PhD projects we are currently recruiting for

The aim of this project is to study of physiometabolic signals to better characterise the aggressiveness of brain tumours. This study will apply and further develop our novel, bespoke ultra-high-field (UHF) neuroimaging sequences to provide pathophysiological image signals as biomarkers of brain tumour microstructure and disease aggressiveness. The proposed project will combine the development of 7T anatomical and functional (Susceptibility Weighted Imaging, Arterial Spin Labelling , diffusion IVIM, vessel size imaging, oxygenation) and metabolic (CEST, oncometabolite spectroscopy, ²³Na MRI) sequences for multimodal analysis. Artificial intelligence (AI) methods will be used to enable joint multimodal analysis. These developments will lead to early projects when the 11.7T Ultrahigh field MRI scanner is commissioned. The project will involve experimental work including human scanning and complex image and data analysis, and will provide a broad knowledge of MRI and MRS techniques and how they are used in clinical research. These developments will lead to early projects when the 11.7T ultrahigh field MRI scanner is commissioned.

Contact: Penny Gowland or Susan Francis.

The aim of this project is to develop whole body imaging and spectroscopy at 7T. This is particularly challenging as the radiofrequency RF that we use to excite the signal is inhomogeneously distributed in the abdomen. We aim to study liver fat composition and energetics with 1H and 31P MRS respectively, and 1H and 23Na in the kidney. This will be used in studies related to metabolic diseases associated with poor nutrition and inactivity. These developments will lead to early projects when the 11.7T ultrahigh field MRI scanner is commissioned. The project will involve experimental work including human scanning and complex image and data analysis, and will provide a detailed knowledge of advanced MRI and MRS techniques.

Contact: Penny Gowland or Susan Francis.

This PhD project aims to develop innovative RF coils to achieve uniform nuclei-spin excitation in the brain, while minimizing RF safety issues, for the cutting-edge 11.7T human whole-body MRI scanner.

Ultra-high field (≥7T, UHF) MRI offers exceptional capabilities for revealing fine anatomical and functional organization of the brain non-invasively. However, it faces critical RF engineering challenges, including inhomogeneous RF field distribution and elevated specific absorption rate (SAR). These issues lead to biased tissue contrast, compromised brain functional imaging, and significant safety concerns, limiting its clinical applicability.

Recent advances in phased-array technology, subwavelength materials, and traveling-wave transmission techniques present new opportunities to improve brain imaging at UHF by providing better control over RF field distribution and reducing SAR.

In this project, the student will focus on developing novel RF coils for UHF MRI, with an emphasis on understanding wave propagation behaviour in biological tissues, moving beyond the traditional quasi-static principles used in classic near-field probes. The student will acquire in-depth knowledge of MRI physics, antenna design, and microwave technologies, with early access to the state-of-the-art 11.7T MRI scanner.

Contact: Richard Bowtell, on behalf of Yang Gao.

Ultra-high field (UHF) offers many benefits for MRI, including increased signal strength and image contrast that can be used to improve the spatial resolution of images. We are currently establishing a National Facility for UHF (11.7T) Human MRI at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre (SPMIC), which will become operational in 2026. MRI at 11.7T will facilitate many novel clinical and neuroscience-focused studies. In addition to enhanced signal and contrast, operation at UHF also produces larger spatial inhomogeneities in the radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields that are used for signal excitation. These result from the shorter RF wavelength and enhanced sensitivity to the heterogeneous electrical permittivity and conductivity of tissue.

To realise the full benefits of UHF it is necessary to overcome the effects of these inhomogeneities. This will be achieved at 11.7T by using parallel RF transmission (pTx) in which the electromagnetic fields inside the body are generated by multiple individually controlled coil elements. This project will focus on the development and exploitation of new approaches for generating optimal RF excitation in the brain at 11.7T using a novel,16-element, head RF coil. This research will include consideration of the best approaches for mapping the RF transmit fields (B1+) inside the head at 11.7T, and for calculating RF and gradient waveforms that produce uniform excitation based on these fields. An additional consideration is the spatial distribution of RF power deposition in the head when different RF pulses are applied. This can be estimated for each pulse based on electromagnetic simulations, and an additional research question in this project will be to devise the best method of limiting peak RF power deposition in designing 11.7T pTx pulses.

Contact: Richard Bowtell.