Magnetic Resonance Imaging Strategies for Dissolved-phase Hyperpolarised 129Xe

Purpose/aims: To develop novel MRI techniques to investigate the uptake and delivery of hyperpolarized xenon dissolved in biological tissues such as the lungs, kidneys, the heart and the brain.

Background:
Hyperpolarised 129Xe MRI is an emerging technique used to explore lung structure and function [1-5]. As well as being able to visualise the airspaces of the lungs, 129Xe can also be used to probe the function of tissues distal to the lungs such as the kidney and the brain [6,7], owing to its high solubility and wide-chemical shift range in biological tissues. Unlike conventional proton MRI, the magnetisation of hyperpolarised 129Xe nuclei is non-renewable, and as such one of the challenges is developing MRI pulse sequences that are tailored to best utilise the magnetisation available in its gaseous (lung airspaces) and dissolved (distal tissues) states during the scan acquisition. The development of novel MRI acquisition methods to study the functional behavior of 129Xe in the lung airspaces and tissues is therefore crucial to ensure future development, and facilitate the clinical uptake, of hyperpolarised 129Xe MRI.

The purpose of this proposed PhD research project is to optimise MRI pulse sequence strategies to enable investigation of 129Xe uptake and delivery in distal tissues such as kidneys, the heart and the brain in humans.

This research project will involve performing novel 129Xe MRI imaging on 1.5 T and 3.0 T scanners at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital as part of the POLARIS research group at the University of Sheffield. We have a track record of MRI pulse sequence research [8,9] and clinical application of hyperpolarised gas MRI [10] for lung disease research. We aim to build upon this expertise by developing new MRI pulse sequences that enable further investigation of 129Xe MRI in its dissolved state in the lungs, as well as in the brain, the heart and the kidneys.

Entry Requirements:
Candidates must have a first or upper second class honors degree in Physics or Electrical Engineering or significant research experience.

How to Apply:
Please complete a University Postgraduate Research Application form and attach at least two references to your application.

Please clearly state the prospective main supervisor in the respective box and select ‘Department of Infection, Immunity & Cardiovascular Disease (IICD)’ as the department.

Proposed start date for the project:1 October 2017