A new ultra-high field (7T) MRI physics group was founded in Cambridge in autumn 2017. We develop cutting-edge methods for studying the human brain and body using Cambridge’s new Siemens Terra 7T MRI scanner. Ours is the third 7T Terra to be installed worldwide; so we have access to state-of-the art hardware and software platforms for MRI. The group is growing rapidly: in the last 9 months, we have secured more than £1m of funding and three new researchers will join us imminently. We have active collaborations with clinicians in clinical neurosciences, psychiatry, oncology, and cardiology (Papworth), and with experts in cognitive neuroscience. I welcome PhD students to join the group. The following are areas of strong interest from our community, which would be suitable to develop a PhD project in discussion with me.
(i) Developing new spectroscopic imaging pulse sequences to map neurochemical profiles across the whole brain in a single scan. We have hardware available to apply these methods to study metabolites containing 1H (e.g. NAA, creatine, GABA, GSH) or 31P (e.g. PCr, ATP, in vivo pH mapping) or 13C (e.g. labelled glucose or succinate).
(ii) Developing new methods for neuroimaging, particularly for imaging blood flow in small vessel disease, or for rapid, motion-corrected fMRI in deep brain nuclei.
(iii) Developing new metabolic imaging methods for use in the human body. These would use a new 5-nucleus whole-body coil soon to be installed in Cambridge as part of a €3.1m EU Future and Emerging Technologies award for “Non-invasive Chemistry Imaging in the Whole Human Body”. Our initial focus is to characterise liver pathology in patients with colorectal cancer and liver metastases. Similar approaches would also work in the heart, kidney or pancreas.
If you are interested in these projects or other aspects of 7T MRI physics development, please email ctr28@cam.ac.uk and I will be happy to discuss the details with you.
Funding deadline is 5th December 2018 for start in October 2019. When applying indicate on the application the funding options (GATES USA *deadline 10/10/18*, Gates Cambridge or other Cambridge Funders). Home/EU and International applications are all considered for funding.
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ctr28@cam.ac.uk
