Fast Quantitative MRI for Tissue Characterization: Applications in Skeletal Muscle from Toe to Head

Quantitative MRI is increasingly used to assess tissue composition and microstructure in vivo and is emerging as a valuable source of imaging biomarkers in clinical research. In neuromuscular diseases, it is being adopted in clinical trials to monitor disease progression and treatment response, but its broader use remains limited by long acquisition times, scanner-related biases, limited standardization, and challenges in imaging anatomically complex regions.

In this presentation, I will highlight work carried out at the Institute of Myology over the past decade to address these limitations. A key focus has been the development of Magnetic Resonance Fingerprinting (MRF), which enables rapid multiparametric mapping while reducing sensitivity to common MRI biases. Using this approach, we have developed and validated quantitative protocols for whole-body imaging, including challenging regions such as thoracic and abdominal muscles.

I will also discuss how collaborations with academic and industrial partners, together with applications in single-center and multicenter clinical studies, are helping translate these methods toward broader clinical use beyond neuromuscular diseases.

Institute of Myology Neuromuscular Investigation Center

The lecture will be held in sitem-insel (Room O2.211), Freiburgstr. 3, Bern followed by an Apéro and discussion and boroadcast virtually via Zoom at

https://unibe-ch.zoom.us/j/66256483922?pwd=aE1kTFg5aUZza1JmWEJxZDVsdnV5dz09

Please feel free to spread the word to anybody potentially interested.

For further info please contact: jessica.bastiaansen@unibe.ch

Join the mailing list here: TIC Seminar