About

Luke Bloy, PhD, is a Research Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. He is also a Principal Scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Radiology. His educational background includes a BS in Physics/Mathematics from Temple University and a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Bloy's research focuses on advanced imaging research, with a particular emphasis on neuroimaging techniques and their applications in pediatric neurological conditions. His work involves developing and applying innovative MRI and neuroimaging methods to better understand brain development and neurological disorders in children. He has contributed to studies on pediatric central nervous system tumors, neuroimaging in psychiatric disorders, electrophysiological activity imaging, and neurochemical measurements in autism, among others. Dr. Bloy’s research aims to enhance diagnostic capabilities and deepen understanding of neurodevelopmental and neurological diseases through cutting-edge imaging technologies.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Audiology
• Neuroscience
• Developmental psychology
• Computer science

Selected publications

• MNE-Python

  Open MIND · 2026-01-01

  softwareOpen access

  v1.12.1

  Publisher

• MNE-Python

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-04-07

  otherOpen access

  v1.12.0

  PublisherDOI

• MNE-Python

  Open MIND · 2026-01-01

  softwareOpen access

  v1.12.1

  Publisher

• MNE-Python

  Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) · 2026-04-20

  otherOpen access

  v1.12.1

  PublisherDOI

• Myo-inositol elevation as an in vivo marker of reactive gliosis in pediatric Friedreich ataxia: evidence from HERMES-edited MR spectroscopy

  NeuroImage Clinical · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  • First in vivo measurement of glutathione (GSH) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA + ) in pediatric Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) using HERMES-edited MRS. • No significant group-level differences in GSH or GABA+, despite strong rationale for oxidative and inhibitory dysfunction in FRDA. • Significant reduction in the tNAA/mI ratio in FRDA, driven by elevated myo-inositol rather than reduced tNAA (tNAA not significant, p = 0.150). • Myo-inositol elevations are significant in both motor cortices (Bonferroni-corrected), with a trend in cerebellum (pcorr = 0.054). Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by frataxin deficiency and is characterized by mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and progressive motor dysfunction. Most in vivo MRS work in FRDA has focused on the cerebellum, brainstem/pons, and spinal cord, consistently reporting abnormalities in the neuronal marker N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and the glial metabolite myo-inositol (mI). To our knowledge, the NAA/mI ratio in the primary motor cortex has not been reported in FRDA, particularly in pediatric cohorts. Additionally, in vivo edited MRS measurements of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA+ (GABA + macromolecular contributions)) in FRDA have not yet been reported and GSH has been examined only rarely in FRDA and, to our knowledge, has not been studied in the motor cortex in either adult or pediatric cohorts. To assess GSH, GABA+, NAA, and mI across cerebellum and motor cortices in pediatric FRDA using HERMES-edited MRS. We acquired HERMES MRS data from 16 children with FRDA and 15 age-matched controls. Tissue-corrected metabolite estimates were obtained using LCModel and voxel-based tissue segmentation. Linear mixed models (LMMs) were used to evaluate group and region effects, with subject as a random effect. LMMs revealed no significant group differences in tissue-corrected GSH or GABA + . In contrast, the tNAA/mI ratio was significantly reduced in FRDA (p < 0.001), driven by elevated mI (p < 0.001), while tNAA did not differ between groups (p = 0.150). ROI-specific analyses showed higher mI in FRDA in both motor cortices after Bonferroni correction, with a non-significant trend in cerebellum (pcorr = 0.054). These findings support a model of early reactive gliosis in pediatric FRDA, indexed by elevated mI and occurring without statistically significant neuronal loss, (acknowledging that significant reductions in tNAA may require larger samples to resolve), and extend prior cerebellar-focused work to the primary motor cortex. While GSH and GABA + did not differ between groups, the observed mI elevations highlight myo-inositol as a practical in vivo biomarker of astrocytic activation and a candidate marker for disease progression in FRDA. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm its sensitivity to clinical trajectory and therapeutic response.

