The Hyperpolarized MRI Technology Resource Center 

The Hyperpolarized MRI Technology Resource Center (HMTRC)  is a Biomedical Resource Technology Center funded by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) focuses on the development and dissemination of new advances in dissolution DNP techniques and instrumentation, specialized data acquisition methodology, and analysis software for biomedical research. 

Hyperpolarized MR is an emerging molecular imaging method to monitor enzymatic conversions through key, previously-inaccessible biochemical pathways.  Through numerous studies to date, hyperpolarized carbon-13 MR has shown outstanding research and potential clinical value, but requires major technological development to realize its full potential.  This motivation, coupled with the rapidly expanding interest at other sites, compelled us to create the “Hyperpolarized MRI Technology Resource Center”.  

This center is based on three Technology Research & Development (TR&D) projects led by experienced hyperpolarized MR researchers.  TR&D1 is focused on DNP polarizer and MR acquisition development and pre-clinical animal studies.  TR&D2 focuses on the development of new robust and realistic pre-clinical models for HP MR studies, optimization of current HP probes & investigation of new HP probes, and the development of methods that provide appropriate correlative pathologic, biologic and other imaging data for understanding and validating HP MR findings.  TR&D3 focuses on the development of a free open-source specialized data analysis platform for HP MR data reconstruction and interpretation.  All TR&D developments are driven in a push-pull interaction by the independently funded Collaborative Projects and the technology resources of the center are utilized by Service Projects and disseminated to all interested investigators through hands-on workshops, symposia, visits/training, formal courses, and our center website.  

The goal of the HMTRC is to collaboratively develop new technology to advance this field in order to better identify and understand human disease and ultimately to translate and disseminate these techniques for improved healthcare.  

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 Center HP C-13 MRI Technology Advances & Clinical Translation

 

 

 

Translation of Hyperpolarized MR
Into Biomedical Research (by Body Area)

Select a button below to view presentations on translation of Hyperpolarized MR into Biomedical Research by Body Area.

 Bone  |  Brain  |  Breast | Cardiac |  Head & Neck 

 Kidney | Liver | Neurology | Pancreas  | Prostate  | Thyroid

 

 

Bone

03/18/21
Hsin-Yu Chen, PhD, Senior Bioengineer, UCSF
International SPINlab Web-conference

Specialized Technology Developments for HP 13C-pyruvate MRI of Bone and Liver Metastases
(21 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Bone & Liver Cancer

 

 

 

 

 

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Brain

11/21/23
Yaewon Kim, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar Vigneron Group, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Clinical HP 13C MR Molecular Imaging of Brain Metabolism: Probes beyond [1-13C]Pyruvate
(23 min)

Focus Area/s: Probes, Clinical Translation, Human, Metabolism, New HP Probe Development, Technology, Brain, Data Analysis

11/21/23
Mathilde Hauge Lerche, PhD, Associate Professor, Technical University of Denmark
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Converging new HP Methods, Large Animal Models and Biomarkers relevant for Clinical MR
(25 min)

Focus Area/s: Models, Preclinical, Metabolism, Clinical translation, Brain

10/24/23
Pavithra Viswanath, PhD, Associate Professor, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Interrogating Glioma Biology using Hyperpolarized 13C MR Imaging
(22 min)

Focus Area/s: Preclinical, Brain, Cancer, New Agents

09/28/23
Jasmine Hu, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar Vigneron Lab, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Multi-Resolution HP [1-13C]Pyruvate MRI for Brain Metabolism & Perfusion
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Acquisition, Data Analysis, Metabolic Imaging, Metabolism, Clinical Translation, Human, Brain

08/23/23
Adam Autry, PhD, Specialist, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2023

Clinical Translation of HP C-13 Imaging for Patients with Glioma
(32 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Brain Cancer & Patients

04/13/23
Chuck Cunningham PhD, University of Toronto
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Hyperpolarized C-13 MRI of the Human Brain
(20 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Human, Brain

04/14/23
Yan Li MD PhD, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Imaging Tumor Metabolism for Improved Management of Patients with Glioma
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Brain, Cancer

04/14/23
Pavithra Viswanath PhD, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Probing the pentose phosphate pathway in brain tumors using hyperpolarized C-13 imaging
(14 min)

Focus Area/s: Preclinical, Brain Tumors

12/01/22
Yan Li, PhD, Assistant Professor, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Dynamic Hyperpolarized 13C MRI of Pyruvate Metabolism in Patients with Glioma
(23 min)

