Dr Richard Thompson

Dr. Richard Thompson

Contact information:
Department of Biomedical Engineering,
1098 RTF Building, 8308-114 Street, University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2V2
780-492-8665 (office)
780-492-8259 (FAX)
Email: richard.thompson@ualberta.ca

Biography:
Dr Thompson is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

B.Sc. in Engineering Physics (1993), University of Alberta
Ph.D. in Medical Sciences (1999), University of Alberta
Fellow, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 2000-2003
Joined U of A Faculty in 2004

Current Research:
My research program at the University of Alberta focuses on the development of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the clinical evaluation of cardiovascular disease. The appeal of MRI for the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease lies in:

  • Its excellent intrinsic soft tissue contrast.
  • The ability to acquire images non-invasively in three dimensions with arbitrary image orientations.
  • The ability to collect these images with resolution of motion across the cardiac cycle.

For example, the sample cardiac MR images below illustrate excellent contrast between the blood and tissue in the heart to provide clear visualization of anatomy and mechanical function across the complete cardiac cycle.

Research areas of particular interest in my lab include:

  • Blood velocity imaging using phase-contrast (PC)-MRI (volumes, pressure gradients, visualization of complex flow patterns) (See sample movies below).
  • Cardiac motion monitoring and correction for imaging during free-breathing (i.e. elimination of breath-holding).
  • Self-gating MRI . cardiac gating without an ECG signal using the MRI data.
  • Combined MRI and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for modelling flow effects/patterns in congenital heart defects and surgical interventions.
  • Muscle perfusion using contrast-enhanced MRI (See sample image below).
  • Fast imaging of relaxation parameters (T1, T2, T2*) of the myocardium and blood.

Student Opportunities:
There are opportunities for both MSc and PhD student positions in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Publications:
Link to publication list in PubMed

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