Courses
The Gordon Center offers a wide variety of seminars, courses and education programs. More information about our courses can be found in the links below.
Dr El Fakhri, Harvard-MIT HST.565, Fall; Medical Imaging Sciences and Applications (Previously “Molecular Imaging using SPECT-CT, PET-CT and PET-MR”).
This structured (Tue/Thu; 3h/week) MIT graduate course Covers the physical and instrumentation basics of positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT). Topics include atomic and nuclear structure, charged particles and photon interactions, radiation detectors, pulse height spectroscopy, detection and measurement, counting systems, survey meters, nuclear counting statistics, modes of radioactive decay, gamma cameras, collimators, and computed tomography as it pertains to SPECT, PET (including PET-CT, PET-MR and Time of Flight PET). Presents physical factors affecting image quality, such as Compton scatter, random coincidences, photoelectric absorption, deadtime, etc., as well as different approaches to compensate for them. Discusses clinical applications of PET and includes a practical demonstration of SPECT and PET-CT imaging at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
Note: HST 565 is on hiatus for the 2023 Fall semester.
Video Lectures
Radiation detectors; Counting statistics; Dose & Exposure; Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
Particle interactions; Radioactive Decay; Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
Gamma Camera; Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
Tomographic Reconstruction I; Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT); Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) I; Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) II; Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
PET/MR; Lecturer: Georges El Fakhri, Ph.D.
Micro-SPECT, Micro-PET; Lecturer: Liang-Jian Meng, Ph.D.
Clinical Applications of PET; Lecturer: Ruth Lim, M.D.
Basics of MR; Lecturer: Chuan Huang, Ph.D.
Kinetic Modeling of Physiologic Data I; Lecturer: Nathaniel M. Alpert, Ph.D.
Kinetic Modeling of Physiologic Data II; Lecturer: Marc Normandin, Ph.D.
Iterative Tomographic Reconstruction; Lecturer: Quanzheng Li
Kinetic Modeling of Physiologic Data III; Lecturer: Marc Normandin, Ph.D.
Dr El Fakhri, Harvard Medical School-Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine, Fall; Nuclear Medicine Physics and Instrumentation.
This is a structured post-graduate course (14-week, 3-days, 1-hour format) that aims at providing a firm understanding of radiological physics as applied to nuclear medicine and a thorough understanding of how nuclear medicine instrumentation works. It is offered every year and topics include atomic and nuclear structure, charged particles and photon interactions, radiation detectors, pulse height spectroscopy, detection and measurement, counting systems, survey meters, nuclear counting statistics, modes of radioactive decay, gamma cameras, collimators, and SPECT, CT and PET-CT instrumentation and imaging, and a special emphasis on computed tomography as it pertains to CT, SPECT, and PET (including PET-CT, PET-MR and Time of Flight PET). Discusses clinical applications of CT, SPECT and PET and includes a practical demonstration of CT, SPECT and PET-CT imaging.
Harvard Medical School-Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine, Fall; Introduction to Molecular Imaging.
This course is taught by several faculty within the Joint Program in Nuclear Medicine at HMS and its teaching affiliates. It focuses on the fundamentals of post-genomic molecular imaging and explores how molecular biology, structural biology, genomics, and proteomics are revolutionizing the development of molecules suitable for in vivo imaging modalities, including SPECT, PET, Optical, CT, MRI, and US. Topics include fundamentals of molecular biology, molecular basis of disease, molecular imaging modalities, targets and mechanisms, data mining and molecular modeling, etc. It also provides basics in cardiovascular, oncologic and neuroimaging.
Drs Rosen and Wald, Harvard-MIT HST.584J , Spring; Magnetic Resonance Analytic, Biochemical, and Imaging Techniques H-LEVEL Grad Credit Introduction to basic NMR theory in 13 three hour evening sessions. Examples of biochemical data obtained using NMR summarized along with other related experiments. Detailed study of NMR imaging techniques includes discussions of basic cross-sectional image re- construction, image contrast, flow and real-time imaging, and hardware design considerations. Exposure to laboratory NMR spectroscopic and imaging equipment included.
Elfar Adalsteinsson, Harvard-MIT HST.580, Fall;
Data Acquisition and Image Reconstruction in MRI
Applies analysis of signals and noise in linear systems, sampling, and Fourier properties to magnetic resonance (MR) imaging acquisition and reconstruction. Provides adequate foundation for MR physics to enable study of RF excitation design, efficient Fourier sampling, parallel encoding, reconstruction of non-uniformly sampled data, and the impact of hardware imperfections on reconstruction performance. Surveys active areas of MR research. Assignments include Matlab-based work with real data. Includes visit to a scan site for human MR studies.
R. Gollub, Harvard-MIT HST.583
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Data Acquisition and Analysis
Provides information relevant to the conduct and interpretation of human brain mapping studies. In-depth coverage of the physics of image formation, mechanisms of image contrast, and the physiological basis for image signals. Parenchymal and cerebrovascular neuroanatomy and application of sophisticated structural analysis algorithms for segmentation and registration of functional data discussed. Additional topics include fMRI experimental design including block design, event related and exploratory data analysis methods, and building and applying statistical models for fMRI data. Human subject issues including informed consent, institutional review board requirements and safety in the high field environment are presented.