Focus Area/s: Cancer, Clinical Translation, Brain, Metabolism

09/15/22
Jasmine Hu Graduate Student Vigneron Lab, UCSF
Multi-site Collaboration Presentation

Kinetic Analysis of Multi-resolution Hyperpolarized 13C Human Brain MRI to Study Cerebral Metabolism
(8 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Brain, Metabolism

08/16/22
Adam Autry, PhD, Research Specialist, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Clinical Translation of Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 Imaging in Patients with Glioma
(17 min)

Focus Area/s: Cancer, Clinical Translation, Brain, Metabolism

06/22/22
Ferdia Gallagher, MD, PhD, Professor, University of Cambridge
HMTRC Radiology & Biomedical Imaging Hosted Seminar 

Imaging Metabolism and Metabolic Heterogeneity in Oncology
(38 min)

Focus Area/s: Cancer, Clinical Translation - Treatment Response, Brain Metabolism, DMI

03/17/22
Susan Chang, MD, Professor, Neurological Surgery, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2022

Metabolic Imaging in Glioma
(31 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Brain

2/17/22
Charles Cunningham, PhD, Professor, University of Toronto & Senior Scientist at the Sunnybrook Research Institute
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Hyperpolarized 13C MRI of the Human Brain
(28 min) 

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Brain Cancer

04/01/21
Yaewon Kim, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Vigneron Lab, UCSF
International SPINlab Web-conference

Denoising of Hyperpolarized 13C MR Images of the Human Brain Using Patch-based Higher-order Singular Value Decomposition
(12 min)

Focus Area/s: Data Analysis - Human, Clinical Translation - Brain 

02/23/21
Javier Villanueva-Meyer, MD, Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology in Neuroradiology, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 Studies in Brain Tumors at UCSF
(24 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Brain Cancer

01/21/21
Adam Autry, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Multimodal Metabolic Brain Imaging Lab, UCSF
Multi-site Collaboration Presentation

Recent Developments in HP C-13 Imaging of Pediatric to Adult Glioma
(15 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Brain Cancer

08/16/19
Adam Autry, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Multimodal Metabolic Brain Imaging Lab, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2019

Using EPI to Investigate HP [1-13C]pyruvate Metabolism in Glioma Patients and Healthy Volunteers
(Slides)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Brain Cancer & Patients

 

 

 

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Breast

12/07/21
Ramona Woitek, PhD
Senior Research Associate and Honorary Consultant Radiologist, University of 
Cambridge
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Clinical Hyperpolarised 13C MRI in Breast Cancer
(25 min) 

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Breast Cancer

 

 

 

 

 

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Cardiac

08/09/23
Peder Larson, PhD, Professor, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2023

Integration of Hyperpolarized MR Into Biomedical Research: Cardiac Disease
(51 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Cardiac, Data Analysis

04/13/23
Chris Laustsen PhD, Aarhus University
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Is there a place for cardiac hyperpolarized [1-13C]pyruvate in the clinical toolbox?
(12 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Human, Cardiac

04/14/23
Vlad Zaha MD PhD, University of Texas Southwestern
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Lessons from Using Hyperpolarized C-13 labeled Substrates in Cardio-Oncology
(17 min)

Focus Area/s: Cardiac, Cancer

06/21/22
Peder Larson, PhD, Associate Professor, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Quantification of Whole-heart Hyperpolarized 13C-pyruvate MRI
(25 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Cardiac, Data Analysis, Data & File Sharing

03/17/22
Charlie Khemtong, PhD, University of Florida
HMTRC Workshop 2022

Evaluation of Cellular Redox in Perfused Hearts with HP 13C MR
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Cardiac, Probes

03/17/22
Craig Malloy, MD, Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center
HMTRC Workshop 2022

Progress in Detection of PDH and the TCA cycle by 13C NMR
(25 min)

Focus Area/s: Cardiac, Clinical Translation

08/16/21
Peder Larson, PhD, Associate Professor, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2021

Applications of Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 MR: The Heart
(24 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Cardiac, Data Analysis

02/23/21
Craig Malloy, MD, Professor, UT Southwestern Medical Center
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Hyperpolarized MRI Research at UT Southwestern
(26 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Cardiac

03/05/20
Craig Malloy MD, Professor, UT Southwestern
HMTRC Workshop 2020

Human Imaging, HP 13C Imaging of the Heart & Software of Isotopomer Analysis
(19 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Cardiac
Data Analysis 

