Dr. Alizad is an Associate Professor in the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic. She is involved in ultrasound imaging research, and her main interests include clinical application of new acoustic methodologies in breast, thyroid and prostate imaging. She is the principal investigator of three areas of investigations and co-investigator of six other funded researches. She is a member of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (MCCC), Mayo Clinic Center for Translational Science Activities (CTSA) and Mayo Clinic Breast Clinic Research Committee.

She is the principal investigator of three funded grants:

1. "Identification and Differentiation of Breast Masses by a Novel Imaging Method" funded by Susan G. Komen for the Cure -- The purpose of this research is to evaluate the performance of vibro-acoustography for detection of mass lesions in human breast. Recently, a vibro-acoustography system has been developed for in vivo breast imaging. This system is integrated in a clinical stereotactic mammography machine (Fischer Imaging Inc., Mammotest? system). The combined system is designed to enable us to produce matching (from the same view angle) vibro-acoustography and mammography images of human breast. It is ongoing research.
2. "Breast Vibro-acoustography with Array Probe" funded by National Institutes of Health R21 -- This research aims at developing a new breast imaging tool. We examine the effectiveness of this new method as a diagnostic tool in detection of breast lesions and breast cancer.
3. "A Novel Thyroid Imaging Method for Improving Specificity" funded by American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) -- The goal is to develop a new ultrasound-based imaging that is cost effective, at least as sensitive as conventional ultrasound in detecting thyroid nodules, but more specific in differentiating such nodules than conventional ultrasound.

Other Ongoing and completed Research Projects

1. Detection of Lesions in Thyroid Tissues by Vibro-acoustography
2. Detection of Lesions in Prostate Tissue by Vibro-acoustography

Completed Projects

1. Performance of Vibro-acoustography in Detecting Microcalcifications
2. Performance of Vibro-acoustography in Detecting Mass Lesions in EXCISED Human Liver
3. Detection of Calcium Deposits on Heart Valve Leaflets by Vibro-acoustography: An In Vitro Study
4. Bone Evaluation by Resonance