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 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.
Eight MRIRI PIs have NIH R01 grants. They are:
Simone Winkler (NOA expected soon)
Thanh Nguyen (NOA expected soon)
Pascal Spincemaille (R01HL151686)
Yi Wang (R01NS105144)
Gene Kim (R01CA219964)
Wesley Zun (R01HD100012)
Dikoma Shungu (R01MH110270)
MRI Research Institute
