SUMMARY
In her research lab, Sina Straub, Ph.D., quantifies tissue properties using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at ultrahigh magnetic field (UHF) strength. Dr. Straub is an expert in quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), which allows for the quantification of changes in tissue iron concentration.
Dr. Straub offers supervision for international master's thesis projects or short-term Ph.D. exchange projects. Please email her directly at straub.sina@mayo.edu if you are interested.
Focus areas
- Methods development for UHF quantitative MRI, including multicontrast methods, physical simulations and correction of confounding factors.
- QSM and functional QSM to quantify changes in tissue iron concentration, myelin integrity or oxygenation.
- Quantitative biomarker development at ultrahigh magnetic field for neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.
Significance to patient care
MRI is mainly used as a qualitative imaging modality that relies on the subjective reading of weighted images. However, MRI can be used to quantify tissue parameters such as magnetic susceptibility, tissue oxygenation, relaxation times or ion concentration, which have been shown to correspond to subtle changes related to pathology in early stages. Exploiting the high image quality available with UHF MRI, Dr. Straub's research aims to develop new quantitative imaging techniques.
Professional highlights
- Elected committee member, Electromagnetic Tissue Properties Study Group, International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2021.
- Group leader, German Cancer Research Center, 2016.