Abstract:
Only recently have we understood the importance of mechanical forces between cells to generate tissue homeostasis. This translates equally to the organ level with tissue biomechanics an excellent proxy for pathological alterations.

In this lecture we will review the current method of quantifying tissue biomechanics via MRI using mechanical shear waves elicitated at the surface of the patient, new ways to quantify non-invasively tumour pressure via non-linear mechanics, and look into mechanical changes induced by neuronal activities. Finally, we will change our position from being a passive bystander quantifying tissue mechanics to an active player altering cellular fate via shear waves.
Bio:
Professor Ralph Sinkus is a physicist with a background in high energy physics, nuclear physics and MRI. He has dual labs at King’s College London’s School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences as well as at INSERM (University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Hôpital Bichat/Beaujon, Paris, France). After a PhD in high energy physics (DESY, Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron, Hamburg, Germany), Professor Sinkus took a position at Philips Medical Systems Research Laboratories (Hamburg, Germany) focusing on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and elastography. Moving back to academia, Professor Sinkus worked for the Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique (ESPCI) in Paris, France as a research director until accepting a chair position at King’s College London. Professor Sinkus is an expert in MRI and MR-elastography, and works with a diverse range of clinicians, biomedical engineers, physists and mathematicians for the translation of these technologies to address clinical diagnostics through imaging.
Organized by:
Dr. Brendon Baker,
Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Dr. David Nordsletten,
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Cardiac Surgery

Zoom Link: https://umich.zoom.us/j/96508834308