Cristiana Corsi

Current Position

Associate Professor in Bioengineering at DEI, Department of Electric, Electronic and Information Engineering "Guglielmo Marconi" at University of Bologna, Italy.

Academic Degrees

• 2002: PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy with the thesis: “Computational models for left ventricular volume estimation in 3D echocardiography”;.
• 1998-99: Master in “Management of Health Systems”, Alma Mater Foundation, University of Bologna;
• May 1998: Certificate for engineering practice;
• 1997: MS in Electronic Engineering at University of Bologna, Italy.

Appointments

09/2012 – 09/2014: Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Bologna

12/2008 – 08/2012 IT Technician, DAPT, University of Bologna, Italy

01/2002 – 11/2008 Research Fellow, DEIS, University of Bologna, Italy

04/2005 – 07/2005 Researcher Assistant, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

04/2004 – 07/2004 Researcher Assistant, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

11/1999 - 04/2000 Visiting graduate student, LBNL Berkeley, CA, USA

Awards

· R BUCE WEST Research Based University Chairs of Excellence – West France (FP7-PEOPLE-COFUND 2008), Signal and Image Processing Laboratory, UMR Inserm 641, University of Rennes;

• “Arthur E. Weyman” Young Investigator's Finalist Award, American Society of Echocardiography, 2005 ;
• “Rosanna Degani Young Investigator Award 2003”, IEEE Computers in Cardiology.

Teaching activity

· 2002-2011: Tutor in the “Bioimaging” class (6 credits), Electronic Engineering Course, University of Bologna;

· 2005-2008 Professor of the “Medical Informatics and Telemedicine” class (6 credits), Biomedical Engineering Course, University of Bologna, Cesena;

· 2006-2009 Professor of “IT systems in health services” class (6 credits), Techniques in Radiology, Imaging and Radiotherapy (profession of Technician in Medical Radiology), University of Bologna, Bologna;

· 2012-2016 Professor of “Biomedical image processing” class (9 credits), Biomedical Engineering MS Course, University of Bologna, Cesena;

• 2012-2016 Professor of “Bioengineering Laboratory” class (6 credits), Biomedical Engineering BS Course, University of Bologna, Cesena;
• Supervisor/Co-supervisor of more than 80 students in their final thesis.

Mentoring Activities

Supervisor of Eng. Claudio Fabbri, PhD student in Biomedical, Electrical and Computer Science PhD Course - XXXI cycle, University of Bologna (2016-2018) with the project “Automated Method for the Volumetric Evaluation of Myocardial Scar from Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Images”;

Co-supervisor of Martino Alessandrini, PhD, Marie Curie Fellow in the project “AFIB2ROTIC: atrial fibrillation fibrosis and rotors: new insights from imaging and computational analysis” (10/2015-09/2017);

Supervisor of Dr. Maddalena Valinoti, PhD student in Biomedical, Electrical and Computer Science PhD Course - XXXI cycle, University of Bologna (2015-2017) with the project “New insights on atrial fibrillation through the integration of electrical rotors and fibrotic tissue analysis”;

Supervisor of Dr. Dario Turco, PhD student in the Biomedical Engineering PhD Course - XXX cycle, University of Bologna (2014-2016) with the project “Biomedical image processing for the assessment of new clinical indexes to differentiate abdominal lesions”;

Co-Supervisor of Dr..Giacomo Tarroni, PhD in Bioengineering - XXIV cycle, University of Bologna (2008-2010) with the project “Perfusion and diffusion phenomena in CMR to assess cardiac function at different scales”; winner of the Rosanna Degani Young Investigator Award 2010;

Co-Supervisor of Dr. Federico Veronesi, PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Politechnich of Milano (2006-2008) with the project “Development of advanced three dimensional image processing methods from different cardiac imaging techniques for clinical parameters extraction”; finalist of the Rosanna Degani Young Investigator Award 2005; finalist of the European Society of Echocardiography Young Investigator Award 2006; finalist of the Arthur Weiman Young Investigator Award, American Society of Echocardiography 2007.

Involvement in national and international research projects from 2007:

· “TRAJECTORIES: Trajectories changes of coronary sinus lead tip and cardiac resynchronization therapy outcome”, Global Investigator-Sponsored Research Program, Boston Scientific, 2015-2016;

· “CLEVER - Contrast-enhanced uLtrasound for livEr-disease eValuation: development and validation of a novel EHealth-software for Risk-stratification”, Marie Curie Industry-Academia Partnerships and Pathways (IAPP) Call: FP7-PEOPLE-2013-IAPP;

· “CMUT-based open research platform for the improvement of medical ultrasonography through the development of new imaging and signal processing strategies” – Italian Ministry of Research and University PRIN 2010-2011 (Prof. P. Tortoli, Università di Firenze);

· “Cartoon 3D - Valutazione della CARdioTOssicità delle terapie ONcologiche mediante ecocardiografica 3D con acquisizione in tempo reale”, Programma di Ricerca IRST-Unibo 2011-2015

· “CHIRON - Cyclic and person-centric Health management: Integrated appRoach for hOme, mobile and clinical eNvironments” funded within the ARTEMIS JOINT UNDERTAKING - Grant Agreement no.: 2009-1-100228;

· “Virtual Pathological Heart of the Virtual Physiological Human (VPH2)”, STREP - FP7-ICT-2007-2, 2008-2011;

· “EUreCA: Effetti dell Uremia sull’attività Cardiaca: analisi in vivo, in vitro e in silico” - Progetti di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale 2007;

· “SurgAid: nuovi metodi di diagnosi e di supporto nella procedura chirurgica di riparazione valvolare mediante l’integrazione di modelli agli elementi finiti ed elaborazione avanzata di immagini ecocardiografiche 4D” – Progetti di Ricerca di Interesse Nazionale 2007;

