Newsletter 05-2022

20th May 2022

We welcome you to our newsletter. We want to keep you informed and involved about the ins & outs of Scannexus.

Introduction Marloes Peters – Postdoc Researcher

With a background in Biomedical Engineering (TU Eindhoven), I started my PhD project at the Maastricht University Medical Center, which was a collaboration between the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and The Department of Nuclear Medicine. We looked into the use of ¹⁸F-fluoride PET/CT in the follow-up of spinal fusion patients, early and late after surgery.

After a postdoc project on regenerative medicine within the field of orthopedics in collaboration with the Department of Complex Tissue Regeneration at the MERLN Institute, I have been working on the application of high-field MRI to image the musculoskeletal system.

From September onwards I started working part-time for Scannexus. In addition to neuroimaging, the musculoskeletal (MSK) system is a main target application area of high-field MRI. High-field MRI in the field of MSK could allow for fast and non-invasive follow-up of (surgical) treatments; improved patient-specific treatment delineation; and ultimately early detection of disorders such as osteoarthritis to allow timely intervention and prevent further deterioration. Scannexus is an inspiring environment with state-of-the-art MRI scanners to perform research driven by questions from clinical practice, with improved clinical care as end goal. New insights regarding disease diagnosis and progression can be unrevealed on 7T and/or 9.4T MRI, but also translated to lower field systems to allow for access of the technology in clinical practice.

Introduction Sanne Schins – Research Technician

The first time I was exposed to ultra-high-field functional MRI was during the internship for the bachelor program Human and Technology | Biometrics. Fascinated by the abilities of high field imaging I decided to continue with the master Biomedical Sciences (specialization: Biomedical Imaging).

To finish my master’s degree, I am currently doing an internship at the plastic surgery department. Here I am working on a 7T functional MRI study researching the neural plasticity caused by facial synkinesis. Therefore, I will be at Scannexus 2 days a week and work on my thesis project the rest of the week. After finishing my master's degree, you will see me 4 days a week.

During my internships, I have been mainly involved in analyzing the fMRI data. As an MRI Research Technician at Scannexus, I have the opportunity to broaden my knowledge in the field of ultra-high-field MRI. I fondly anticipate learning more about the physics of MRI, how to perform MRI scans, solving MRI-related problems, etc. Furthermore, I am looking forward to combining the new knowledge I have gained with my experiences in data analysis to help researchers with their research. I hope to combine the function of an MRI research Technician with conducting research in the future. 

Introduction Pandichelvam Veeraiah - MR Application Scientist

I am an experienced biomedical researcher with a strong background in metabolic research by applying Magnetic Resonance (MR) techniques to understand complex metabolic disorders, in both preclinical and clinical settings. Over the past 10 years, I have been applying MR Imaging (MRI) and Spectroscopy (MRS) in the liver, brain, and skeletal muscle to study different aspects of metabolism using high field MR scanners.

In 2010, my first MR research (from India) on ex vivo metabolic studies not only sparked my interest in MR but also motivated me to consolidate my profession as a MR researcher. In 2013, I secured a Guest Scientist position at Julich Research Center, Germany where I focused on obesity-related metabolic research in rat brain using multinuclear MRI/MRS. During my PhD at Maastricht University (UM), I specialized in the development and application of innovative MRS protocols to study metabolic pathways in the human liver. 

After successful completion of my PhD, I started working at Scannexus where I aim to collaborate with various research partners through implementation of spectroscopy and X-nuclei applications at ultra high-field (7T & 9.4T) towards addressing clinical metabolic research questions. Together with extensive collaboration of MUMC and UM, the excellent access to start-of-the art-MR facilities at Scannexus would bring the unused potential of MR in clinical practice and I hope this would eventually enable me to develop into an international MR expert in metabolic imaging.