The Daily Bulletin Archive

Matthew Tarasek, MRI scientist at GE Global Research, will present his research talk, "Introduction to MR Imaging and Current Research," at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, November 21, in Science Building 272. He is an alumnus of Buffalo State. An abstract of his talk appears below.

Before his presentation, from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m., Tarasek will converse with undergraduate and graduate students at Buffalo State regarding his working experiences at GE as a research scientist. This private conversation will be held in Science and Mathematics Complex 201. This seminar is sponsored by the Auxiliary Services Grant Allocation Committee, the Vice President for Student Affairs Office, and the Faculty-Student Association.

Abstract
The subject of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is large and complex. A full quantum mechanical understanding is needed to describe the complex spin interactions typically analyzed in the NMR experiment (such as dipolar or quadrupolar couplings). Fortunately, if we focus on the basic concepts of proton MR, we can resort to a more simplistic perspective to gain a functional understanding of MR imaging.

Here a conceptual overview of MRI will be presented. Simple nonmathematical models will be used to describe the origins and detection of MR signal, along with NMR relaxation (T1 and T2), the Fourier transform, and how magnetic field gradients are used to provide spatial encoding for MRI. Finally, a brief overview of my recent research in the field of MR temperature mapping, clinical MR-radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia (HT), and MR tumor characterization will be presented.