MRI Research Institute (MRIRI)

MRIRI Director


Yi Wang

Yi Wang, Ph.D., received his B.S. in nuclear physics from Fudan University and M.S. in theoretical physics and both his doctorate in medical physics from the University of Wisconsin. Wang holds the Faculty Distinguished Professorship in the Department of Radiology and is a tenured Professor of Physics in Radiology, Director of the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM), and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University. His major research interests include applying and developing data science, machine learning, optimization, physics, and statistical inference techniques for medical imaging acquisition and analysis. Wang's recent projects include Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) to solve the field-to-susceptibility inverse problem using the Bayesian approach and Quantitative transport mapping (QTM) to solve the inverse problem from imaging to tissue perfusion quantification.

MRIRI Focus

The mission of the Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) Department of Radiology Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Institute (MRIRI), directed by Yi Wang, Ph.D., is to develop MRI and other technologies (including pathology, positron emission tomography (PET), and computed tomography (CT)) for studying tissues, diagnosing diseases, guiding therapies, and monitoring patients. The institute innovates effective and accurate “MRI-plus”  technologies, like improving sensitivities for disease detection and characterization, and advancing quantitative methods for precision medicine. The MRIRI facilitates the translation of technology from benchtop to bedside, broadly impacting the practice of medicine globally.

MRIRI Staff

MRIRI members are engineers, scientists and physicians with multidisciplinary expertise in biology, computer science, electrical engineering, mathematics, medicine, and physics, among others. We form interdisciplinary teams to conduct basic research, translational research, and clinical research to tackle complex biomedical problems and address unmet medical needs. When diagnosing and treating patients, our physicians identify disease-specific needs to improve imaging capabilities such as sensitivities, spacetime resolutions, and contrasts. Our engineers and scientists have been developing "MRI-plus" technology hardware and software to gain unprecedented detail, speed and sensitivity. Together, we bridge the gap between engineering and medicine, and capitalize on these technological achievements to advance healthcare.

Current National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded MRIRI "MRI-plus" projects include diagnosis and/or therapy studies of brain diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular disease), breast cancer, heart disease, liver diseases, and atherosclerotic plaque.