Quantitative parameters for the evaluation of functional MRI data (fMRI)

Brain tumor imaging

Our main focus is the discovery and validation of novel quantitative biomarkers for tumor characterisation and monitoring of tumor treatment in glioma. Together with the GliMR initiative, we have published several reviews on the use of advanced MRI in glioma, We are currently focusing on the development of novel quantitative and machine learning models aimed to reduce the dependency on imaging using gadolinium-based contrast agents; on developing new perfusion biomarkers in glioma; and on studying the structural and metabolic changes encountered by the patients undergoing radiochemotheray for the treatment of brain tumors.

• Azizova, A., ..., Petr, J. et al., European Radiology 2024.
• Hirschler, L., ... , Petr, J. et al., Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging 2023.
• Petr, J. et al., Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine 2021.
• Petr, J. et al., Radiotherapy and Oncology 2018.

Healthy aging

We are studying the brain development and brain changes during normal aging with the ultimate goal of discovering early cerebrovascular markers of various neurological disease. With our main focus on perfusion measurement, we were able to create the extension of the brain-age model to include cerebrovascular information through ASL. We are now working on associating perfusion changes with cardio and cerebrovascular risk factors and we are also attempting to put novel sequences to clinical research like for example is done withing the DEBBIE project with a multi-echo ASL sequence that is capable of measuring and quantifying the water transfer through blood-brain barrier.

• Dijsselhof, M. B., ..., Petr, J. et al., Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism 2024.
• Padrela, B., ..., Petr, J. et al., BMJ open 2024.
• Dijsselhof, M. B., ..., Petr, J., Human brain mapping 2023.

Open Science Initiatives

In the field of quantitative MR imaging, we are working on the development, validation, and application of new quantitative MR biomarkers for a range of neurological diseases with a focus on healthy aging, neurodegeneration, and brain tumors.

We are involved in several international open-science initiatives and are part of the Brain Imaging Data Structure (BIDS) initiative. In this initiative we worked on developing the BIDS extension for arterial spin labeling (ASL). We were active in the several task forces of the Open Science Initiative for Perfusion Imaging (OSIPI), where through Jan Petr we were leading the Task Force on ASL inventory where he is currently the ISMRM OSIPI Secretary. We were among the core proposers of the Glioma Imaging 2.0 (GliMR) COST ACTION that aimed to work towards the translation of quantitative MR biomarkers for glioma into clinical practice. We were leading the Task Force 3 on clinical translation, were active in co-organizing the meeting and scientific activities and are now leading the ESMRMB-GliMR Task force on Networking. Lastly, together with collaborators (Henk-Jan Mutsaerts), we co-authored the multi-center pipeline for processing ASL data called ExploreASL.

• Fan, H., ..., Petr, J., Magnetic resonance in medicine 2024.
• Clement, P., ..., Petr, J. et al., Scientific data 2022.
• Clement, P., ..., Petr, J. et al. Journal of medical and biological engineering 2021.
• Mutsaerts, H. J., Petr, J. et al., Neuroimage 2020.