Members: Russell Rockne

Russell C. Rockne, Ph.D.Post-doctoral Research Associate

Ph.D. Applied Mathematics 2013

My research is based on patient-specific (PS) mathematical models of cancer growth and response to therapy. Specifically, I consider how routinely collected clinical data can be used to parameterize PS models that can provide biological insight and clinically relevant predictions of individual disease behavior. I recently completed my Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Washington, with my dissertation titled “Towards Patient-Specific Mathematical Radiation Oncology.” My thesis establishes a framework for PS modeling of tumor growth and response to radiation therapy, built entirely upon routinely collected MRI data.

My research goal is to test the general hypothesis that patient-specific mathematical models can quantify and predict disease behavior and recurrence following therapy in vivo, in individual patients.

Rockne CV Dec.

Google Scholar Profile

Awards

  • Named the “Future of Mathematical Biology” (2014)
    This is a semi-annual, nominated feature in the Society for Mathematical Biology newsletter
  • Landahl Student Travel Award (2013)
    Society for Mathematical Biology (SMB) Annual Meeting – Phoenix Arizona
  • Robert’s prize nominee     (2011)
    Top 10 paper of the year for Physics in Medicine and Biology
    Rockne, R, Rockhill JK, Mrugala M, Spence AM, Kalet I, Hendrickson K, Lai A, Cloughsey T, Alvord EC Jr., Swanson KR: Predicting the efficacy of radiotherapy in individual glioblastoma patients in vivo: a mathematical modeling approach. Physics in Medicine and Biology, 55: 3271-3285 2010. Pubmed ID: 20484781
  • Best Abstract       (2011)
    36th Annual Western Regional Society for Nuclear Medicine
    Rockne R, Champley K, Alessio A, Muzi M, Krohn KA, Kinahan PE, Swanson KR. Patient-specific simulations allow prediction of hypoxia and [18F]FMISO-PET in human glioblastoma. Seattle, WA
  • Clinical research paper of the year       (2009)
    Swanson KR, Chakraborty G, Wang CH, Rockne R, Harpold HLP, Muzi M, Anderson TCH, Krohn KA,  Spence AM: Complimentary but Distinct Roles for MRI and 18F-Fluoromisonidazole PET in the Assessment of Human Glioblastomas. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 50: 36-44 2009. Pubmed ID: 19091885

Theses

  • A Mathematical Model for Brain Tumor Response to Radiation Therapy
    Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2006.
    Advisor: Kristin R. Swanson
  • Patient-Specific Mathematical Radiation Oncology
    Doctoral Degree in Applied Mathematics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 2013.
    Advisor: Kristin R. Swanson

