Magnetic Resonance Imaging Group

About Us

The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Group develops MRI techniques to increase image contrast and resolution by exploiting new contrast mechanisms. The research has applications in terms of improving disease diagnosis and ensuring therapies are effective.
While conventional MRI uses only the signal magnitude, utilising the frequency (or phase) of the MRI signal has dramatically improved visualisation of tissue structure and can also reveal tissue composition. 

Researchers in the group have developed new methods of calculating tissue magnetic susceptibility maps from MRI frequency images, and are now aiming to unlock the potential of these methods to generate clinical biomarkers of disease. 

Funded Research Projects

Developing Integrated Susceptibility and Conductivity MRI for Next Generation Structural and Functional Neuroimaging, ERC

• Project information
• ERC project page

Developing MRI Magnetic Susceptibility-Based Cancer Oxygenation Mapping (SBCOM) and Investigating its Clinical Potential to Measure Hypoxia in Prostrate Cancer (PCa), CRUK

• Project information
• Professor Shonit Punwani

Software

Software for MRI phase unwrapping using SEGUE is freely downloadable at: https://xip.uclb.com/i/software/SEGUE.html

Software for QSM reconstruction methods is freely downloadable at: https://xip.uclb.com/i/software/mri_qsm_tkd.html

Public Engagement

• Dr Anita Karsa’s award-winning MRI videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEojVZfJghwb-IltliC-Lw
• Article on Prof Shmueli’s ERC grant in EU Research Magazine: https://issuu.com/euresearcher/docs/disco_mri_sfn_eur23_h_res
• Prof Karin Shmueli’s podcast on her MRI research: https://soundcloud.com/user-857709813/7-mri-and-its-next-phase-in-research

The MRI Research Group over the years 

Academics

• Prof Karin Shmueli

Postdoctoral Researchers

• Dr Matt Cherukara
• Dr Patrick Fuchs
• Dr Jierong Luo
• Dr Laxmi Muralidharan

PhD Students

• Oriana Arsenov
• Oliver Kiersnowski
• Mitchel Lee
• Janette Nassar

• Philippa Sha

Alumni 

• Dr Emma Biondetti (2014–2018)
  PhD Thesis: Optimising MRI magnetic susceptibility mapping for the study of brain arteriovenous malformations
• Dr Emma Dixon (2014–2018)
  PhD Thesis: Applications of MRI Magnetic Susceptibility Mapping in PET-MRI Brain Studies
• Dr Barbara Dymerska, former Postdoctoral Researcher
• Dr Anita Karsa (2014–2018)
  PhD Thesis: Optimising MRI Magnetic Susceptibility Mapping for Applications in Challenging Regions of the Body
• Dr Carlos Milovic
• Dr Russell Murdoch

Publications

See publications from Prof Shmueli's group