Our Lab is housed within the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the BioImaging Research Center(BIRC) at the University of Georgia. Our research facilities are located in the Paul C. Coverdale Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences. Our research primarily focuses on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Machine Learning (ML). We collaborate with different departments such as Regerative Bioscience Center, Molecular Medicine Center, Computer Science, Neuroscience. Facilities and Equipment Available to the MRI Physics Lab The Paul C. Coverdale Center The MRI Physics Lab is located in the Paul C. Coverdale Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences on the picturesque campus of the University of Georgia. The University of Georgia is located about 50 miles to the east of Atlanta in Athens, Georgia. MRI Machines GE Signa HDx 3.0T 16-Channel MR system (General Electric, Milwaukee, WI.): located at the BioImaging Research Center, Coverdell Center, at the University of Georgia Athens campus. The magnet has a TwinSpeed dual-gradient design, 16-channel architecture with a four-blade Volume Reconstruction Engine (VRE). Its Zoom gradient modes provides amplitudes up to 50 mT/m and a slew rate of 150 mT/m/ms. This 3T MR scanner has been used to provide high resolution structural MR imaging and high quality functional imaging. In addition, a new 7.0T Varian small bore MR system is onsite dedicated to small animal research. Computing There are six Linux workstations and six Windows workstations. A total storage capacity of two terabytes is available to researchers in the BIRC. We also have four Windows workstations and a Linux server equipped with two dual core Intel Xenon processors in our Electronics Lab. Our group has access to a dedicated MATLAB server operated by BIRC and we have our own MATLAB server available to researchers within the MRI Physics Lab. Others In the Electronics Lab, we have various equipment for RF coil prototype design and testing. The lab is equipped with E5061A network analyzer (Agilent Technology), TDS3032B digital oscilloscope (Tektronix), and other equipments including RF signal generators, power supplys, etc Former Students and Alumni Dr. Gregory Simchick Summer 2015 - Spring 2020 PhD Student Now working at the University of Wisconsin Dr. Luning Wang Summer 2009 - Spring 2014 PhD Student Now working at Phillips Dr. Jason langley Summer 2008 - Spring 2011 PhD Student Now working at University of California at Irvine Dr. William Potter Spring 2009 - Summer 2012 PhD Student Now working at Cornell University Dr. Sunbok Lee Spring 2007 - Fall 2008 Graduate Student Now working at University of Georgia Wenyi Shao Summer 2008 - Fall 2008 Graduate Student Zach Vollrath Summer 2008 - Fall 2008 Graduate Student Susan Chung Fall 2008 Undergraduate Student Lisa Manglass Spring 2008 Undergraduate Student Alice Shen (from Georgia Tech) Summer Research 2008 Matt Warren News Kudos! Gregory Simchick is one of 580 scientists selected from 88 countries who will hear talks by, meet, and network with 42 Nobel Laureates, from June 30th to July 5th, 2019 in Lindau, Germany. Two graduate students, Gregory Simchick and Brandon Campbell, have received travel awards by the ISMRM to attend the 2017 annual meeting of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Medicine, at Hawaii, in April 2017. Dr. Qun Zhao, together with Drs. Steve Stice, Mary Smith, and Kun Lu, were awarded a STAR grant by the Environment Protect Agency, entitled "Human Neural Stem Cell Metabolomic, Cellular and Organ Level Adverse Outcome Pathway Relationships for Endocrine Active Compounds", $800,000 (total cost), 2013-2016 Dr. Qun Zhao was awarded Sarah Moss Fellowship 2014, which supported him to travel overseas to conduct collaborative research. Dr. Qun Zhao was awarded a Provost summer research award, entitled "The use of superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIOs) to track stem cells in vivo" 2013 Luning Wang defended his PhD dissertation in the fall of 2013, and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota. Joonsang Lee successfully defended his PhD dissertation in the summer of 2013, and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Dr. Qun Zhao was awarded a UGA faculty research award, entitled " Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles based Drug Delivery and Treatment to Head & Neck Cancer", 2012-13 Luning Wang received the 2013 ISMRM travel fund and ISMRM Summa Cum Laude Merit Award William Potter successfully defended his PhD dissertation in the summer of 2012 (currently working at the Cornell University) Luning Wang received the 2011 Innovative and Interdisciplinary Research Grant from the UGA Graduate school Jason Langley successfully defended his PhD dissertation in the spring of 2011 (currently working at the Emory University) William Potter and Jason Langley were awarded education stipends from the ISMRM to travel to ISMRM 2010
