CIBM Core and AAA members breakthroughs at 2024 ISMRM & ISMRT

CIBM Core and AAA members  display breakthroughs in biomedical imaging at 2024 ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting in Singapore

The CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging made a major impact at the 2024 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) and The International Society for MR Radiographers & Technologists (ISMRT) Annual Meeting in Singapore, held from May 4-9. CIBM researchers showcased a series of groundbreaking presentations highlighting their latest advances in MRI technology.

With more than 60 contributions, including oral presentations, power pitches, and posters, this strong participation underscored CIBM’s essential role in driving MRI innovation worldwide. Researchers from CIBM founding partner institutions the Lausanne University Hospital, University of Lausanne (CHUV-UNIL), Geneva University Hospitals, University of Geneva  (HUG-UNIGE), and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)  and their collaborators were present.

The CIBM Core, Affiliate, Associate and Alumni (AAA) members presented innovative topics emphasizing continuous MRI advancement. Among the highlights were oral presentations on novel imaging techniques for assessing cardiac health and on neurological applications. Additionally, the power pitches and posters presented by CIBM covered groundbreaking research in areas such as AI-enhanced MRI reconstruction, which aims to significantly reduce scan times while improving image quality. Topics also included the development of new contrast mechanisms to better differentiate between healthy and pathological tissues, and the use of MRI in low-resource settings, highlighting CIBM’s dedication to make available on a large scale the advanced medical imaging technologies. These presentations not only demonstrated the technical prowess of CIBM’s team but also their commitment to translating these sophisticated imaging techniques into tools that can be used broadly in clinical practice, thereby improving patient care and diagnostic accuracy on a global scale.

CIBM Affiliate member and Alumni Dr. Ileana Jelescu (CHUV,UNIL) wowed the audience with her NIBIB New Horizons Plenary Lecture on transforming #MRI into an in vivo microscope for human brain tissue.

A standout moment was CIBM Core member Dr. Jessie Mosso’s (EPFL) achievement as she won the Young Investigator I.I Rabi Award for Original Basic Science Research for her work titled “Diffusion-Weighted SPECIAL Improves the Detection of J-Coupled Metabolites at Ultrahigh Magnetic Field.” Dr. Jessie Mosso’s (EPFL) also won the Summa cum Laude Merit Award for her work entitled “Metabolite-cycling at 14.1T: sequence implementation and initial explorations using SPECIAL and diffusion-weighted SPECIAL”.

Dr. Antonia Kaiser (EPFL) won a prize for her poster entitled “NAD+(H) Dynamics Using 31P Functional MRS in the Brain: Insights into Energy Metabolism Mechanisms during Visual Stimulation”. 

The CIBM takes great pride in nurturing the next generation of experts. Our graduate students, under the guidance of our Core and AAA members, have made an impressive mark at this prestigious congress, showcasing their outstanding research and gaining well-deserved recognition.

Graduate students also were distinguished with a few prizes

• Guillaume Briand and Brayan Alves (EPFL) supervised by Dr. Cristina Cudalbu won the 1st prize for the Poster Award presentation @ ISMRM 2024 Study Group  for the poster entitled “MRS4Brain Toolbox: an harmonized and accessible workflow for preclinical MRSI data processing”.
• Mark Widmaier (EPFL), supervised by Dr. Lijing Xin, received the Summa Cum Laude Award and the Annual Meeting Program Committee (AMPC) Highlight (1% of all submitted abstracts to the meeting) for his oral presentation “3D whole brain mapping of creatine kinase metabolic rate using 31P-MR fingerprinting,” while Cristina Sainz Martinez (CSEM), supervised by CIBM Alumni and Associate member Dr. João Jorge, presented the team’s work on “Simultaneous EEG-fMRI at 7T with adapted EEG leads and reference sensors for high-quality, high-resolution imaging: human evaluation,” and her power pitch was also selected as one of the meeting’s highlights by the AMPC.
• Quentin Uhl (UNIL-CHUV) supervised by Dr. Ileana Jelescu received the Magna cum Laude Award for this oral presentation “NEXI for the quantification of human gray matter microstructure on a clinical MRI scanner”, while his e-poster on “GEM: a unifying model for Gray Matter microstructure” was selected as part of the Highly-Regarded ISMRM Abstract Initiative.
• Finally, Dr. Andreea Hertanu (CHUV) won the 2nd prize in the Bruker MRI Awards 2024 for her work on “Diffusivity and kurtosis time-dependence changes in the rat brain during somatosensory evoked response” performed using the 14T MRI scanner at the CIBM MRI EPFL Animal Imaging and Technology Section.

“Our extensive participation and the recognition received at this event highlight our commitment to pushing the boundaries of MRI technology. The scope of our presentations and the depth of our research underscore our role as innovators in the field”, says Dr. Pina Marziliano, CIBM Executive Director. 

Petra S. Hüppi (HUG-UNIGE) named ISMRM vice president-elect

Another significant moment for CIBM at the 2024 ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting was the announcement of Dr. Petra S. Hüppi (HUG-UNIGE), as the newly elected Vice President-Elect of the International Society for ISMRM. This prestigious appointment was announced  during the welcome ceremony at the start of the conference. In her new position, Dr. Hüppi brings a unique blend of expertise, passion, and vision to guide the society’s initiatives and ensure its prosperity. The CIBM community congratulates and supports Dr. Hüppi and the newly elected ISMRM trustees as they lead the society towards new heights in advancing magnetic resonance technology worldwide.

CIBM’s significant presence at the 2024 ISMRM & ISMRT Annual Meeting in Singapore not only highlighted its contributions but also reinforced its reputation as a leader in biomedical imaging. With a robust lineup of presentations and research projects, CIBM continues to lead the way in enhancing MRI technology for better healthcare outcomes worldwide.

To end on a high note and celebrate everyone’s commitment to the CIBM community, a field trip was organized to visit Bollywood Farms, followed by a tour of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Yunnan Garden Campus, and finally a visit to the  Centre for Research and Development in Learning (CRADLE) .

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