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Events for October 07, 2011
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New Directions in MRI: High Field Imaging, Cell-Tracking, & Multinuclear Studies
Fri, Oct 07, 2011 @ 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Priti Balchandani, Ph.D., Radiological Sciences Laboratory, Stanford University
Talk Title: New Directions in MRI: High Field Imaging, Cell-Tracking, & Multinuclear Studies
Abstract: This talk will focus on the design of innovative radio frequency (RF) pulses and pulse sequences that harness the power of high-field magnets anexploit new contrast mechanisms in order to enable novel applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). I will present engineering solutions for MR imaging and spectroscopy at high magnetic fields such as 7 Tesla (7T). Beyond higher resolution images that elucidate finer anatomical features, high-field MR offers greater spectral resolution for spectroscopic imaging, new and enhanced contrast mechanisms and improved detection of nuclei other than protons that are essential to cell processes. Unfortunately, conventional MR imaging sequences, which work well at 1.5T and 3T, are not designed to handle some of the physical and hardware issues that emerge at 7T. I will present techniques that exploit the benefits offered by 7T magnets for neuroimaging applications by overcoming the limitations associated with their operation. Clinical value of these high-field techniques will be discussed, with a particular focus on their application to imaging epilepsy. Finally, I will focus on some creative pulse and pulse sequence designs for nontraditional MR applications such as multinuclear imaging and stem cell tracking.
Biography: Priti Balchandani, PhD, is a Research Associate in the Radiological Sciences Laboratory (RSL) at Stanford University. Her research is focused on novel RF pulse and pulse sequence design for human MR imaging and spectroscopy. She has been particularly interested in exploiting the power of high-field MR magnets to visualize the brain in unprecedented detail. Her work on overcoming some of the main limitations of operating at high magnetic fields has resulted in several first authored publications and patents as well as selection as a finalist for the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) 2008 Young Investigator Award. Dr. Balchandani is the recipient of a K99/R00 NIH Pathway to Independence Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for her grant entitled "High Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy of Epilepsy at 7T." She was also named a Junior Fellow of the ISMRM, an honor awarded to young researchers of outstanding quality and promise, with a significant potential for helping the Society achieve its mission. Dr. Balchandani received her BS in computer engineering at the University of Waterloo and her PhD in electrical engineering at Stanford University.
Host: Prof. Krishna Nayak
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia Veal
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Biological Waveguides
Fri, Oct 07, 2011 @ 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Vasudevan (Vengu) Lakshminarayanan, Professor of Vision Science, Physics, and Electrical and Computer Engineering; University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Talk Title: Biological Waveguides
Abstract: It is well known that the photoreceptors of the eye act as classical fiber optic elements. These were first determined psychophysically by Stiles and Crawford about 75 years ago. There is considerable evidence of waveguide modal patterns in isolated photoreceptor elements. Many theoretical models have been developed to describe waveguiding in photoreceptors. This talk will review some aspects of waveguiding in photoreceptors and will introduce a possible fiber sensor based on biological waveguiding.
Biography: After finishing high school in Los Angeles, Vengu moved to India, where he received his BS and MS degrees in physics and mathematics. He then obtained a Ph.D. from University of California at Berkeley. He stayed on at Berkeley as a researcher/manager of a large NIH funded lab before moving to the medical optics industry (Allergan Medical Optics in Irvine). He is a professor of Vision Science, Physics and ECE at the University of Waterloo, prior to which he was affiliated with the University of Missouri. He has also been a Kavli Scholar at the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics at UCSB, an adjunct professor at UC Irvine and is a current associate of the Michigan Institute for Theoretical Physics at Ann Arbor as well as a member of the Center for Bioengineering and Biotechnology at UW. He has published widely in areas ranging from classical optics, quantum physics, applied math and vision science. He is on the editorial board of a number of journals including Journal of Modern Optics and Optics Letters. He has published about 10 books, including the recently published Quantum Information (McGraw Hill), and the upcoming Dihedral Fourier Analysis (Springer). He was an editor of the 5 volume Handbook of Optics (McGraw Hill). Honors include being a co-recipient of the 2011 SPIE educator award. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, OSA, SPIE, AAAS and the Institute of Physics (UK).
Host: Prof. Alexander Sawchuk
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - B18
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia Veal
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Integrated Systems Seminar Series - Prof. Maysam Ghovanloo, Georgia Institute of Technology
Fri, Oct 07, 2011 @ 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University Calendar
Title:From Implantable Microelectronic Devices to Modern Assistive Technologies
Speaker: Prof. Maysam Ghovanloo who is at Georgia Institute of Technology
Abstract: In this talk, I will give an overview of the recent progress in GT-Bionics Lab. The applications of implantable microelectronic devices (IMD) are on the rise, because advancements in microelectronics, RF communications, and medicine have resulted in adding more functionality in IMDs that occupy smaller space and run on lower power levels to address more complex diseases and disabilities. I will address how we are pushing the limits on developing basic building blocks for such state-of-the-art IMDs, particularly on the analog front end, RF backend, and power management units. One of many applications of IMDs is brain-computer interfacing (BCI), which is meant to enable individuals with severe physical disabilities to control their environments, particularly by accessing computers and driving powered wheelchairs. Implantable BCIs are highly invasive and despite all the investments, it is not clear whether end users would accept them in the presence of much less invasive alternatives. Therefore, in GT-Bionics Lab we pursue BCIs as advanced tools for neuroscience research applications on small animal subject. At the same time, we are exploring novel minimally invasive methods for individuals with severe paralysis to make the best use of their remaining abilities to control their environments. An example of this is a brain-tongue computer interface (BTCI), called the Tongue Drive System, which will be covered.
Bio:Maysam Ghovanloo received the B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tehran, and the M.S. degree in biomedical engineering from the Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in 1997. He also received the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2003 and 2004.
Dr. Ghovanloo developed the first modular Patient Care Monitoring System in Iran where he also founded Sabz-Negar Rayaneh Co. to manufacture physiology and pharmacology research laboratory instruments. From 2004 to 2007 he was an assistant professor in the Department of ECE at the North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. Since 2007 he has been with the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he is the ON Semiconductor Junior Faculty Chair, and the founding director of the GT-Bionics Lab. Dr. Ghovanloo is an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems, Part II and IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Circuits and Systems. He has also been serving on the Imagers, MEMS, Medical and Displays subcommittee of the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) since 2009. He has received the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Tommy Nobis Barrier Breaker Award for Innovation, and Distinguished Young Scholar Award from the Association of Professors and Scholars of Iranian Heritage.
More Information: 10.7.11 Seminar_Speaker_Ghovanloo.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 248
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Danielle Hamra