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Dr. Alan Moody is a professor in the department of medical imaging at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, and radiologist-in-chief at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

As a practicing radiologist and clinician, his research aim is to apply evolving research techniques, particularly in the field of magnetic resonance imaging, to the investigation of disease process. Over the last five years, he has developed techniques that provide quantitative and qualitative data from MR images that allow the cross sectional and longitudinal study of disease. His interest in MRI is fostered by the belief that MRI is an ideal and useful imaging technique that has the capability of extracting diverse characteristics from tissue or organs while causing no actual harm.

Over the last several years, he has been focusing on the development of a research driven medical imaging department, and the establishment of the Vascular Biology Imaging Research Group. His research team engages in clinical and basic research of novel diagnostic imaging techniques, their applications in vascular diseases, and various aspects of vascular biology. The major thrust is the imaging of vessel wall disease (atheroma) and the subsequent complications of vascular occlusion and end organ consequences. They have extended its application to atherosclerotic plaque in the coronary and neurovascular circulations, occlusive vascular disease and deep venous thromboses. Based on this work on carotid MR imaging, a pilot study which utilizes high resolution contrast ultrasound of the carotid arteries is underway for evaluating the presence of vasa vasorum blood supply to the plaque.

Following the award of a Canada Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Operating Grant in the March 2006 competition, the development of an in vivo animal model to study complicated atherosclerosis is in progress. His group has also been awarded with another CIHR grant: the Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes High-Risk Seed Grant. They are currently developing novel MRI and Ultrasound techniques for high resolution and contrast imaging specifically for improved characterization of vessel wall disease in the early stages of diabetes and improved understanding of the biological processes and interactions within the atherosclerotic plaque.

Currently, he is also working with a group of leading vascular imaging researchers across Canada and, as part of the Canadian Atherosclerosis Imaging Network (CAIN), they were awarded the CIHR Regional/National Clinical Research Initiative Team Grant in April 2008. The multidisciplinary and multi-centre program of CAIN is focused on the pathobiology of atherosclerotic disease as it pertains to the coronary and carotid circulations. This includes in-vivo imaging of vessel wall and occult end-organ disease as well as the acquisition of clinical and pathological endpoints.

Over the past few years, his research team continues to collaborate with several local scientists and clinicians on a number of peer-reviewed, publicly funded projects on the topic of stroke and related cerebrovascular diseases. They have also been working with Pfizer Global Research and Development to investigate novel diagnostic techniques in various aspects of vascular biology imaging for conditions such as DVT and Endometriosis.

Dr. Moody completed his medical degree from St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School in London, United Kingdom (UK), and then went on to earn his membership of the Royal College of Physicians of London, UK. He obtained his fellowship with the Royal College of Radiologists, and served as a clinical fellow in body imaging and diagnostic radiology. He has also achieved fellowship status with the Royal College of Physicians of London, UK, and with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Canada.