Research

The goal of our research program is to develop innovative, mechanism-driven MR metabolic imaging approaches for improved detection of neurological disorders and monitoring of therapeutic response. With the active support of the NIH-funded P41 Hyperpolarized 13C Resource center, our work is mainly focused on the new hyperpolarized DNP-MR technology. We use preclinical models of Multiple Sclerosis, Traumatic Brain Injury, Alzheimer’s disease and CNS lymphoma (to date). Based on the knowledge of metabolic changes associated with these neurological disorders, we develop and biologically validate new imaging agents with dramatically increased signal intensity (Hyperpolarized Probes) and optimized acquisitions strategies for diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

For a description of our research program, check out Prof. Chaumeil's Discovery Talk from UCSF Alumni Weekend 2022. Her short, TED-talk-like 7 minutes presentation is entitled: Let's take our brain for a spin!

For more information on the hyperpolarized DNP-MR technology, you can also read our open-access review entitled "Imaging Brain Metabolism Using Hyperpolarized 13C Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy" published in Trends in Neurosciences.

 

You can also watch the following video from Prof. John Kurhanewicz, PhD, Director of the Preclinical MRI/S core: