Quantitative MRI: Promises and Challenges

Nicole Seiberlich, PhD
Associate Professor, Radiology
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Co-Director of the Michigan Institute for Technology and Translation
University of Michigan

Abstract:  Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an incredibly powerful clinical tool, with the ability to image all parts of the body with exquisite contrast without using ionizing radiation. However, many strengths of MRI are not leveraged in routine clinical practice; most specifically, the ability of MRI to make quantitative measurements of tissue properties has not been exploited due to the cumbersome nature of these scans. This seminar will explore the potential of MRI to collect quantitative measurements which can be used to characterize tissue, specifically focusing on the newly developed Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF) approach. Potential clinical applications of quantitative MRI and MRF will also be examined.

Bio:  Nicole Seiberlich is the Co-Director of the Michigan Institute for Imaging Technology and Translation and Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Prior to this role, she was the Elmer Lincoln Lindseth Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. She received her BS in Chemistry from Yale University in 2001, and completed her PhD thesis at the University of Wuerzburg on the topic of novel Magnetic Resonance Imaging techniques in 2008. Her work in rapid MRI is funded by the NIH and NSF. Nicole has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the ISMRM since 2016 and the SCMR starting this year. Most recently Nicole served as the Program Chair for the ISMRM Annual Meeting in 2021. She has published more than 60 peer-reviewed manuscripts on the topics of rapid and quantitative MRI, and has been invited to give more than 75 lectures, including the ISMRM/NIBIB New Horizons Lecture. In addition to her professional activities, she has won a number of awards for teaching and mentorship, including the CWRU Diekhoff Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentorship and the ISMRM Outstanding Teacher Award.