TARGET GROUP

Clinicians, biologists, MR radiographers, MR technologists, PhD students with some physical and mathematical background

AIM

Are you familiar with spins and k-space? Are you eager to deepen your understanding of MRI physics? ESMRMB presents an online eLearning course tailored for clinicians, biologists, radiographers, technicians and PhD students working with MRI or interested in using MRI for research. The course is designed to accommodate participants at various experience levels in MR techniques and MR physics. Whether you’re just starting or looking to expand your knowledge, this course is the perfect fit.

The eLearning course consists of 8 modules, each lasting 60 minutes. These modules occur weekly and include a self-assessment test after each part to reinforce learning. You’ll have the opportunity to attend live lectures by experts in the field and interact directly with the speakers during dedicated Q&A sessions at the end of each module.

For added flexibility, the course is divided into two parts with independent registrations. All lectures are recorded and available on demand. To receive a certificate of attendance, a minimum attendance requirement must be met, along with successful completion of the self-assessment test for a certificate of competence.

GOALS

By attending this course on practical MRI physics, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of:
• Signal and contrast generation in MR images under various conditions (morphological, biophysical and technical)
• Safe MRI practices, understanding the involved hardware components, and managing basic safety risks
• Image formation and reconstruction
• Basic and advanced MR sequences to address clinical questions and avoid pitfalls
• Assessing and enhancing image quality by optimizing sequence and imaging parameters
• Quantitative imaging and the use of contrast agents
• advanced MRI techniques such as diffusion imaging, perfusion sequences, and PET/MRI
• Interpreting MR images in relation to tissue components and functional activities
• Importance and application of explainability in machine learning for MRI.

General overview of the lectures:

Part I: Basic MRI Principles

1. The Physical Basis of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Bernard Lanz (Switzerland)
2. MR Safety, Lukas Winter (Germany)
3. Image Formation and Reconstruction, Rita Nunes (Portugal)
4. Basic Sequences and Image Quality, Jochen Leupold (Germany)

Part II: Advanced and Applied MRI Principles

1. More Clinical Sequences, Contrast Agents and Hybrid PET/MRI, Maria Eugenia Caligiuri (Italy)
2. Fat Suppression and Introduction to Quantitative Imaging, Jessica Bastiaansen (Switzerland)
3. Diffusion and Beyond, Marco Palombo (United Kingdom)
4. Explainable Machine learning in MRI, Alessia Sarica (Italy)

PART I – detailed

Module 1: The Physical Basis of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

Tuesday, 3 June
Lecturer: Bernard Lanz, Lausanne/CH

• Spin and magnetic moment
• Spin precession and Larmor frequency
• Magnetic properties of nuclei
• Spin-lattice relaxation
• Transverse magnetization and transverse relaxation
• Radiofrequency pulse, return to equilibrium and the magnetic resonance signal
• Information available from NMR, clinical spectroscopy

Module 2: MR Safety

Tuesday, 10 June
Lecturer: Lukas Winter, Berlin/DE

• The B0 field: biological effects and ferromagnetic attraction
• The Gradient fields: biological effects, acoustic noise, and interaction with implants
• The RF field: SAR, focal heating, and implants
• The thought processes of an MR safety professional

Module 3: Image Formation and Reconstruction

Tuesday, 17 June
Lecturer: Rita Nunes, Lisbon/ PT

• Introduction to Fourier Transform
• Magnetic field gradients
• Spatial encoding
• k-space (2D / 3D)
• Image reconstruction
• Image resolution
• FOV / aliasing
• Advanced imaging techniques (e.g. sampling techniques, parallel imaging, compressed sensing)

Module 4: Basic Sequences and Image Quality

Tuesday, 24 June
Lecturer: Jochen Leupold, Freiburg/ DE

• Gradient echo and Spin echo
• Basic contrasts: T1, T2 and proton density
• Fast imaging: SSFP and RARE
• Contrast in SSFP and RARE sequences
• Sequence-independent influences on SNR
• The impact of readout bandwidth

PART II – detailed

Module 5: More Clinical Sequences, Contrast Agents and hybrid PET/MRI

Tuesday, 2 September
Lecturer: Maria Eugenia Caligiuri, Catanzaro/ IT

• Introduction to contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals
• Safety of contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals
• PET/MRI: advantages and disadvantages
• PET/MRI: utility in clinical practice

Module 6: Fat Suppression and Introduction to Quantitative Imaging

Tuesday, 9 September
Lecturer: Jessica Bastiaansen, Bern/ CH

• Different fat suppression techniques: STIR, FatSat, SPAIR, water excitation, Dixon imaging
• Quantitative T1 and T2 mapping
• MR fingerprinting, Quantitative Parameter Mapping
• More examples and organs of interest for quantitative imaging

Module 7: Diffusion and Beyond

Tuesday, 16 September
Lecturer: Marco Palombo, Cardiff/UK

• Diffusion
• Perfusion
• Susceptibility weighted imaging

Module 8: Explainable Machine learning in MRI

Tuesday, 23 September
Lecturer: Alessia Sarica, Catanzaro/IT

• Image reconstruction
• Segmentation
• Classification
• Applications
• Challenges