WEEKEND EDUCATIONAL COURSE
Imaging Strategies

Organizers: James G. Pipe, Ph.D., Walter F. Block, Ph.D., Brian A. Hargreaves, Ph.D.
Skill level:  Intermediate

Sunday, 4 May 2008

Overview:

This one-day course will cover methods important for people who want to design or understand imaging pulse sequences. It is meant to be a companion course to "MR Physics for Physicists," which will be held the day prior. This course is composed of 13 30-minute talks grouped into four sessions: General Pulse Sequence Strategies, Pulse Sequence Tools, Rapid Pulse Sequence Tools, and Highly Accelerated Imaging.

Educational Objectives:

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

  • Give examples of different data collection strategies, and their uses;
  • Design pulse sequences for a given application, with the desired contrast;
  • Explain methods for rapid spectroscopic imaging, and how they differ from conventional CSI;
  • Explain the different methods of acceleration, and their advantages and disadvantages; and
  • Identify the basic differences between conventional and more recent methods of image reconstruction (e.g. iterative and non-linear methods).

    Audience Description:

    This course is primarily designed for engineers, scientists, and clinicians who have an interest in understanding, implementing, and refining data collection and reconstruction methods in MRI and MRS. Participants should have a basic understanding of the data collection and reconstruction framework (e.g. T1 and T2 weighting, RF excitation, k-space, Fourier transforms). Participants will come from both academic and industrial settings, as well as governmental and non-governmental research organizations.

         
      General Pulse Sequence Strategies  
    8:30 Echo-Train Sequences: EPI, RARE, GRASE: John P. Mugler III, Ph.D.
    9:00 Steady-State Sequences: from Spoiled to Balanced Klaus Scheffler, Ph.D.
    9:30 Spectroscopic Imaging: Implementation and Acceleration Ulrike Dydak, Ph.D.
    10:00 Break  
    10:00 - 10:15 Meet the Teachers  
         
      Pulse Sequence Tools  
    10:30 RF Pulse Design Charles H. Cunningham, Ph.D.
    11:00 Motion-Sensitizing Gradients: ASL, Diffusion, and Phase Contrast Eric Wong, M.D., Ph.D.
    11:30 Magnetization Preparation for Contrast Graham A. Wright, Ph.D.
    12:00 Lunch  
    12:00 - 12:15 Meet the Teachers  
         
      Rapid Pulse Sequences Tools  
    13:30 Acceleration Possibilities with Alternative Trajectories Dwight G. Nishimura, Ph.D.
    14:00 Parallel Imaging: Principles and Implementation Charles A. McKenzie, Ph.D.
    14:30 Temporal Undersampling Strategies Jeffrey Tsao, Ph.D.
    15:00 Break  
    15:00 - 15:15 Meet the Teachers  
         
      Beyond Nyquist: Highly Accelerated Imaging  
    15:30 Basics of Compressed Sensing Michael Lustig, M.Sc.
    16:00 HYPR and Other Constrained Reconstruction Oliver Wieben, Ph.D.
    16:30 Tradeoffs and Complexities in New Reconstruction Methods Jeffrey A. Fessler, Ph.D.
    17:00 Panel Discussion  
    17:30 Adjournment  
    17:30 - 17:45 Meet the Teachers