Description of Research Expertise

The primary mission of the Functional and Metabolic Imaging Group (FMIG) is the development and application of novel hyperpolarized MRI techniques to the diagnosis of various pulmonary and metabolic disorders. Hyperpolarization, the process of drastically increasing the population difference between nuclear spin states, provides a platform for imaging lung physiology and metabolic activity with spatial and temporal resolution unattainable with conventional MRI techniques, thus offering the potential for the earlier diagnosis of disease states and the precise monitoring of a patient’s response to medical treatment. This core research theme is executed with an eye toward several ultimate goals: the identification of changes in pulmonary structure and function associated with disease, a more complete understanding of pathogenesis, and the establishment of a more sensitive testing environment to develop treatments for lung disease. To date, significant contributions in these areas include new imagining techniques for the comprehensive description of lung physiology and structure, accurate imaging of the regional pulmonary partial pressure of oxygen in both humans and large and small animals, highly developed imaging of regional ventilation, and a state-of-the-art mechanical ventilation device. Specifically, our research activities at FMIG is divided into four general branches: 1) The development of novel imaging techniques for the quantitative assessment of pulmonary structure and function: 2)The development of novel methods for real-time metabolic imaging: 3)The construction of novel polarization apparatuses: 4) The development and implementation of rapid imaging pulse sequences.