Enabling new disruptive magnetic imaging technologies through advanced instrument design

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My research is focused on the development of two new imaging technologies that show excellent promise for a wide variety of applications. There are a many different imaging methods that have been invented, and while each has its own particular advantages they all share one thing in common: They allow us to “see” underlying structure and processes that were not otherwise directly visible. An excellent example of this is medical imaging, where well-known techniques such as ultrasound, X-ray, or MRI allow us to peer inside the body in a noninvasive way to monitor a baby’s development, check for a bone fracture, or aid in the diagnosis of a possible disease. Medicine is just one small example, of course, and imaging techniques have become an indispensible tool in every field of research, as well as in industry and indeed in everyday life. We use imaging of some form or another to look at – and into – the very small (e.g., molecules and cells), the very large (e.g., geology and weather patterns), and everything in between, such as your luggage at the airport. The search for new imaging technologies, with different capabilities and areas of application, is important not only to science and scientists but to society as a whole. For my research I will develop a new method for performing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that uses much less bulky and expensive equipment. This could result in lighter, simpler, and cheaper MRI apparatus, which in turn could bring this important medical imaging technology to small or remote communities. This same technique could also be used in as wide a variety of applications as food inspection to oil exploration. I will also work on the development of a brand new imaging technique known as magnetic particle imaging (MPI). MPI also shows excellent promise for medical imaging, in particular for examining the heart and arteries, as well as the brain and kidneys. It will also find use in biology to track cells and in chemistry to monitor certain types of reactions. The search for still other applications of MRI and MPI is one of the most important long-term objectives of my research program.