Killam Seminar Series: Andrew Webb

Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging is a key modality in a wide range of clinical applications, with over 50,000 systems installed worldwide. It also plays a critical role in research studies in cognitive neuroscience. The vast majority of scans are performed on commercial 1.5 and 3 Tesla systems.

In contrast, this talk will highlight two recent developments in extending the role of MRI in neuroscience research. At one end of the spectrum the Dutch National 14 Tesla Initiative in Medical Science will establish the first MRI system at this field strength in the world. In neuroscience the increased spatial resolution will anatomically resolve all layers of the cortex, cerebellum, subcortical structures, and inner nuclei. Spectroscopic imaging will simultaneously measure excitatory and inhibitory activity, characterizing the excitation/inhibition balance of neural circuits. In medical research (including brain disorders) we will visualize fine-grained patterns of structural abnormalities and relate these changes to functional and molecular changes. The significantly increased spectral resolution will make it possible to detect (dynamic changes in) individual metabolites associated with pathological pathways including molecular interactions and dynamic disease processes.

At the other end of the spectrum a Wellcome Discovery Grant “Democratising Neuroimaging Research with MRI” aims at all communities regardless of economic status and conducted in diverse populations by local researchers, based on recent developments in very low portable MRI. The project involves: developing sustainable low-cost, low-field MRI hardware designed specifically for neuroimaging research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): maximising image quality by combining novel acquisition, post-processing and AI-based image reconstruction techniques: creating an efficient data-handling infrastructure, incorporating satellite-based internet access and portable data-storage devices, facilitating robust data transfer and integration in areas with unreliable connectivity: harmonising MRI data collection and processing across systems enabling large-scale, multi-centre imaging studies in LMICs: and demonstrating effectiveness through proof-of-feasibility studies at three African sites in Cape Town, Ibadan and Zomba.

In contrast, this talk will highlight two recent developments in extending the role of MRI in neuroscience research. At one end of the spectrum the Dutch National 14 Tesla Initiative in Medical Science will establish the first MRI system at this field strength in the world. In neuroscience the increased spatial resolution will anatomically resolve all layers of the cortex, cerebellum, subcortical structures, and inner nuclei. Spectroscopic imaging will simultaneously measure excitatory and inhibitory activity, characterizing the excitation/inhibition balance of neural circuits. In medical research (including brain disorders) we will visualize fine-grained patterns of structural abnormalities and relate these changes to functional and molecular changes. The significantly increased spectral resolution will make it possible to detect (dynamic changes in) individual metabolites associated with pathological pathways including molecular interactions and dynamic disease processes.

At the other end of the spectrum a Wellcome Discovery Grant “Democratising Neuroimaging Research with MRI” aims at all communities regardless of economic status and conducted in diverse populations by local researchers, based on recent developments in very low portable MRI. The project involves: developing sustainable low-cost, low-field MRI hardware designed specifically for neuroimaging research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): maximising image quality by combining novel acquisition, post-processing and AI-based image reconstruction techniques: creating an efficient data-handling infrastructure, incorporating satellite-based internet access and portable data-storage devices, facilitating robust data transfer and integration in areas with unreliable connectivity: harmonising MRI data collection and processing across systems enabling large-scale, multi-centre imaging studies in LMICs: and demonstrating effectiveness through proof-of-feasibility studies at three African sites in Cape Town, Ibadan and Zomba.

Bio: Professor Andrew Webb is the Professor of MR Physics in the Department of Radiology at the Leiden University Medical center in the Netherlands. His research concentrates on the translation of new engineering concepts into the clinic, concentrating mainly on sustainable open-source low field MRI. In 2020 he was the President of the European Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine and Biology and helped to form the Committee for Advancement of MRI Education and Research in Africa. In 2023 he was elected to the Royal Dutch National Academy of Sciences. In 2010 he founded the Nadine Barrie Smith trust which has provided financial support for over 150 female undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering.

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