Multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography
| PhD ceremony: | Mr J.T. (Johannes) Castelein |
| When: | September 03, 2025 |
| Start: | 16:15 |
| Supervisors: | R.A.J.O. (Rudi) Dierckx, prof. dr. T. Jespersen |
| Co-supervisor: | dr. R.J.H. Borra |
| Where: | Academy building RUG |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences / UMCG |
Multifrequency magnetic resonance elastography
Our bodies are made up of soft tissues that not only perform specific biological functions but also have distinct mechanical properties—like stiffness—that can change with disease. Measuring these properties inside the body, without surgery or biopsy, can help doctors detect problems earlier and more accurately. My research focuses on a technique called Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE), which works by sending gentle vibrations through the body and using MRI to measure how fast these vibrations move. This speed reflects how stiff or soft the tissues are.
While traditional MRE uses just one vibration frequency, I developed and applied an advanced version called Multifrequency MRE (MMRE). By combining multiple frequencies, MMRE can more precisely measure the mechanical properties of tissues, offering better insights into their health.
In this thesis, I, Johannes Castelein, explored how MMRE can be used to assess the heart, kidneys, and spine. I developed new imaging setups that successfully measured heart muscle stiffness in both healthy individuals and patients with valve disease—something never done before non-invasively. I also showed that MMRE could detect differences in heart tissue after different treatment types for atrial fibrillation. In the kidneys, MMRE helped reveal how changes in blood flow affect tissue stiffness. Finally, I introduced a novel approach to assess spinal disc degeneration, a common cause of back pain.
Together, these studies demonstrate that MMRE can become a powerful new tool in medical diagnostics, helping to better understand and monitor disease across multiple organs—without ever making a single incision.