Ben Weppner/Dr. Hooman Kamel - Week 1

Week 1: 06/05/23-06/09/23

I will be conducting research under Dr. Yi Wang at the Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) Department of Radiology Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Institute (MRIRI). My research will focus on using computational fluid dynamics to more accurately measure perfusion from MRI, a method coined quantitative transport mapping (QTM), compared to conventional methods. I am excited to be able to work in-person at the lab now that I am in NYC.

I began my first week of summer immersion with the orientation meetings. Then, I focused on learning about the constrained constructive optimization (CCO) algorithm. The CCO algorithm provides a way to create a computational model of vasculature in a three-dimensional convex volume. CCO creates a model using physiologically-relevant parameters, such as pressure, blood flow, and vessel radii. The model can then be used for computational fluid dynamics simulations, such as the propagation of tracer through the vasculature in both time and space, such as is done in contrast-enhanced MRI.

I will have my first meeting with my clinical mentor, Dr. Hooman Kamel, next Monday, June 12. I am looking forward to meeting with him and discussing more about the research project I will be completing this summer. I am excited for the opportunity to go beyond the computer screen to see the patients that my research could affect in a positive way. I have shadowed in a clinical setting prior to joining Cornell, and each past experience was very fulfilling, so I can't wait for the journey here to begin.

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