Development of sodium Magnetic Resonance Imaging (23Na MRI)

We are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic candidate to work on developing capabilities on sodium MRI. Uniquely it is also possible to use MRI to image the amount of sodium in the skin and muscle using multinuclear 23Na imaging. 23Na MRI provides a method to assess skin sodium storage, and is a valuable tool in studying the effects of tissue sodium accumulation which is thought to change with age and hypertension, and in disease.
The successful PhD candidate will develop methods for sodium MRI and apply these techniques to the study of healthy volunteers and patient groups working with clinicians. This project will also use proton Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to image the skin and muscle and assess hydration status. The candidate will have the opportunity to learn how to program pulse sequences on the MR scanner, develop RF coils, and develop their own analysis code for sodium MRI, they will run human experiments and network with a range of academics.