MORNING CATEGORICAL COURSE
Ultra-High-Field MR in Humans

Organizers: Lawrence L. Wald, Ph.D., Klaas Pruessmann, Ph.D.
Skill Level: Intermediate

Tuesday 6 May, Wednesday 7 May, Thursday 8 May and Friday 9 May 2008

Overview:

This course of four one-hour sessions focuses on challenges and opportunities of ultra-high field (7T and beyond) for human applications. It covers RF array hardware and methods, functional brain imaging, spectroscopy methods, and emerging imaging applications. The course is intended to offer conceptual and practical guidance to researchers working in or moving into the area of human MR at ultra-high field.

Educational Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants should be able to:

  • Explain the importance of array technology for RF excitation and detection at ultra-high field, along with its basic modes of operation.;
  • Distinguish different types of BOLD contrast in ultra-high-field fMRI and describe corresponding pulse sequences;
  • Name the key problems and their current solutions in ultra-high-field MRS;
  • Describe the mechanism and potential of susceptibility contrast; and
  • List promising applications of ultra-high-field MR in and outside the brain and name their remaining limitations.

    Audience Description:

    This course is designed for MR researchers aiming to expand their expertise towards ultra-high field methodology.  It is intended to offer conceptual and practical guidance to scientists who design and implement human studies on ultra-high field systems. Attendees should preferably have a basic background in MR physics, instrumentation, and sequence design.

         
    Tuesday    
    7:00 Hardware for Parallel RF Transmission and Detection J. Thomas Vaughan, Ph.D.
    7:30 Multiple-Channel RF Pulses and SAR Control Peter Ullmann, Dipl. Phys.
    8:00 Adjournment  
         
    Wednesday    
    7:00 Leveraging Ultra-High-Field for BOLD fMRI Essa Yacoub, Ph.D.
    7:30 Addressing B0 Inhomogeneity in Ultra-High-Field fMRI Oliver Speck, Ph.D.
    8:00 Adjournment  
         
    Thursday    
    7:00 Susceptibility Effects and Phase Contrast Richard W. Bowtell, Ph.D.
    7:30 Ultra-High-Field Imaging Outside the Brain Ravinder R. Regatte, Ph.D.
    8:00 Adjournment  
         
    Friday    
    7:00 RF Pulse Strategies for Ultra-High-Field MRS James B. Murdoch, Ph.D.
    7:30 The Ingredients of a Successful MRS Study at Ultra-High-Field Ivan Tkac, Ph.D.
    8:00 Adjournment