S.S. (Susi) Rauh

Since my studies I’ve been fascinated by the various contrasts and applications of MRI. Consequently, I chose to focus both my Bachelor’s and Master’s theses in physics on MRI methods. During my Master’s I had the chance to do an Erasmus internship at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, where I could gain more experience in quantitative MRI research and decided to do a PhD in this field.
After finishing my Master’s in 2019, I relocated to Amsterdam for my PhD on diffusion tensor imaging in skeletal muscles. My primary objective was the acceleration and improvement of diffusion imaging for muscle injuries. During my PhD I got a grant to visit the Institute of Myology in Paris for 3 months, where I worked on diffusion MRI in neuromuscular diseases. In September 2023 in joined the Gorter center as a postdoc, where my focus lies on quantitative MRI methodologies in neuromuscular disorders.

My research focusses on the development and implementation of quantitative MRI for skeletal muscle applications. A main part of my research is the development of dynamic phase-contrast MRI for the thighs. In contrast to static MRI methods, the use of dynamic MRI allows us to obtain information about muscle function during exercise. This can aid to get more insights in the early stage of neuromuscular diseases. Additionally, I am actively involved in integrating quantitative fat mapping into the clinical protocols for the diagnosis of neuromuscular disorders. This effort aims to improve the accuracy of diagnostic processes to benefit patient care.