Research at the Surbeck Laboratory is dedicated to advancing imaging technology for biological and medical applications. 

We endeavor to stretch the limits, creating new imaging technologies that can be adapted for the broadest range of investigating disease, health, and treatment. Our overall objective is to contribute to the understanding of normal physiology and to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms of health and disease. Critical factors that can be investigated through imaging are disease progression, the biological basis of different diseases,  and response to treatment by individual patients. Translating these factors into bioengineering problems involves the integration of the underlying principles of MR physics with the design of new algorithms for reconstruction, post-processing and quantitative interpretation of the resulting multi-dimensional and multi-faceted imaging data, as well as the development of innovative RF coils and coil arrays for high-field imaging.   Learn more about how we are addressing these challenges ...

NEWS UPDATE

First-in-Human C-13 Pyruvate Metabolic Imaging at Surbeck laboratory – UCSF Team Sarah J. Nelson, Ph.D., John Kurhanewicz, Ph.D., Daniel B. Vigneron, Ph.D., Marcus Ferrone, PharmD, and Andrea Harzstark, M.D. in conjunction with GE Healthcare Team and Jonathan Murray, general manager, Metabolic Imaging at GE Healthcare.

 “The method uses compounds involved in normal tissue function – in this case, pyruvate, which is a naturally occurring by-product of glucose, and lactate, also known as lactic acid – and uses newly developed equipment to increase the visibility of those compounds by a factor of 50,000 in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.” Professor John Kurhanewicz.

NEWS LINK  UCSF News Office Release - Watchful waiting has a new set of eyes: New prostate cancer imaging shows real-time tumor metabolism

“This is the first time researchers have used this technology to conduct real-time metabolic imaging in human patients and represents a revolutionary approach to assessing the precise outlines of a tumor, its response to treatment and how quickly it is growing...

VIDEO LINK KTVU news SAN FRANCISCO: New Imaging Technology Could Speed Up Cancer Diagnosis...

Doctors Monday unveiled new experimental imaging technology that could speed up cancer diagnosis, improve treatment while saving lives and money --