WEEKDAY EDUCATIONAL COURSE
Clinical Intensive Education Option (Monday - Wednesday)
MR Physics & Techniques for Clinicians
ORGANIZERS: Marcus T. Alley, Ph.D. & Michael Markl, Ph.D.
 
SKILL LEVEL: Basic to Intermediate
Monday - Thursday, 9-12 May 2011
OVERVIEW
This eight-hour course over four days will be a basic and comprehensive review of MRI physics and techniques. The presentations will be non-mathematical and suitable for clinicians and physicists new to the field. The course will cover the basic principles of MR physics (signal generation, encoding and relaxation), pulse sequence design and timing diagrams, spin-echo imaging, gradient-echo imaging, fast spin-echo imaging and a variety of more advanced techniques including ultra-fast imaging, parallel imaging, high-field imaging, perfusion imaging, diffusion imaging, the use of contrast agents and functional MR imaging.
 
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course participants should be able to:
« Define and describe the fundamental principles of MR imaging, including the definition of spin magnetization, the Larmor relationship, relaxation phenomena, and the process of using the spin magnetization to produce an image;
 « Explain imaging pulse sequences based upon spin and gradient echoes, including fast spin-echo and echo planar techniques;
 « Design MR imaging protocols for diagnostic applications considering image contrast, spatial resolution, acquisition time, signal-to-noise ratio and artifacts;
 « Describe the principles of parallel imaging, high-field imaging, perfusion imaging, diffusion imaging and functional MR imaging; and
 « Select the appropriate contrast agents to be used to target different anatomical areas and physiological processes during imaging, and explain why.

Click on to view the abstract pdf and click on to view the video presentation.

     
Monday    
16:30 Spin Gymnastics I   Walter Kucharczyk, M.D., F.R.C.P.C.
17:10 Spin Gymnastics II   Donald B. Plewes, Ph.D.
17:50  K-space   Kevin M. Koch, Ph.D.
18:30 Adjourn  
     
Tuesday    
16:00 Spin Echo Imaging   Bernd A. Jung, Ph.D.
16:40 Gradient Echo Imaging   Brian A. Hargreaves, Ph.D.
17:20 Fast Spin Echo Imaging   Frank R. Korosec, Ph.D.
18:00 Adjourn  
     
Wednesday    
16:00 Ultrafast Imaging   Pauline Wong Worters, Ph.D., M.Sc.
16:40 Parallel Imaging   Stefan O. Schönberg, M.D.
17:20 High Field Imaging   Gunnar Krueger, Ph.D.
18:00 Adjourn  
     
Thursday    
16:00 Diffusion & Perfusion Weighted Imaging   Matthias Weigel, Ph.D.
16:40 Contrast Agents   Michael V. Knopp, M.D., Ph.D.
17:20 fMRI   Karla L. Miller, Ph.D.
18:00 Adjourn