My research focuses on the development and optimization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques, and draws on a variety of physics and engineering principles with a strong emphasis on theoretical modeling and simulation, and on practical implementation and evaluation.

Currently, major projects include imaging and spectroscopy of the human lung using hyperpolarized helium- and xenon-based methods, and high-resolution 3-D imaging using conventional proton-based methods. Hyperpolarized helium and xenon are new MR-based gaseous contrast agents that are particularly well suited for imaging air spaces such as those of the lung. Hyperpolarized-gas MR provides high-resolution, detailed images of the lung that are far superior in quality to those from any existing clinical imaging method, and offers a variety of approaches for obtaining unique functional information about the lung. Our research on high-resolution 3-D imaging aims to increase spatial resolution, decrease acquisition time, and improve image quality for methods applicable to routine clinical imaging throughout the human body.