Tales Santini, Ph.D. Awarded ADRC Developmental Project Award of ~$116K
Dr. Tales Santini was awarded one of only a few awards given out from Pitt's ADRC, aimed at helping junior investigators receive funding for career developing projects. To see Call for Projects or Past Projects: Research Projects | Alzheimer's Disease Research Center | University of Pittsburgh
Jr-Jiun Liou, Ph.D. Awarded 200K Award from BrightFocus Foundation
Dr. Jr-Jiun Liou was awarded with a grant to continue evaluating cerebrovascular pathologies in people with Down Syndrome using high-resolution, high-contrast postmortem neuroimaging.
Award Title: Cerebrovascular pathologies in Down syndrome using 7T postmortem MRI
See our latest paper in Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
We present an RF shimming technique that enables routine, homogeneous neuroimaging with a 60-channel Tic-Tac-Toe RF transmit coil in single-transmit mode for 2000+ in-vivo 7 T MRI sessions
Hecheng Jin Wins First Place Poster Award at International MRI Conference
Hecheng Jin was awarded first place in the ISMRM MR Engineering Study Group Trainee Poster Competition for her abstract, "Design and implementation of a 1H/31P dual-tuned head coil at 7T."
7TBRP at ISMRM 2025
Members of the 7TBRP travelled to Honolulu, HI to present 8 abstracts about our work. Congratulations to Hecheng Jin for winning first place in the MR Engineering Study Group Trainee Poster Competition! See below for our list of abstracts:
7TBRP Featured in SSoE News
Researchers are using a highly sophisticated 7 Tesla MRI to obtain extremely high-resolution brain images. The device, which is consistently improved by students from Dr. Tamer Ibrahim with "Tic-Tac-Toe" coil technology, is a key asset for studying a range of conditions, from aging and dementia to sickle cell disease and depression, across various disciplines. Link to SSoE Article: Bridging Minds
3T vs 7T: See our recent publication in Human Brain Mapping
A new study shows that 7T MRI scans are more powerful than 3T MRI scans for detecting age-related changes in the brain, and can be done with fewer people.
Newsweek: Woman Donated Her Brain to Science--Alzheimer's Experts Shocked by Discovery - featuring Dr. Jr-Jiun Jean Liou
Despite carrying the neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer`s disease, a woman with Down syndrome remained cognitively stable until her death in her 60s. Her case opened new doors in understanding the potential for resilience against Alzheimer`s for the broader population - and not only for individuals with Down syndrome. See more:
An Unexpected Insight into Alzheimer’s Disease
7T Bioengineering Research Program imaged in the high-resolution 7 Tesla MRI scanner a donated brain from a woman with Down syndrome who participated in an Alzheimer Research Study for ten years. See more: An Unexpected Insight into Alzheimer’s Disease
Dr. Tamer Ibrahim Inducted into the 2024 Class of AIMBE College of Fellows
Due to the breakthrough innovations with ultrahigh field human MRI and his transformational impact across neuroimaging research and interdisciplinary training, Dr. Tamer Ibrahim was inducted as Interim Chair of Bioengineering Mark Redfern. Details here: Tamer S. Ibrahim, Ph.D. COF-9058 - AIMBE
Sickle Cell Disease
Within the combination between whole-body-7-Tesla MRI and a "Tic Tac Toe" radiofrequency head coil system, 7T BRP Lab discovered that SCD can have a severe effect on specific subfields of the hippocampus. See more in the below links:
CSF Flow in Alzheimer's Disease
With a grant of $3.7 million from the NIH, 7T BRP Lab study the connection of how small vessel disease is related to the clearance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the brain, and preclinical Alzheimer`s disease. See more in the below links:
The Department of Psychiatry Announces a New Bioengineering in Psychiatry Predoctoral Training Program
This program, supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, will provide bioengineering graduate students with training in psychiatry research and access to the clinical presentation and treatment of psychiatric disorders.
Human Head Phantom
The anthropomorphic phantom head help us to use analyze, evaluate, and calibrate the MRI systems and instrumentation before testing new protocols on human subjects. See more in the below links:
Biomedical Engineering Image of the Day
Researchers have developed a powerful device, with specially designed sensors to take sensitive, high-resolution images - picking out even the tiniest arteries and arterioles in the brain.