Congratulations to our successful 2022 MRI pilot time competition applicants!

The CNS and CNS MRI Facility congratulate the successful applicants of our second MRI pilot time competition. This annual competition for significantly rebated MRI time is designed to support the collection of neuroimaging data that will be used as pilot data and/or support pilot projects expected to lead to and strengthen applications for external funding agencies.

The CNS has funded 3 successful research endeavors.

Amer Jorhi – Quantifying plaque composition of the carotid artery through dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI

Cerebrovascular disease is a leading cause of death in Canada, and improvements in diagnostic imaging have improved prognosis for patients with atherosclerosis. Dr. Jorhi will use dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI to study the composition of plaques of the carotid artery and compare those results with ultrasound imaging. Because the composition of the plaques relates to the likelihood of cerebrovascular emergencies, these imaging techniques may help predict ischemic heart disease and stroke.

Chris McGlory – Nutritional attenuation of skeletal muscle loss in women in response to knee surgery

Skeletal muscle-disuse atrophy, a major problem associated with illness, injury, or elective surgery, is known to precipitate a whole-host of negative health outcomes that range from insulin resistance and the accrual of body fat to the risk of falls and increased hospital stays. Dr. McGlory will investigate the use of a novel nutraceutical intervention after knee surgery with the goal of expediting recovery of muscle function. Together with other biomarkers of muscle function, MRI will be used to assess leg skeletal muscle size pre- and post-surgery. Dr. McGlory anticipates a significant attenuation of muscle loss and a faster recovery of gait metrics through this intervention.

Tim Salomons – (Neuro-)immunological models of chronic Lyme disease to elucidate the mystery of Long COVID

The symptom profiles of Long COVID show many parallels to those seen in chronic Lyme disease. Dr. Salomons will use Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) to investigate possible central-inflammatory mechanisms shared by these two chronic disorders. The findings from this work could support the use of targeted immunotherapy or changes in health policy to support the well-being of people with these conditions.

If you are interested in adding MR to your research platform, please do not hesitate to reach out to our MR Manager, Donald Brien, at briend@queensu.ca