Xin Yu
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Case Western Reserve University
Title: Imaging Neurofluid and Solute Transport in Brain Using Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI
Abstract: The accumulation of metabolic wastes and toxic aggregates contributes significantly to neurodegeneration and dementia. The transport of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and its exchange with interstitial fluids (ISF) in brain parenchyma play a key role in waste clearance. While optical imaging studies have provided important insights into the complexity of solute transport in localized brain regions, they also underscore the need for dynamic, whole-brain imaging methods to better elucidate waste clearance pathways. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) offers a promising tool for comprehensive assessment of CSF transport, CSF-ISF exchange, and solute clearance across the entire brain. In this talk, I will present our recent preclinical findings on tracer transport under varying physiological conditions and on using tracers with different molecular sizes. In addition, I will introduce our latest work on developing high-resolution 3D magnetic resonance fingerprinting (MRF) methods, which enables dynamic, quantitative tracking of MRI contrast agents throughout the whole brain.
Bio: Dr. Yu received her Sc.D. in Radiological Science from MIT-Harvard. She currently holds the chair of F. Alex Nason Professor II of Biomedical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University. Her research focuses on developing magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy techniques for functional characterization of neurological and metabolic diseases. She was elected a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and a senior fellow of the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.