2015 News (Archived)
An NRF Thuthuka Grant has been awarded to Dr Ali Alhamud for a project entitled "CEST MRI for detecting Glycogen changes (depletion and repletion) pre and post exercise".
The goal of this project is to measure muscle glycogen levels during exercise, and following carbohydrate ingestion after exercise.
To achieve this, we will develop and implement a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique called Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) for imaging glycogen levels of tissue.
This technology will be implemented on the full body research-dedicated 3 T Siemens Skyra scanner at the Cape Universities Body Imaging Centre at the University of Cape Town (CUBIC-UCT).
CUBIC UCT held its first workshop on the Basics of MRI on Friday 27th & Saturday 28th November 2015 atGroote Schuur Hospital.
This two day MRI hands-on workshop was specifically designed to benefit radiographers working on, or interested in, MRI in both a clinical and research environment.
The workshop consisted of a series of lectures, followed by practical sessions based on the theory. During the hands-on sessions, participants had the opportunity to experiment with MRI parameters on the various MRI pulse sequences.
The course content specifically focused on MR safety, components of the scanner, signal creation, image creation, image formation and MR contrast.
The course will be repeated on 26th & 27th February 2016.
A paper by Dr Ali Alhamud and colleagues on real-time measurement and correction of both B0 changes and subject motion in diffusion tensor imaging using a double volumetric navigated (DvNav) sequence is to appear in NeuroImage with an ISI impact factor of 6.357. In this paper, a novel technique is introduced to simultaneously measure, report and correct in real time subject motion and changes in B0 field homogeneity, both in and through the imaging plane.
Azim Celik, one of GE's top imaging physicists will be talking on advanced MRI neuroimaging Thursday 27 August 2015 from 4.30 pm, C7 MRI Seminar Roomâ.â
Shown here are a few of the collaborators cutting the ribbon at the launch of CUBIC which was celebrated on 31 July 2015,
(From left to right) Dr Max Price, Dr Daniel Adams, Dr Sibongile Gumbi, Mr Barlow Manilal, Prof Nico Gey van Pittius and Dr Bhavna Patel.
Congratulations to Mr Jia Fan, Prof Ernesta Meintjes, Dr Ali Alhamud, Dr Bruce Spottiswoode and collaborators for selection of their recently published paper detailed below as one of the top articles by the SAMRC.
Please see the March issue of the MRC Celebrates Sciences E-Newsletters available here
Valentine’s Day 2015 marked a historical event as the first research full-body high-field Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner in Africa was delivered to CUBIC-UCT (Cape Universities Body Imaging Centre).
The Siemens Skyra, valued at R24 million, presents the culmination of four years of fundraising by a multi-disciplinary team headed up by Profs Mayosi and Meintjes. Funds were secured from the Technology Innovation Agency, the National Research Foundation, and the Cancer Research Trust. CUBIC, a national imaging facility, is a collaboration between UCT, Stellenbosch University, the MRC and Siemens.
The new site, adjacent to the Psychiatry block at Groote Schuur Hospital, is an extension of the original facility located at Tygerberg Hospital where a brain-only research MRI scanner has been operational since January 2007. This new state-of-the-art machine ushers in a new era of imaging research, including cardiac, abdominal and muscoskeletal.
Shown here to celebrate the arrival of the scanner are (back, left to right) Dr Alhamud, Mrs Samuels, Dr Ntobeko, Prof Douglas, Dr Jankiewicz, Mr Lipsitz, Prof Stein, (front, left to right) Mr Saleh, Mr Denzler, Prof Meintjes.
Shown here is the scanner being lowered into its new site.