prof. Pim Pullens (PhD)

As a researcher, I use explainable quantitative MRI (MRI techniques that can measure physiological quantities such as oxygenation, diffusion, perfusion, flow, stiffness etc) to study physiological changes in healthy and diseased organs to understand the aetiology, improve diagnosis, and treatment. The goal of my research is to characterise physiological processes in tissue with MRI, by validation using external methods such as laboratory experiments and computer models. My main research interests are in quantitative MRI of the brain and of the kidney, as many MRI techniques can be shared between both organs.
One of the major hurdles for clinical translation of quantitative MRI techniques is to validate and reliably reproduce quantitative measurements, which effectively means to convert the MRI scanner from a picture taking machine to a measuring device. Many techniques have been developed and refined in the past decades, but to get them into the clinic requires robust implementation, image processing, showing clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness. This so-called "translational gap" is very difficult to close.
As core facility manager of the Ghent University Core Facility “GIfMI”, I am involved in overseeing the daily operations of a high-end MRI research facility, providing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary support to researchers, and the organization of doctoral schools on MR physics. 
In my daily work as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) physicist at the department of radiology, UZ Gent, and MRI physicist at the Ghent Institute for functional and Metabolic Imaging (GIfMI) it is my aim to introduce quantitative MR imaging and the associated measurement process to radiologists, clinicians and researchers.
The application of my research in cancer is to provide the acquisition and processing techniques for quantitative, non-invasive in-vivo markers for physiological changes in tumours, which has been successfully applied in collaborative projects with other CRIG members.
 

• Luis Carlos Sanmiguel Serpa – doctoral fellow
• Merijn Calis – doctoral fellow
• dr. Patricia Clement (PhD) – post-doctoral fellow
• dr. Hooman Salavati (PhD) – affiliated post-doctoral fellow
• Pieter Vandemaele – technical research support GIfMI
• Stephanie Bogaert – research manager and MR technologist GIfMI
   

• Lab address: GIfMI, Campus UZ Ghent, C. Heymanslaan 10, route 55, 9000 Gent
• GIfMI
• LinkedIn
• Core GIfMI
• Prof. Pullens is involved in / is collaborating with
  - Research MRI Core facility GIfMI 
  - Medical Imaging UZ Gent 
  - SURGx 
  - BioMMeda  
  - HINT  
• Prof. Pullens is interested to receive invitations for presentations or talks