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Current Activities: The primary focus of my research is to
enable catheter-based cardiovascular interventions, including angioplasty, stent deployment,
and atherectomy, to be performed under magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) guidance. Currently,
x-ray fluoroscopy is most commonly used to guide these interventions. Though x-ray
fluoroscopy has enabled these procedures to be executed safely and successfully,
MRI may provide additional valuable capabilities. MRI produces no ionizing
radiation, allows image slices/volumes to be freely positioned, and is sensitive
to a multitude of physical parameters that can be used as contrast mechanisms.
These additional capabilities allow the interventionalist to inspect structures
in the vessel wall and surrounding tissue during the procedure, instead of being
limited to information about the size of the vessel lumen. This additional
information can be critical when assessing the vulnerability of atherosclerotic plaque.
Furthermore, MRI makes it possible to safely perform these interventions in children,
where radiation dose needs to be kept to a minimum. Specifically, I have developed and
integrated real-time imaging techniques, active catheter tracking technology, and a software
system that continuously monitors the position and insertion speed of the catheter and
automatically responds by adjusting certain imaging parameters (like spatial resolution,
temporal resolution, and field of view).
Why Case? Case is currently one of the best places in the world
for a graduate degree that specializes in medical imaging. The MRI lab here at Case
has earned a reputation as a premiere research site. The students and researchers have an
impressive track record of being invited to present their work at high profile international
conferences like the International Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Medicine (ISMRM),
the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), and the Society of Cardiovascular
Magnetic Resonance (SCMR). In 2002, at the ISMRM conference in Hawaii, the Case lab presented
more research posters and talks than any other academic research site in attendance.
The lab also has a number of formal collaborations with partners in industry. Siemens Medical
Systems provides a great deal of material support for the MRI research at Case. Many of the
students in the lab have spent time, during their degree programs, as an intern at Siemens sites
in Chicago or Germany. Over the course of the last few years, the student research has led to
the filing of a dozen or so patents (facilitated by Case´s very competent Office of Technology
Transfer). A spin-off company, Interventional Imaging Inc, has recently been formed to bring
the technology described by a subset of these patents to market.
Case also offers unparalleled resources for medical imaging research. An ambitious project
that, is currently in its final stages, promises to establish a small animal imaging center
here at Case. This center will make available a Micro PET scanner, a SPECT scanner, a
combined CT/SPECT scanner, a combined X-Ray/Planar Gamma Scintigraphic Scanner, and several
dedicated high field MRI/MR Spectroscopy scanners.
Advice for Applicants: The best piece of advice I have
for applicants and new students is to learn as much as possible about potential
research labs that you are considering. You should try to meet with the faculty
member who runs the lab. It is critical that you will be comfortable working with
this person. Talking to the students in the lab can also be worthwhile. Try to
determine if they seem happy to be doing their research there. The students in the
lab are your best opportunity for candid answers to questions about student life at
Case and in Cleveland. I also recommend inquiring about what the lab´s policy is
for allowing graduate students to attend academic conferences. Attending these
conferences allows you to meet others in your field, expose your work to the research
community, and also can be a great way to travel and see the world. This type of
experience will be invaluable when the time comes to start a career, regardless of
whether you plan to stay in academia or make a transition to an industry job after
graduation.
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