George Sgouros

Congratulations to Ilias Giannakopoulos, postdoctoral fellow with our research center at NYU Langone Health, on being awarded $1 million over five years by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) to develop “Open-Source Software Tools for Rapid Radiofrequency Coil Modeling and Simulation in MRI.” In MRI, radiofrequency (RF) coils and the human body interact electromagnetically. Ultra-high-field scanners—those whose magnetic field exceeds 3 Tesla—can produce the most detailed anatomical images but also have the most complex interactions with the body, due to their relatively short operating wavelength. Modeling these interactions is crucial for ensuring the safety of patients and for designing optimal RF coils as it allows MRI engineers to avoid creating hotspots (places with too much energy deposition) and dropouts (places with too little signal). However, running electromagnetic simulations often requires proprietary software and demands so much computer memory that the process can take months. Dr. Giannakopoulos proposes to address this need by developing an open-source, memory-efficient software suite capable of modeling interactions between RF coils and biological tissues a hundred times faster than is possible with today’s commercial software. He also plans to include a simulator of RF circuit coils and to validate the software by designing, optimizing, and building a novel coil for prostate MRI at ultra-high field. “The project will utilize, for the first time, tensor decompositions to create a powerful and innovative [electromagnetic] modeling software tool for MRI,” writes Dr. Giannakopoulos in his proposal. “The software will be compatible with any MRI frequency and anatomy without the need for expensive licenses.” The project is supported by the K99/R00 grant program known as Pathway to Independence and, according to the NIBIB, intended "to facilitate a timely transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers in biomedical imaging and bioengineering from mentored, postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions." Last year, we talked to Dr. Giannakopoulos about his award-winning work on making clinical-resolution MRI simulations faster. “We have all these methods,” he told us, referring to new computational approaches to imaging problems. “It’s time to put them together in a software and make it open source so that people can actually use them.” Full interview: https://lnkd.in/eQXXD2xp CC: NYU Grossman School of Medicine, Riccardo Lattanzi, Dan Sodickson, Ryan Brown #ElectroMagnetics #ElectricalEngineering and #ComputerScience for #MRI #RadioFrequency #Engineering in #STEM #innovation in #radiology #PostdocLife

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The next CCO #PaperOfTheWeek is contributed by Ammoren Dohm, MD, Tanner Nickles, Caroline Miller, PhD, Haley Bowers, PhD, Michael Miga, Albert Attia, Michael Chan, and Jared Weis. The team investigated the ability of an imaging-driven mechanistic biophysical model of tumor growth for distinguishing radiation necrosis from tumor progression in brain metastasis. Consider giving it a read! https://lnkd.in/gFJGiYwX

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Webinar presenter spotlight: Ethan Goldberg, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Division of Neurology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. 'Models and Mechanisms of KCNC1-related Disorders'. Ethan Goldberg's group performed electrophysiological characterisation of the Kv3.1 V434L variant. He will present an overview of the clinical significance of Kv3 ion channel mutations in paediatric neurology. Register for webinar 'Recent Progress Towards a Potential Treatment for KCNC1-related Disorders': https://hubs.la/Q02Gm-XD0 #drugdiscovery #CRO #CNS #screening #lifesciences #ionchannels #drugrepurposing #epilepsy #raredisease #rarediseases

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Check out this recent methods article from Michael Albro from Boston University Biomedical Engineering on autoinduction-based quantification of in situ TGF-β activity in native and engineered cartilage! By leveraging TGF-β's autoinduction response, this study introduces LTGF-β as a non-destructive biomarker, allowing for accurate measurement of TGF-β signaling in engineered and native tissues. Researchers found that LTGF-β secretion increases significantly with TGF-β exposure and remains stable in conditioned media for two weeks. This approach not only enhances our understanding of TGF-β dynamics but also has potential applications across various tissue types and engineering platforms. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e4nvXDVv

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📄 We have a new paper in the American Physical Society's journal #PhysicalReviewLetters! ⚙️ In the paper, authors demonstrate a macrocoherent regime in exciton-polariton systems, where nonequilibrium polariton Bose-Einstein condensation coexists with macroscopically occupied vibrational states. 🔗 Click on this link to find out more: https://lnkd.in/dGRrBJur

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🧠Join Dr. Qasim for an insightful talk on: "The in-vivo electrophysiology of human memory" 📚Explore the mechanisms enhancing memory for high-priority information. June 18th at 10:00 JST Attend in-person (RIKEN CBS) or online. Register: https://lnkd.in/ga9fjN3j Title: The in-vivo electrophysiology of human memory: how cells and circuits in the human brain enhance memory for high-priority information across cognitive processes Abstract: Humans forget a majority of what we experience. Why, then, do certain memories persist? Answering this question at a mechanistic level is critical to understanding memory overall, and to devising therapeutic approaches for maladaptive memory biases in psychiatric disorders. I will present my research utilizing direct, intracranial brain recordings in human neurosurgical patients performing memory tasks involving the influence of high-priority information (relating to goals, emotions, and rewards). I will draw connections between the neural biomarkers for memory across these different cognitive processes, at both micro- and meso-scales, and will present hypotheses for how these biomarkers may be causally modulated to downregulate maladaptive memories. By using in-vivo electrophysiology to shine a light on specific neural computations in memory, this work will provide a bridge between research into animal behavior, cognitive neuroscience, and clinical translation.

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