  PublisherDOI

• BIOM-87. SODIUM (23NA) MRI AND CHEMICAL EXCHANGE SATURATION TRANSFER (CEST) IMAGING IN TYPICALLY DEVELOPING CHILDREN AND IN PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS

  Neuro-Oncology · 2025-11-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract In contrast to conventional 1H MRI, which primarily reveals water molecule distribution, with only indirect association with the physico-chemical microenvironment, 23Na (sodium) MRI and chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) have a more direct physiological interpretation, reflecting biochemical and physiologic changes in the cells of tissues, e.g. cell integrity and tissue viability allowing for direct assessment of cell membrane sodium ion channel function. Sodium concentrations are measurable by 23Na MRI and mobile proteins are measured with CEST [Amide Proton Transfer (APT) signal intensity]; when these are elevated, they have shown to be markers of tumors and proliferation. In this study, we acquired 23Na MRIs and APT in children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors and typically-developing (TD) pediatric controls. Sodium concentrations and APT signal were analyzed in regions of normal brain (brainstem, cerebellum, cerebral cortical grey matter, cerebral white matter, basal ganglia, hippocampus, thalamus) of TD controls and in pediatric brain tumors. The sodium concentration and APT in tumors were compared to homologous regions of the brains of TD controls. We hypothesized that sodium concentrations and APT signal will be greater in tumors compared to healthy brain in TD controls. We also analyzed the repeatability of subjects that received 23Na MRIs and CEST at two timepoints. Preliminary data demonstrates elevated sodium concentrations and APT signal in pediatric brain tumors (n = 5) compared to TD controls (n = 3). There was repeatability at two timepoints with consistent sodium concentrations and APT signal in TD controls (n = 3) and in pediatric brain tumors (n = 4). In conclusion, performing 23Na-MRI and CEST is feasible in pediatric patients with brain tumors. Future work will help answer the complex questions in monitoring treatment of pediatric patients with brain tumors: is there residual or recurrent tumor and differentiating tumor progression versus pseudoprogression.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Neuroimaging in Pediatric Psychiatric Disorders

  2025-01-01

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Noninvasive imaging and electrophysiological techniques have been developed to probe specific aspects of brain function and dysfunction, providing spatial maps of functional centers and temporal activity characteristics. These techniques have evolved from single-modality methods identifying functional localization, specialization, and segregation, through real-time measures of neuronal activity, toward multimodality integration of structural, functional, and spectrotemporal approaches. While imaging makes an immediate impact in neurologic conditions where physical brain lesions are clearly evident, to make a commensurate contribution within neuropsychiatry is substantially more complex; nonetheless by combining concepts of morphology, neurochemistry, neural signal propagation, and regional connectivity, there appears to be ample opportunity to contribute not only to the diagnosis of patients with mental illness but also to the stratification and subtyping across behavioral phenotypes and, ultimately, to patient management. This chapter present an overview of the most common noninvasive neuroimaging methodologies, as well as their applications to pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders.

  PublisherDOI

• IMG-07. Technological Advancements of Sodium MRI in Pediatric Brain Tumors

  Neuro-Oncology Pediatrics · 2025-08-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Sodium MRI (23Na-MRI) derives its signal from spin-manipulation of the 23Na nucleus itself, in contrast to conventional 1H-MRI which utilizes the hydrogen nuclei on water molecules. Advances in coil design and pulse sequence development have enabled the feasibility of human in-vivo 23Na-MRI. 23Na-MRI has potential to be a useful non-invasive imaging technique to assess biochemical and physiologic cellular changes in brain tumors. Pathologically, the concentration of total sodium is elevated in tumors relative to normal counterparts due to increased intracellular sodium and/or an increased proportion of extracellular space (reflecting changes in cell morphology and anomalies of homeostasis). We will present the technological advancements with improved pulse sequences and reconstruction methods that combat the inherent challenges of measuring sodium concentrations in pediatric brain tumors. This improved imaging approach to measuring sodium concentration within viable tumors in comparison to necrotic components and uninvolved brain will be illustrated in case examples of pediatric patients with brain tumors. One example case included a pediatric patient with a diffuse midline glioma. Diagnostic imaging showed a T2 hyperintense expansile mass in the pons. After completion of radiation treatment, there was a significant decrease in size and T2 hyperintensity of the mass. At the same timepoint after radiation, sodium MRI was performed and demonstrated a focus of elevated sodium concentrations in a region of tumor; this region may have represented active tumor versus treatment effect. Follow-up conventional MRI, two months after radiation cessation demonstrated tumor progression in the region of the prior sodium elevation. This case supports the hypothesis that elevated sodium signal may represent an early biomarker of tumor progression/recurrence. In conclusion, 23Na-MRI will likely answer the complex questions unresolved on 1H MRI that arise in monitoring treatment of pediatric patients with brain tumors: is there residual or recurrent tumor and differentiating tumor progression versus pseudoprogression.

