Dominic Harrison

• CDT Doctoral Researcher Supervisor: Pete Thelwall
• Email: D.Harrison5@newcastle.ac.uk
• Project Title: Development of MRI scan methods to image inhaled fluorocarbon gases as biomarkers of lung structure and function

Institution: Newcastle University

Project Summary: I will be developing non-ionising, non-invasive lung imaging techniques for application within the clinical setting. To overcome the lack of signal conventional MRI produces within the lungs, gas tracer MRI techniques have been developed to quantitatively analyse lungs on a regional scale, specifically for this project, fluorocarbon gas imaging. Current research requires volunteers to use breath hold acquisition techniques. I hope to be able to accelerate scan acquisitions so that volunteers can be imaged whilst breathing freely as this can provide information on wash-in and wash-out kinetics within the lung. These developments will improve the assessment of lung function, allowing early detection, monitoring of disease progression and the potential to evaluate on a microstructural scale.  

Interesting Fact: I binge watched Game of Thrones in a week and S8 still stings.