· “OLDES - Older People’s e-services at home”, VI FP - IST-2006-45282, 2007-2009;

Volunteering for following scientific activities:

• Member of the Board of Directors of Computing in Cardiology in 2015-2017;
• Member of the Working Group on e-Cardiology (WG15/116748/20150603);
• Member of the Local Organizing Committee of the International Conference IEEE Computers in Cardiology, Bologna, 14-17 September 2008.
• Associate Editor for The Scientific World Journal, Radiology section and for the BioMed Research International journal;
• Reviewer for the following international journals: Medical Image Analysis, Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, Europce, International Journal of Cardiology, Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, International Journal of Telemedicine and Applications, Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, Nonlinear Analysis: Real World Applications, BMC Medical Imaging, Cardiovascular Ultrasound, Signal Image and Video Processing;
• Invited speaker at:   - International workshop: “New echocardiographic and biomedical engineering approaches for mv prolapse assessment and surgery: the SurgAid project”, Milan, 22 October 2010; - EuroEcho2012 & Other Imaging Modalities, Joint session with the ESC Working Group on e-Cardiology “Accuracy and Quality control of ventricular volumetric measurements by echocardiography”, Athens, 6 Dicembre 2012.

Author of more than 30 papers in peer reviewed journals, 2 book chapters and more than 150 abstracts/transactions on international and national conferences resulting in a citation index (H-index) equal to 16.

Brief description of activities related to information technology in cardiology

The research activities carried out along the years have, as common denominator, the study of the cardiovascular system, and in particularly the myocardium. Specific interests include new expertized and advanced technologies and methods, applied to medical image processing aimed at the quantification of new clinical indexes to improve patient diagnosis and treatment.

Main research activity regards but are not limited to biomedical image and signal processing in particular filtering and segmentation of biomedical data including real time 3D echocardiography, fluoroscopy, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Additional research interests involve cardiac modeling and simulation and home care solutions.

In the last five years research activities were mainly focused in developing:

• computational models for the estimation of left and right ventricular and left atrial morphology and function from real time 3D echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging;

• automatic assessment of clinical parameters for ADPKD progression (kidney volume, cyst volume and local residual kidney function);
• 3D dynamic position assessment of the coronary sinus lead in cardiac resynchronization therapy from fluoroscopic imaging;
• mathematical modeling and numerical simulation to characterize the electrical mechanisms underlying the cardiac cells behavior;
• health information systems and telemedicine for cardiac monitoring.

List of recent publications in peer-reviewed journals

• M. Marino, C. Corsi, F. Maffessanti, A.R. Patel, V. Mor-Avi, Objective Selection of Short-Axis Slices for Automated Quantification of Left Ventricular Size and Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, Clinical Imaging, Published online: February 29 2016.
• A. Narang, V. Mor-Avi, N.M. Bhave, G. Tarroni, C. Corsi, M.H. Davidson, R.M. Lang, A.R. Patel, Large High-Density Lipoprotein Particle Number is Independently Associated with Microvascular Function in Patients With Well-Controlled Low-Density Lipoprotein Concentration: A Vasodilator Stress Magnetic Resonance Perfusion Study, Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 10(2):314-322, 2016.
• D. Turco, S. Severi, R. Mignani, V. Aiello, R. Magistroni, C. Corsi, Reliability of total renal volume computation in polycystic kidney disease from magnetic resonance imaging, Academic Radiology, 2015 Nov;22(11):1376-84, 2015.
• C. Tomasi, C. Corsi, D. Turco, S. Severi, An exploratory study on coronary sinus lead tip trajectory changes in cardiac resynchronization therapy, Heart Rhythm, 10(9):1360-1367, 2013.
• G. Tarroni, C. Corsi, P.F. Antkowiak, F. Veronesi, C.M. Kramer, F.H. Epstein, J. Walter, C. Lamberti, R. M. Lang, V. Mor-Avi, A.R. Patel, Myocardial perfusion: near-automated evaluation from contrast-enhanced MR images obtained at rest and during vasodilator stress, Radiology, 265:576-583, 2012.
• G. Tarroni, L. Tersi, R. Stagni, C. Corsi, Prosthetic Component Segmentation with Blur Compensation: a Fast Method for 3D Fluoroscopy, Medical Engineering and Computing, 50:631–640, 2012.
• E.G. Caiani, L. Fusini, F. Veronesi, G. Tamborini, F. Maffessanti, P. Gripari, C. Corsi, M. Naliato, M. Zanobini, F. Alamanni, M. Pepi, Quantification of Mitral Annulus Dynamical Morphology in Patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse undergoing Repair and Annuloplasty during a 6-months Follow-up, European Journal of Echocardiography, 12(5): 375-383, 2011.
• R. Mignani, C. Corsi, M. De Marco, E.G. Caiani, G. Santucci , E. Cavagna, S. Severi, L. Cagnoli, Automatic kidney volume measurement in ADPKD based on MRI without injection of contrast medium, American Journal of Nephrology, 33(2):176-184, 2011.
• C. Conti, E Votta, C. Corsi, D. De Marchi, G. Tarroni, M. Stevanella, M. Lombardi, O. Parodi, E.G. Caiani, A. Redaelli, Left ventricular modelling: a quantitative functional assessment tool based on CMR imaging, Journal of the Royal Society Interface Focus, 1:384-395, 2011.
• C. Corsi, C. Tomasi, D. Turco, M. Margheri, C. Lamberti, S. Severi, 3D Dynamic Position Assessment of the Coronary Sinus Lead in Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy, Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing, 49:901–908, 2011.