ULM UNIVERSITY

Ulm University considers itself as an international research institution that follows an integrated concept of teaching, research, and innovation as three interconnected pillars. Its research mainly focuses on concrete global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, health and digitalisation. Ulm University enjoys an excellent reputation for innovative research, interdisciplinary education, and successful training. In recent years, it has been ranked continuously among the world’s top 15 young universities and as one of the best in Germany (Times Higher Education “150 below 50”); in 2017 it ranked among the top 10 worldwide. More than 10,600 students are enrolled in the four faculties ‘Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology’, ‘Mathematics and Economics’, ‘Medicine’ and ‘Natural Sciences’. The University is a central part of the Science City of Ulm, not only as the region’s largest educational institution, but also as an important motor for R&D. In the cooperative model Science City Ulm, universities, research institutes and industrial companies work together intensively at a regional level to explore and develop new technologies and transfer high-quality devices, processes and systems from science into industrial applications, new products, methods and services to strengthen innovations. These efforts include close collaborations with start-up companies, e.g. in microelectronics or semiconductor laser technologies. As of 31 December 2016, a total of 3,687 staff members were employed at the university. In all, 215 professors and 15 junior professors worked as lecturers at the university.

 

The main expertise brought in include optimised dedicated acquisition and reconstruction techniques tailored for the demands of specific applications. Especially the previous work on ultrashort echo time sequences, low-discrepant k-space coverage and reconstruction of highly undersampled data directly match the demands of bringing hyperpolarised MR imaging and spectroscopy to the clinics. 

 

Role In Project

The main role is the development of advanced imaging (MRI) techniques tailored for the specific demands of imaging hyperpolarised compounds. Special focus will be put on the potential future translation of results to the clinical routine. The developed MRI techniques will then be provided to all members of the consortium for further preclinical development with the aim to support further clinical development in the future.

Contributions will be done for the development of dedicated hardware enabling multi-nuclei imaging and on the partners’ pre-clinical systems and on conventional clinical MR systems.