Sarah J. Nelson, Ph.D.

Margaret Hart Surbeck Distinguished Professor, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging

Co-Chair, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences

Director, Center for Non-Invasive Imaging and Metabolomics (CNIM) and the Surbeck Laboratory of Advanced Imaging

Nelson Pubmed Search

Our research program is focused on the development of techniques for acquisition and quantitative analysis of MR imaging and spectral data. This includes the interpretation of in vivo data obtained using whole body scanners ranging in field strength from 1.5T to 7T. The increase in sensitivity at higher field strength brings a number of challenges in terms of the design and optimization of hardware and software components. The objective of such research is to implement novel strategies for obtaining MR data that are applicable to understanding normal physiology and elucidating the underlying mechanisms of disease progression and response to therapy. This has required an understanding of the biological basis of different diseases and an appreciation of the issues that are important for the management of individual patients. Translating these needs into basic bioengineering problems means that the underlying principles of MR physics must be combined with the design of new algorithms for post-processing and quantitative interpretation of the resulting multi-dimensional and multi-faceted imaging data. The students and fellows in this research group come from a wide variety of different backgrounds with expertise in mathematics, physics, computer analysis, biology and chemistry. Applications that are being considered include the study of patients with brain tumors, prostate cancer and neurological diseases.