idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
The physicist Professor Thoralf Niendorf has been appointed to the chair of Experimental Ultra High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC) of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany. Since August 10, 2009 the specialist for imaging techniques from RWTH Aachen University heads the MRI facility of the ECRC on Campus Berlin-Buch. The research facility with one of the world's strongest magnetic resonance tomographs, a 7 Tesla whole-body MRI scanner, was dedicated in January 2009 by Professor Annette Schavan, Germany's Federal Minister of Education and Research.
The 7 Tesla magnetic resonance system (Tesla is the unit for the magnetic flux density) shall provide ultra high resolution images from inside the bodies of test persons and patients. The aim is to detect disease risks and processes at a very early stage and to develop new diagnostic techniques and therapies. In particular, basic researchers and clinicians hope to gain new insights into the development of cardiovascular diseases.
For that reason Professor Niendorf will be primarily concerned with the methodological development of ultra high field magnetic resonance imaging for cardiovascular research. He will investigate the structure, function and physiology of the heart to determine whether this technique using the 7 Tesla MRI scanner might be suitable for diagnosing heart disease in the future.
He will conduct his research in cooperation with clinicians of the Charité and Helios Klinikum Berlin as well as with basic researchers of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB, the National German Metrology Institute) and the Leibniz Institute of Molecular Pharmacology (FMP). So far, the MRI scanners in general use in hospitals are 1.5 Tesla or 3 Tesla devices.
The MRI facility of the ECRC consists of a 7 Tesla MRI scanner developed by Siemens Healthcare for human imaging and a 9.4 Tesla MRI scanner from Bruker Biospin for imaging of mice. The animal scanner supplements the research with the 7 Tesla MRI scanner.
A new 3 Tesla MRI scanner at the end of the year
At the end of this year the facility will be expanded to include a 3 Tesla MRI scanner (Siemens Healthcare), which is being funded with approximately 3.1 million euros from the first economic stimulus package of the German federal government.
A new top floor is currently being added to the MRI building at MDC to house the device, which shall support clinical research and shall enable a comparison with the images gained from the 7 Tesla MRI scanner.
Fourth 7 Tesla MRI scanner worldwide with an 8-channel transmitter system
The 7 Tesla MRI scanner in Berlin is so far the fourth in the world equipped with an 8-channel transmitter system, which is especially suited for cardiac imaging. The other three devices are located in Boston and Pittsburgh in the U.S. and in Paris, France.
Thoralf Niendorf is originally from Jüterbog (Brandenburg) and studied physics at the University of Leipzig from 1986 to 1989. He graduated at the University of Bremen in the department headed by Professor Adalbert Mayer-Heinricy in 1992. He went on to earn his PhD there in 1995 under the supervision of Professor Dieter Leibfritz.
Until 1998 Dr. Niendorf worked at the Max Planck Institute for Neuropsychological Research in Leipzig. He then went into industry, working at General Electrical (GE) Medical Systems Europe in Buc Cedex, France. In 2002 he became Program Manager for the research area cardio- and neurovascular MRI.
In 2002 he transferred to the area of applied research at GE Healthcare Technologies in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA and then conducted research until 2004 at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. At the end of 2004 he accepted an appointment as professor for experimental magnetic resonance imaging at RWTH Aachen University.
Barbara Bachtler
Press and Public Affairs
Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch
Robert-Rössle-Straße 10
13125 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 30 94 06 - 38 96
Fax: +49 (0) 30 94 06 - 38 33
e-mail: presse@mdc-berlin.de
http://www.mdc-berlin.de/
http://www.mdc-berlin.de/en/ecrc/index.html
Professor Thoralf Niendorf
(Photo: David Ausserhofer/Copyright: MDC)
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