08/09/19
Peder Larson, PhD, Associate Professor, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2019

Applications of Hyperpolarized C-13 MR: The Heart
(28 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Cardiac

 

 

 

 

 

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Head & Neck

04/14/23
Stephen Lai MD PhD, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Developing a Quantifiable Imaging-Based Biomarker
(21 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Head & Neck Cancer

 

 

 

 

 

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Kidney

04/13/23
Zhen Jane Wang, MD, Medical Director, Professor, Abdominal Radiologist, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Hyperpolarized C-13 MRI Clinical Translation Update
(22 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Kidney, Clinical Trials

04/14/23
Dan Crooks MS, PhD, NIH/NCI
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Metabolic and Mitochondrial Heterogeneity in Fumarate Hydratase-Deficient Renal Tumors
(15 min)

Focus Area/s: Cancer, Kidney, Metabolism

10/01/20
Zhen Jane Wang, MD, Medical Director, Professor, Abdominal Radiologist, UCSF
International SPINlab Web-conference

Initial Experience of Hyperpolarized 13C MRI in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
(Slides)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Kidney

03/05/20
Zhen Jane Wang, MD, Medical Director, Professor, Abdominal Radiologist, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2020

HP 13C MRI of Renal Tumors - From Cells to Patients
(40 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Kidney

 

 

 

 

 

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Liver

10/03/23
Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Abdominal & Liver Radiologist, UCSF​
Advances in Artificial Intelligence & Novel Imaging Methods Conference

Integrating C-13 in Prostate and Liver Studies
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Human, Metabolic Imaging, Metabolism, Liver, Prostate, Cancer

03/17/22
Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Abdominal & Liver Radiologist, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2022

Hyperpolarized 13C in the Liver
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Liver, Clinical Translation

03/17/22
Matthew Merritt, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Florida
HMTRC Workshop 2022

Detecting Real-Time Hepatic Ketogenesis with HP [2-13C]Pyruvate
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Preclinical Probes - Liver

08/23/21
Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Abdominal & Liver Radiologist, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2021

Integration of Hyperpolarized MR Into Biomedical Research: Liver Disease
(52 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Liver, Radiologist Interpretation

07/08/21
Philip Lee, Graduate Student, UCSF
International SPINlab Web-conference 

Specialized Computational Methods for Denoising, B1 Correction, and Kinetic Modeling in Hyperpolarized 13C MR EPSI Studies of Liver Tumors
(15 min)

Focus Area/s: Data Analysis - Human, Clinical Translation - Liver Cancer

04/22/21
Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Abdominal & Liver Radiologist, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 in Diffuse Liver Disease
(21 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Liver

03/18/21
Hsin-Yu Chen, PhD, Senior Bioengineer, UCSF
International SPINlab Web-conference

Specialized Technology Developments for HP 13C-pyruvate MRI of Bone and Liver Metastases
(21 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Bone & Liver Cancer

01/28/21
Matthew Merritt PhD, Associate Professor, University of Florida
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Hyperpolarized Dihydroxyacetone is a Sensitive Detector of Hepatic Glucose Metabolism
(33 min)

Focus Area/s: Preclinical Probes - Liver

03/05/20
Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Abdominal & Liver Radiologist, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2020

HP 13C of the Liver: Promises and Challenges
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Liver 

08/09/19
Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Abdominal & Liver Radiologist, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2019

Hyperpolarized 13C MRI in the Liver: Microscope for in vivo Metabolism
(26 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Liver

 

 

 

 

 

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Neurology

08/09/23
Myriam Chaumeil, PhD, Associate Professor, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2023

Integration of Hyperpolarized MR Into Biomedical Research: Neurological
(Slides)

Focus Area/s: Preclinical Models

04/14/23
Myriam Chaumeil PhD, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Recent advances in preclinical HP C-13 metabolic neuroimaging
(14 min)

Focus Area/s: Preclinical, Neurology

03/17/22
Christoffer Laustsen, PhD, Professor and Research Director, Aarhus University
HMTRC Workshop 2022

New Neuro Applications in Aarhus - Future Considerations
(22 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Neurology

08/16/21
Caroline Guglielmetti, PhD, Assistant Researcher, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2021

Integration of Hyperpolarized MR Into Biomedical Research: Neurological
(Slides)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Neurology

08/23/19
Lydia Le Page, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, Chaumeil Lab, UCSF
HP MRI Course 2019

Integration of Hyperpolarized MR into Biomedical Research: Neurological
(Slides)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Neurology

