Leon Axel

Paul Lauterbur not only invented the basic concept of MRI, he also pioneered many of its extensions and applications, including to cardiovascular imaging. My research career has focused in part on exploring some of the ways in which the unique capabilities of MRI to reveal motion can be used to study cardiac function. While this area has still had limited clinical impact, due to persistent technical limitations, there is ongoing progress in overcoming them, with promising prospects for the future of MRI for characterizing cardiac function.