Wack DS, Burkard RF, Coad ML, Reyes SA, Arnold SA, Salvi RJ. (2001) The functional anatomy of gaze-evoked tinnitus and sustained lateral gaze. Neurology (Feb), 56(4): 472-480.
- Lockwood AH, Salvi RJ, Coad ML, Arnold SA, Wack DS, Murphy BW, Burkard RF. (1999) The functional anatomy of the normal human auditory system: responses to 0.5 and 4.0 kHz tones at varied intensities. Cereb Cortex (Jan), 9(1): 65-76.
- Lockwood AH, Salvi RJ, Burkard RF, Galantowicz PJ, Coad ML, Wack DS. (1999) Neuroanatomy of tinnitus. Scand Audiol Suppl (Jan), 51: 47-52.
- Jaeger JJ Lockwood AH Van Valin RD Kemmerer DL Murphy BW Wack DS. (1998) Sex differences in brain regions activated by grammatical and reading tasks. Neuroreport (Aug), 9: 2803-2807.
- Jaeger JJ, Lockwood AH, Van Valin RD, Kemmerer DL, Murphy BW, Wack DS. (1998) Sex differences in brain regions activated by grammatical and reading tasks. Neuroreport (Aug), 9(12): 2803-7.
- Benedict RH, Lockwood AH, Shucard JL, Shucard DW, Wack D, Murphy BW. (1998) Functional neuroimaging of attention in the auditory modality. Neuroreport (Jan), 9(1): 121-6.
- Lockwood AH, Salvi RJ, Coad ML, Towsley ML, Wack DS, Murphy BW. (1998) The functional neuroanatomy of tinnitus: evidence for limbic system links and neural plasticity. Neurology (Jan), 50(1): 114-20.
- Benedict RHB Lockwood AH Shucard JL Shucard DW Wack DS Murphy BW. (1998) Functional neuroimaging of attention in the auditory modlality. Neuroreport (Jan), 9(1): 121-126.
- Kim SH, Kosnik E, Madden C, Rusin J, Wack D, Bartkowski H. (1997) Cerebellar infarction from a traumatic vertebral artery dissection in a child. Pediatric neurosurgery (Aug), 27(2): 71-7.
- Jaeger JJ Wack DS VanValin RDJr. Kemmerer DL Murphy BW Lockwood AH. (1997) Grammatical and reading tasks activate different brain regions in men and women. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism (Jun), 17:S: 2700.
- Stearns CW, Wack DC. (1993) A noise equivalent counts approach to transmission imaging and source design. IEEE transactions on medical imaging (Jan), 12(2): 287-92.
Abstracts:
- Wood R, Iacobucci G, Khobragade P, Ying L, Snyder KV, Wack DS, Rudin S, Ionita CN. (2014) SU-E-QI-6 Design and initial validation of a precise capillary phantom to test perfusion systems. Medical Physics, (Jun) 378
- Miletich RS, Wack DS. (2013) Alzheimer-like global brain impairment in newly diagnosed lung cancer. Society for Neuroscience, (Jan)
- Wack D Badgaiyan R. (2011) Complex Singular Value Decomposition improves parameter estimation in dynamic PET images. J. Nucl Med, (Jan) 2031
- Wack D Wisniewski S Erb D Dandona P Nabi H. (2011) Complex singular value decomposition improves the image quality of C11-PIB images. 5th Annual Human Amyloid Imaging, (Jan)
- Nabi H Dhindsa S Erb S Wack D Chaudhuri A Dubey S Wisniewski S Dandona P. (2011) Objective measurement of B amyloid plaques with C-11 PIB Positron Emission Tomography of Hypogonadal Men with Type 2 Diabetes. 5th Annual Human Amyloid Imaging, (Jan)
- Schirda C Zamboni P Magnano C Lindzen E Wack D Weinstock-Guttman B Ramasamy D Carl E Hojnacki D Kennedy C Dwyer MG Bergsland N Cox JL Salvi F Zivadinov R. (2010) Objective quantification of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow rate in cerebral aqueduct in patients with multiple sclerosis. Neurology, (Jan) A291
- Poloni GU Zamboni P Haacke EM Bastianello S Dwyer MG Bergsland N Schirda C Wack D Magnano C Weinstock-Guttman B Salvi F Hojnacki D Zivadinov R. (2010) Quantitative venous vasculature assessment on susceptibility-weighted imaging reflects presence of severe chronic venous insufficiency in the brain parenchyma of multiple sclerosis patients. A case-control study. Proc Soc Magn Reson Med, (Jan) P210
- Wack D Dwyer MG Bergsland N Zivadinov R. (2010) The need for standardization of lesion activity analysis categorization in the multiple sclerosis clinical trials. Neurology, (Jan)
- Wack D Dwyer MG Bergsland N Hussein S Zivadinov R. (2010) Evaluating MACC for improved MS rater agreement. Proc Soc Magn Reson Med, (Jan) P2075
- Wack DS Dwyer MG DiPerri C Ranza L Hussein S Durfee J Schirda C Bergsland N Cox JL Zivadinov R. (2009) Inter-operator agreement of hyperintense T2 lesions is improved on 3T versus 1.5T scanners. Mult Scler, (Jan)
- Bednarczyk EM Wack DS Lockwood AH Pendergast D. (2000) A Pilot Study of Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) under Physiologic Simulations of Altered Gravity. ASCPT, (Mar)
Service Activities:
- Editor for a special collection. "Understanding Neural Proessing as an Integrated Intelligent System"; Guest Associate Editor, Fontiers in Neuroscience, Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience. (2024–present)
- Handle incoming manuscripts, find appropriate reviewers, and decide on publication merit.; Associate Editor, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Brain Imaging Methods (2023–2025)
- ; Associate Editor, Frontiers in Neuroscience, Decision Neuroscience (2022–2023)
- One of two faculty members for the FSA board.; Board member, Faculty Student Association (2021–present)