 

 

 

 

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Pancreas

04/14/23
Matthew Merritt PhD, University of Florida
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Investigating Pancreas Metabolism with Hyperpolarized [1-13C]Pyruvate
(14 min)

Focus Area/s: Preclinical, Metabolism, Pancreas

06/09/21
Jeremy Gordon, PhD, Assistant Professor, UCSF
International SPINlab Web-conference 

Hyperpolarized 13C Metabolic Imaging of Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
(9 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Pancreas Cancer

 

 

 

 

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Prostate

10/03/23
Michael Ohliger, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Abdominal & Liver Radiologist, UCSF​
Advances in Artificial Intelligence & Novel Imaging Methods Conference

Integrating C-13 in Prostate and Liver Studies
(18 min)

Focus Area/s: Human, Metabolic Imaging, Metabolism, Liver, Prostate, Cancer

04/13/23
Robert Bok MD PhD, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Update of Hyperpolarized C-13 MRI for Active Surveillance
in Prostate Cancer Subjects
(14 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Human, Prostate

 

04/14/23
Ivan De Kouchkovsky MD & Rahul Aggarwal MD, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Emerging Clinical Applications of Hyperpolarized C-13 MRI in Prostate Cancer
(17 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Human, Prostate Cancer

04/14/23
Adam Retter MD PhD Candidate, University College London
HMTRC Workshop 2023

C-13 Pyruvate Hyperpolarised MR in patients with prostate cancer on active surveillance
(14 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Prostate Cancer

04/14/23
Hsin-Yu Chen PhD, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2023

Hyperpolarized 13C Pyruvate MR-Assisted Longitudinal Risk Stratification in Prostate Cancer Patient – From Surveillance to Surgery
(17 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Prostate Cancer, Acquisition Methods

09/27/22
Hsin-Yu Chen, PhD
Senior Bioengineer, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Improving Multiparametric MR-Transrectal Ultrasound Guided Fusion Prostate Biopsies with HP 13C Pyruvate Metabolic Imaging: A technical development study
(34 min)

Focus Area/s: Prostate, Clinical Translation, Human, Data Analysis

08/16/22
Nikita Sushentsev, MD, PhD Student and Gates Scholar, University of Cambridge 
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Hyperpolarised 13C-MRI for Targeting Glycolytic Tumour Core in Prostate Cancer
(11 min)

Focus Area/s: Cancer, Clinical Translation, Prostate, Metabolism

03/17/22
Rahul Aggarwal, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2022

Emerging Clinical Applications of Hyperpolarized 13C MRI in Prostate Cancer
(20 min)

Focus Area/s: Prostate, Cancer, Clinical Translation

12/07/21
Robert Bok, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, UCSF
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Applications of HP 13C-MRI in Prostate Cancer - UCSF Experience
(23 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation, Prostate Cancer

08/01/20
Robert Bok, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, UCSF
Multi-site Collaboration Presentation

HP 13C-Pyruvate MRI for Early Detection of Aggressive Prostate Cancer in Active Surveillance Patients
(10 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Prostate Cancer

03/06/20
Rahul Aggarwal, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, UCSF
HMTRC Workshop 2020

Emerging Clinical Applications of HP 13C MRI in Prostate Cancer
(25 min)

Focus Area/s: Clinical Translation - Prostate Cancer

 

 

 

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Thyroid

09/28/21
James Bankson, PhD, Professor, MD Anderson Medicine
International HP C-13 MRI Seminar

Assessing Response to Therapy in Patients with Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer
(26 min)

Focus Area/s: HP C-13 Acquisition Development & Analysis, Clinical Translation - Thyroid Cancer

 

 

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 NIH National Center for
Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NCBIB)

We are joined in our mission to advance the research, treatment, and monitoring of various diseases by many colleagues accross the nation who are also funded by the National Center for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. The links to some of these centers and their resources can be found below: 

 

The Ferenc Jolesz National Center for Image Guided Therapy
at Brigham And Women'S Hospital

Harvard University
National Center for image-guided therapy

Massachusetts institute of technology
MIT Laser Biomedical Research Center

THE PET RADIOTRACER TRANSLATION AND RESOURCE CENTER
AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY in St. LOUIS

Stanford
radiological sciences laboratory

University of Minnesota
Center for magnetic resonance research

UT Southwestern Medical Center
Advanced imaging research center

 

You can find a full list of NIBIB-supported Centers for
Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering HERE

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