Ultra-High Field (7T and 11.7T) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Development

Summary

I lead the Ultra-High Field MRI Physics group in Cambridge. We create new methods to studying the human brain and body using Cambridge’s state-of-the-art Siemens Terra 7T MRI scanner and we are preparing new studies for the UK National 11.7T MRI system now being built nearby in Nottingham. My group have active collaborations with clinicians in clinical neurosciences, psychiatry, oncology, and cardiology, and with experts in cognitive neuroscience.

Project aims

The following are areas of strong interest from our community, which would be suitable to develop a PhD project in discussion with me. 

• Developing parallel transmit methods to enable whole-brain imaging at ultra-high field without areas of signal dropout. These methods are vital for our applied research in patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy, where we have shown that parallel transmit 7T MRI is a very effective tool for locating the brain abnormalities that cause seizures. In our recent pilot study of patients in whom standard hospital 3T MRI and PET scans were inconclusive, we were able to detect these abnormal areas using parallel transmit 7T MRI. In 8 cases out of 20 so far, we have found the brain abnormality which allows patients to be referred to surgery, which is curative in 60-80% of cases. We also developing more fundamental aspects of parallel transmit theory to support studies at 7T and soon on the UK National 11.7T MRI facility.
• Imaging cellular energy supply non invasively in vivo. For example, we are mapping the rates of glycolytic metabolism in humans by 2H deuterium metabolic imaging (DMI). This is a promising new technique that may compete with 18FDG-PET, but without radiation. We collaborate with scientists interested in assessing the response of brain tumours to therapy. We also map rates of oxidative metabolism using 31P spectroscopy which is important for ongoing studies in heart failure in collaboration with colleagues at Royal Papworth Hospital, or to understand ageing, dementias and psychiatric disorders. 

Contact details

Professor Chris Rodgers (ctr28@cam.ac.uk) – WBIC  

Opportunity

This opportunity is open to PhD applicants.

We look for students with strong maths skills and ideally programming experience in C/C++, python or Matlab (or a willingness to learn). Most of my group have a physical science or engineering background. You will receive extensive training in biomedical imaging. If you are interested in these projects or other aspects of Ultra-High Field MRI physics development.