Grant: Project Grant

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used millions of times each year to diagnose disease, yet even the best scanners have imperfect magnetic fields that can result in artifacts that blur fine detail or even mimic disease. Current fixes either slow scanning, add cost, or require extra setup for each patient, none of which fits routine clinical care. We aim to improve MRI by redesigning the radiofrequency pulses that control how tissues generate signal. Using a mathematics based method called optimal control, we design pulses that remain stable even when the fields are imperfect. The result is clearer images with fewer artifacts and higher signal quality, without changing hardware or adding steps for patients or technologists. Our plan has three parts. First, we design and test pulses on the computer while explicitly accounting for likely field imperfections. Second, we validate them in standardized test objects and in a phantom that contains fat and water to test fat suppression. Third, we install the pulses on our 3 Tesla MRI scanner and evaluate them in healthy volunteers and in patients with multiple sclerosis. We focus on widely used scans. What patients and clinicians gain: • No extra hardware and no patient specific setup. • No change to imaging workflow. • Fewer misleading artifacts and more reliable diagnosis. • Higher signal to noise that can be traded for shorter scan times, reducing discomfort and wait lists. • More consistent measurements to track disease and treatment over time. By delivering scans that are clearer, faster, and more reproducible, this work aims to improve MRI for many conditions.