Virtual Meetings

Functional MRI has transformed human brain mapping by enabling noninvasive visualization of brain activity. Conventional high-resolution ¹H fMRI primarily relies on hemodynamic contrast, including changes in blood oxygenation, blood flow, and blood volume. While powerful, these vascular-based signals provide an indirect readout of neuronal activity and can be influenced by neurovascular coupling, vascular pathology, and regional differences in hemodynamic response. In this presentation, Xin Yu, Ph.D., will introduce neural activity-related sodium fMRI, or NARS-fMRI, as a new functional mapping approach designed to detect neural activity-associated ionic responses more directly. By leveraging sodium MRI to capture activity-related sodium dynamics, NARS-fMRI may provide a complementary or alternative benchmark to conventional BOLD-based mapping. Dr. Yu will discuss the technical rationale, preclinical validation, and translational potential of this method for future human brain mapping applications.

This seminar will feature cutting-edge methodologies used to measure fluid movement within the central nervous system, a crucial factor in maintaining cognitive health and understanding neurodegenerative diseases. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from pioneering experts Jeffrey J. Iliff, Ph.D., and Tommi Väyrynen, M.Sc. who will present their latest research in the field. Dr. Iliff, well-known for his foundational work on the glymphatic system, and Tommi Väyrynen, an expert in advanced neuroimaging technologies, will demonstrate how combining diverse experimental and imaging modalities in neurofluids imaging.

Whether you’re submitting your first abstract or looking to improve your chances of acceptance, this ISMRT Virtual Meeting will provide practical guidance to help you succeed. Hear from this year’s ISMRT Abstract Award winner as she shares her winning abstract and presentation, offering valuable insights into what makes a submission stand out. Members of the ISMRT Abstract Review Team will also explain what reviewers look for, highlight common pitfalls, and share practical tips to help you prepare a stronger abstract for future ISMRT and ISMRM meetings.

Molecular MRI aims to improve biological specificity by generating imaging signals that report on defined molecular and cellular events. This virtual meeting will present two emerging molecular MRI approaches for studying brain function. Yi Zhang, Ph.D., will describe CEST MRI combined with a dynamic signal model that accounts for BOLD contributions to generate glutamate-weighted activation maps during stimulation. Robert Ohlendorf, Ph.D., will describe photosensitized vasculature that acts as a biological transducer, converting bioluminescent reporter emission into localized hemodynamic signals detectable by MRI. Together, the metabolite-sensitive imaging and engineered vascular reporter approaches demonstrate how molecular MRI can link neurochemistry and cellular events to brain-scale imaging. The speakers will discuss the underlying principles, technical challenges, validation requirements, and future applications of these methods.