Articles – Peer Reviewed

  • Rockne R, Alvord EC Jr., Rockhill JK, Swanson KR: Modeling radiotherapy effect in glioma patients. Journal of Mathematical Biology, Special Issue on Computational Oncology 2008   Pubmed ID: 18815786
  • Rockne R, Alvord EC Jr., Reed P, Swanson KR: Modeling the growth and invasion of gliomas, from simple to complex: the Goldie Locks paradigm. BIOMAT 2007 International Symposium on Mathematical and Computational Biology. Ed. Mondaini R. 2008  World Scientific
  • Swanson KR, Harpold HLP, Peacock DL, Rockne R, Pennington C, Kilbride L, Grant R, Wardlaw J, Alvord EC, Jr. Velocity of Radial Expansion of Contrast-Enhancing Gliomas and Effectiveness of Radiotherapy in Individual Patients: A Proof of Principle. Clin Oncol 20: 301-308, 2008   Pubmed ID: 18308523
  • Swanson KR, Chakraborty G, Wang CH, Rockne R, Harpold HLP, Muzi M, Anderson TCH, Krohn KA, Spence AM: Complimentary but Distinct Roles for MRI and 18F-Fluoromisonidazole PET in the Assessment of Human Glioblastomas. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 50: 36-44 2009. Pubmed ID: 19091885
  • M. D. Szeto, G. Chakraborty, J. Hadley, R. Rockne, M. Muzi, E. C. Alvord Jr., K. Krohn, A. M. Spence, K. R. Swanson: Quantitative Metrics of Net Proliferation and Invasion Link Biological Aggressiveness Assessed by MRI with Hypoxia Assessed by FMISO-PET in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastomas.Cancer Research 69(10):4502-9 Pubmed ID: 19366800
  • Wang C, Rockhill JK, Mrugala M, Peacock DL, Lai A, Jusenius K, Wardlaw JM, Cloughesy T, Spence AM, Rockne R, Alvord EC Jr., Swanson KR: Prognostic significance of growth kinetics in newly diagnosed glioblastomas revealed by combining serial imaging with a novel bio-mathematical model. Cancer Research, 2009 69(23): 9133-9140 Pubmed ID: 19366800
  • Assefa M, Rockne R, Szeto M, Swanson KR. Mathematical Modeling of Glioma Proliferation and Diffusion. Ethnicity and Disease, 2009 19:2, Supplement 3  Pubmed ID: 19554787
  • Swanson KR, Chakraborty G, Wang CH, Rockne R, Harpold HLP, Muzi M, Anderson TCH, Krohn KA, Spence AM: Complimentary but Distinct Roles for MRI and 18F-Fluoromisonidazole PET in the Assessment of Human Glioblastomas. Journal of Nuclear Medicine, 2009 50: 36-44. Pubmed ID: 19091885
  • Rockne, R, Rockhill JK, Mrugala M, Spence AM, Kalet I, Hendrickson K, Lai A, Cloughsey T, Alvord EC Jr, Swanson KR: Predicting the efficacy of radiotherapy in individual glioblastoma patients in vivo: a mathematical modeling approach. Physics in Medicine and Biology, 2010 55: 3271-3285.  Pubmed ID: 20484781
  • D. Basanta, J. G. Scott, R. Rockne, K. R. Swanson, A. R. A. Anderson: The role of IDH1 mutated tumour cells in secondary glioblastomas: an evolutionary game theoretical view. Physical Biology, 8(1):, 2011 Pubmed ID: 21301070 PDF
  • Bohman LE, Swanson KR, Moore JL, Rockne R, Mandigo C, Hankinson T, Assanah M,  Canoll P, Bruce JN. Preoperative MRI Characteristics of Glioblastoma Multiforme: Implications for Understanding Glioma Ontogeny. Neurosurgery, 67(5):1319-27, 2010 Pubmed ID: 20871424
  • Gu S, Chakraborty G, Champley K, Alessio A, Claridge J, Rockne R, Muzi M, Krohn KA, Spence AM, Alvord EC Jr, Anderson ARA, Kinahan P, Swanson KR. Applying A Patient-Specific Bio-Mathematical Model of Glioma Growth to Develop Virtual [18F]-FMISO PET Images. Mathematics in Medicine and Biology 2011 Article DOI: 10.1093/imammb/dqr002 In: Computation modeling in cancer special double issue: IMA Mathematical Medicine and Biology. Ed. Rejniak K, Anderson ARA.
  • Swanson KR, Rockne RC, Claridge J, Chaplain MA, Alvord EC Jr, Anderson AR. Quantifying the role of angiogenesis in malignant progression of gliomas: In silico modeling integrates imaging and histology. Cancer Research;, 2011 Pubmed ID: 21900399

Contributed Works

  1. Rockne R, Alvord EC Jr., Szeto M, Gu S, Chakraborty G, Swanson KR: Modeling Diffusely Invading Brain Tumors: An Individualized Approach to Quantifying Glioma Evolution and Response to Therapy. In: Selected Topics in Cancer Modeling: Genesis, Evolution, Immune Competition, and Therapy. Ed. Bellomo N, Chaplain M, de Angelis E. Birkhauser, Boston MA. 2008 ISBN 13 978-0817647124
  2. Chakraborty G, Sodt R, Massey S, Gu S, Rockne R, Alvord EC Jr., Swanson KR. Bridging from Multi-scale Modeling to Practical Clinical Applications in the Study of Human Gliomas. In: Multiscale Cancer Modeling. Ed. Deisboeck T, Stamatakos G. CRC Press. ISBN-10 1439814406

Currently, Director, Division of Mathematical Oncology at City of Hope