Abstract: Biomedical engineers are used to working at the interface of multiple disciplines and acting as interpreters in order to enable rapid and impactful collaborative science across a broad spectrum of disciplines.  For many, including myself, it is this very fact which makes our pursuit of science so enjoyable.  Due to the characteristics embodied by imaging: fundamentals based in the physical sciences and engineering, the capability to be applied to a plethora of (patho)physiologies, and clinical application, imaging naturally attracts biomedical engineers.  Preclinical imaging, undoubtedly, holds the potential to help more successfully translate research from bench to bedside but is still, largely, in its nascent phase. 

The focus of this talk will be on preclinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in particular, and how it can be used to further research in basic science, therapeutic development, and translation to the clinic.  Examples discussed will primarily include cardiovascular, oncology, and neuroscience applications.  Complimentary expertise that is requisite for the most successful imaging endeavors will also be highlighted (e.g. in silico methods, small animal models of the human condition, and rigorous pre- and post- statistical analysis).  Emphasis will be placed on how highly-optimized preclinical imaging or, when necessary, the novel implementation of sequences predominantly reserved for the clinic results in unique conclusions that might only be gleaned by using such technology. 

(About the speaker: Joan is trained in bioengineering from U. of Washington and Stanford University, at the latter of which she led the preclinical MRI lab for three years; she has over 10 years experience in therapeutic development at Genentech, Inc., including leading the MRI preclinical research group for five years and four years of project team experience successfully translating an antibody to treat Alzheimer’s disease from the bench into Phase I and II clinical trials; more recently, Joan partnered with subject matter experts at the Allen Institute for Brain Science to help formulate the scientific and operational strategy for a new initiative about neural coding.  She is driven by the enjoyment that comes from addressing important scientific questions that hold the potential for treating unmet medical needs and which are best answered using complex imaging systems and a team of highly-motivated cross-functional researchers.)

~BME Faculty Host: Craig Goergen~

***Coffee and juice will be provided at West Lafayette***

(via teleconference to SL165 at IUPUI)