Quantification of blood supplies, or perfusion imaging, is playing a growing role as a biomarker for screening and monitoring patients. However, conventional perfusion imaging requires the injection of contrast agents. It raises critical concerns about the renal function of patents and unclear effects of the tracer deposition in the human body.

Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive and non-contrast agent perfusion imaging method with MRI. This method uses the naturally existed arterial blood as tracers and provides quantitative perfusion information. My work promoted ASL to a rapid, robust and accurate clinical imaging method. This seminar will focus on the latest technical developments of ASL and its applications in clinic and research.

报告人简介：Dr. Li Zhao is an assistant professor of the Children's National Medical Center and George Washington University. He received his B.E. from Tsinghua University and his Ph.D. from Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia. He continued his training in Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Zhao's research focused on arterial spin labeling and fast MR imaging. His work was published in 16 journal papers, 50 conference abstracts, and 8 U.S. patents and applications. Parts of the techniques are implemented into the MR products of GE and Siemens. He is the associate editor of Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the guest editor of Applied Bionics and Biomechanics. He is also the PI of projects supported by Alzheimer’s Association and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Children's National.