Andrew Wentland

Dr. Wentland is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology, School of Medicine and Public Health. His co-mentors were Scott Reeder, MD, PhD, Professor, Departments of Radiology, Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering, & Medicine and Walid Farhat, MD, Professor and Chief of Pediatric Urology, Department of Urology, School of Medicine and Public Health.

Dr. Wentland’s research, titled Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Urography: Non-Invasive Evaluation of Per-Kidney Urinary Output, focused on developing improved non-invasive methods to measure urine output from individual kidneys. His work compared quantitative MR urography (qMRU) with Technetium-99m-MAG3 (99mTc-MAG3) scintigraphy, a standard but radiation-based technique used in pediatric urology to diagnose ureteral obstruction and congenital kidney abnormalities. Because scintigraphy exposed patients to ionizing radiation and offered limited anatomical detail, Dr. Wentland explored MR urography as a safer and more precise alternative. MRU provided superior anatomic visualization and functional data, enhancing surgical planning in complex cases. His research aimed to demonstrate that qMRU could measure urinary excretion as accurately as, or better than, 99mTc-MAG3 scintigraphy, while eliminating radiation exposure. Through studies using velocity-sensitive MRI and swine models, Dr. Wentland advanced the development of MRI-based techniques to more accurately evaluate renal function and urinary excretion, laying the foundation for improved diagnosis and management of pediatric urinary tract abnormalities.