B. (Beatrice) Lena, PhD

I’m doing my postdoc research for low field MRI at the Gorter Center. What I like most about my academic path is the experimental part of MRI, involving pulse programming and sequence optimization. My passion for MRI started during my Physics studies in Pavia (Italy); I particularly enjoyed my master project (graduation in 2016) about quality control for functional MRI. I then relocated to the Netherlands and started a PhD in MR physics in Utrecht, where I graduated in 2022. My PhD project aimed at improving MR methods for focused ultrasound treatments of bone metastases.

At low field, the MR physics properties are pretty different than at clinical field strengths. We have to think outside the box and re-invent some of the contrasts. I enjoy thinking outside the box in my free time, too, through bouldering, which is another way of solving riddles. If I’m not at the scanner, I’m normally hidden somewhere reading a thriller book, or enjoying time (often food) out with my friends.

In my research, I am investigating different types of contrast for low field portable MRI scanners. I have the luck to work on two low field scanners: one is a custom-built scanner and another is a commercial Hyperfine Swoop scanner. On our custom-built scanner, I focus on improving MR methods for neuroimaging, especially the contrast between white and grey matter, and developing methods for scanning extremities, in a project in collaboration with the Rheumatology department. On the Hyperfine Swoop scanner, I have developed a protocol for studying brain myelination and assessing brain development, which we are now testing in several sites worldwide with the same scanners. I’m also involved in projects to check the stability of this scanner, and to bring it closer to clinical applications.