  PublisherDOI

• Spectrally Edited Glutamate Associated with Autism Traits

  Proceedings on CD-ROM - International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. Scientific Meeting and Exhibition/Proceedings of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, Scientific Meeting and Exhibition · 2025-09-16

  article

  Motivation: This study examines the relationship between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) severity, measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), and brain levels of excitatory glutamate and inhibitory GABA. Goal(s): Explore whether these chemicals are associated with the severity of ASD. Approach: Using the MEGA-PRESS sequence, we measured Glu and GABA levels in the temporal cortices of typically developing children and children with ASD. We later correlated Glu and GABA levels (separately) with the SRS scores. Results: The ASD group negatively correlated with SRS scores, suggesting Glu as a potential correlate of ASD severity ratings. Impact: Brain glutamate plays a role in language comprehension, which differs in ASD. This study found that MRS-derived glutamate levels are associated with SRS scores, implying that glutamate is a potential marker for communication deficits in ASD.

  PublisherDOI

• White matter microstructure as a potential contributor to differences in resting state alpha activity between neurotypical and autistic children: a longitudinal multimodal imaging study

  Molecular Autism · 2025-03-11 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  We and others have demonstrated the resting-state (RS) peak alpha frequency (PAF) as a potential clinical marker for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with previous studies observing a higher PAF in school-age children with ASD versus typically developing (TD) children, as well as an association between the RS PAF and measures of processing speed in TD but not ASD. The brain mechanisms associated with these findings are unknown. A few studies have found that in children more mature optic radiation white matter is associated with a higher PAF. Other studies have reported white matter and neural activity associations in TD but not ASD. The present study hypothesized that group differences in the RS PAF are due, in part, to group differences in optic radiation white matter and PAF associations. The maturation of the RS PAF (measured using magnetoencephalography(MEG)), optic radiation white matter (measured using diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)), and associations with processing speed were assessed in a longitudinal cohort of TD and ASD children. Time 1 MEG and DTI measures were obtained at 6-8 years old (59TD and 56ASD) with follow-up brain measures collected ~ 1.5 and ~ 3 years later. The parietal-occipital PAF increased with age in both groups by 0.13 Hz/year, with a main effect of group showing the expected higher PAF in ASD than TD (an average of 0.26 Hz across the 3 time points). Across age, the RS PAF predicted processing speed in TD but not ASD. Finally, more mature optic radiation white matter measures (FA, RD, MD, AD) were associated with a higher PAF in both groups. Present findings provide additional evidence supporting the use of the RS PAF as a brain marker in children with ASD 6-10 years old, and replicate findings of an association between the RS PAF and processing speed in TD but not ASD. The hypothesis that the RS PAF group differences (with ASD leading TD by about 2 years) would be explained by group differences in optic radiation white matter was not supported, with brain structure-function associations indicating that more mature optic radiation white matter is associated with a higher RS PAF in both groups.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• MEG Imaging Techniques for Low-Functioning Pediatric Populations

  NIH · $697k · 2016–2020

Frequent coauthors

• Timothy P. L. Roberts

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  178 shared

• J. Christopher Edgar

  112 shared

• Lisa Blaskey

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  102 shared

• Emily S. Kuschner

  University of Pennsylvania

  95 shared

• Jeffrey Berman

  University of Pennsylvania

  65 shared

• Mina Kim

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  49 shared

• Matthew Ku

  Imaging Center

  43 shared

• Song Liu

  43 shared

Labs

• Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Department of RadiologyPI