Academic Neuroradiology • Translational Neuroimaging • Advanced MRI Biomarkers

Joga Chaganti, MD, FRANZCR, DNB, PhD

Associate Professor of Radiology at Thomas Jefferson University and academic neuroradiologist focused on blood–brain barrier disruption, glymphatic dysfunction, neuroinflammation, neurovascular dysfunction, and advanced neuro-oncology MRI.

Thomas Jefferson University Jefferson Health Director of Vessel Wall Imaging ORCID: 0000-0003-4776-5038 joga.chaganti@jefferson.edu

Academic Profile

Dr. Chaganti is an academic neuroradiologist and translational neuroimaging investigator whose work integrates perfusion, permeability, diffusion, spectroscopy, functional connectivity, and emerging metabolic imaging methods to identify clinically meaningful imaging biomarkers in complex neurological disease.

Current Roles

Associate Professor of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.

Attending Neuroradiologist, Jefferson Health.

Director of Vessel Wall Imaging, Thomas Jefferson University.

Training and Academic Foundation

PhD, University of New South Wales, focused on advanced imaging biomarkers of HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment and neuroinflammation.

FRANZCR, DNB Radiology, MD Radiology, and MBBS.

Research Themes

Theme 01

Blood–Brain Barrier and Neurovascular Dysfunction

Quantitative DCE-MRI, diffusion-prepared ASL, and functional MRI approaches to study BBB permeability, neurovascular unit dysfunction, and network-level brain injury.

Theme 02

Glymphatic Imaging and DTI-ALPS

Investigation of paravascular clearance, DTI-ALPS, perivascular-space imaging, and glymphatic–BBB coupling in Long COVID, hepatic encephalopathy, gliomas, and neuroinflammatory disease.

Theme 03

Advanced Neuro-Oncology MRI

Integration of DCE, DSC, APT/CEST, ASL, diffusion imaging, spectroscopy, and functional MRI for tumor biology, glioma grading, recurrence, pseudoprogression, and radiation necrosis.

Contributions to Science

BBB disruption in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder

Demonstrated that BBB dysfunction persists in virally suppressed HAND and can be detected using DCE-MRI, supporting a mechanistic model of ongoing CNS neuroinflammation despite systemic virologic control.

BBB, excitotoxicity, and Long COVID

Developed a multimodal MRI framework linking BBB permeability, glutamatergic abnormalities, and white matter injury in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Glymphatic–BBB coupling

Advanced a dual-hit model in which BBB permeability and impaired glymphatic clearance interact to disturb brain homeostasis and contribute to neurocognitive impairment.

Imaging biomarkers in covert hepatic encephalopathy

Linked BBB permeability to disrupted functional connectivity and regional homogeneity, providing a mechanistic bridge between neurovascular injury and cognitive dysfunction.

Selected Publications

Chaganti J, Zeng G, Patil A, Lockart I, Dellalana M, Montagnese S, Brew B, Danta M. Altered blood–brain barrier permeability is associated with abnormal distant connectivity and regional homogeneity in covert hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatology, 2026.
Chaganti JR, Talekar TK, Brew BJ. Asymmetrical glymphatic dysfunction in patients with Long COVID associated neurocognitive impairment: correlation with BBB disruption. BMC Neurology, 2025.
Chaganti J, Poudel G, Cysique LA, Dore GJ, Kelleher A, Matthews G, et al. Blood–brain barrier disruption and glutamatergic excitotoxicity in post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection cognitive impairment. Frontiers in Neurology, 2024.
Chaganti J, Marripudi K, Staub LP, Rae CD, Gates TM, Moffat KJ, Brew BJ. Imaging correlates of blood–brain barrier disruption in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder and therapeutic implications. AIDS, 2019.
Chaganti J, Taylor M, Woodford H, Steel T. Differentiation of primary CNS lymphoma and high-grade glioma with dynamic susceptibility contrast-derived metrics. World Neurosurgery, 2021.

Funding and Research Programs

Principal Investigator: Minimal hepatic encephalopathy imaging project using DTI-ALPS, myelin water imaging, DWI-prepared ASL, and liver stiffness correlation.
Investigator: Imaging neurovascular unit dysfunction in cerebral small vessel disease using acetazolamide-challenged ASL and diffusion-prepared ASL.
Principal Investigator: Neural correlates of methamphetamine use disorder, St Vincent’s Clinic grant, Sydney.
Associate Investigator: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder treatment intensification studies, NHMRC-supported work.
Current program: Advanced hemodynamic and amide proton transfer imaging for characterization of post-treatment glioma lesions.

Selected Invited Lectures

Keystone Congress, Santa Fe, 2025
Imaging neuroinflammation: glymphatic dysfunction, BBB disruption, and glutamatergic excitotoxicity in Long COVID.
Johns Hopkins Hospital, 2025
The glymphatic spectrum: imaging and insights into brain fluid clearance disorders.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2025
Neurovascular uncoupling in health and disease.
University of Michigan, 2025
The glymphatic spectrum.
UPMC Neuroradiology Grand Rounds, 2025
Advanced neuroimaging of demyelinating disorders.
ISMRM Weekend Educational Session, 2020
Neuroinflammation and the blood–brain barrier.

Teaching and Mentorship

Dr. Chaganti mentors residents, fellows, research assistants, and medical students in advanced MRI biomarker research, imaging interpretation, manuscript development, and academic presentation.

Resident and Fellow Teaching

Daily case-based neuroradiology teaching and recurring didactic sessions.

Research Advising

Mentorship in DTI-ALPS, post-treatment tumor imaging, hepatic encephalopathy, demyelination, IIH, and ALSP.

Academic Development

Support for abstract preparation, manuscript writing, grant development, and journal submission strategy.

Clinical Translation and Program Development

Clinical and translational work includes implementation of vessel wall imaging, DCE perfusion imaging, targeted perfusion analysis with hotspot interrogation, and emerging APT and ASL applications in glioma and dementia imaging.

Contact

For research collaboration, invited lectures, editorial work, or academic mentorship.

Institution

Department of Radiology
Thomas Jefferson University / Jefferson Health
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania