Project Grant R13EB040108

2026 JOINT WORKSHOP ON MR PHASE, MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES MAPPING - PROJECT SUMMARY WE PROPOSE TO HOLD THE 2026 JOINT WORKSHOP ON MR PHASE, MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES (EMTP WORKSHOP) ON SEPTEMBER 20-23, 2026, IN ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND, UNITED STATES. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING IS TO CONVENE RESEARCHERS, CLINICIANS, TRAINEES, AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS WORKING ON MRI TECHNIQUES THAT MEASURE KEY ELECTROMAGNETIC TISSUE PROPERTIES, INCLUDING QUANTITATIVE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPPING (QSM), ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES TOMOGRAPHY (EPT), AND RELATED METHODS. PARTICIPANTS WILL REVIEW RECENT PROGRESS AND IDENTIFY UNMET NEEDS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON FACILITATING BROADER CLINICAL ADOPTION. TISSUE ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES-MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY MEASURED BY QSM AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY AND PERMITTIVITY MEASURED BY EPT-PROVIDE UNIQUE INFORMATION ABOUT TISSUE COMPOSITION AND MICROSTRUCTURE. THESE MEASUREMENTS OFFER QUANTITATIVE IMAGING BIOMARKERS FOR IRON AND MYELIN CONTENT, WATER CONTENT, ION CONCENTRATION, AND CELLULAR ARCHITECTURE. SUCH BIOMARKERS HAVE SHOWN DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC POTENTIAL ACROSS MULTIPLE NEUROLOGICAL AND SYSTEMIC DISEASES, INCLUDING MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, PARKINSON'S DISEASE, ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, STROKE, AND TUMORS. BUILDING ON PREVIOUS EMTP WORKSHOPS AND RECENT COMMUNITY EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN REPRODUCIBILITY, STANDARDIZATION, AND DATA SHARING-INCLUDING CONSENSUS PAPERS AND GUIDELINES FOR QSM AND EPT-THERE IS A PRESSING NEED TO FURTHER SOLIDIFY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THAT SUPPORT THEIR CLINICAL TRANSLATION. STRUCTURED DIALOGUE AMONG RESEARCHERS, CLINICIANS, AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS IS ESSENTIAL FOR IDENTIFYING UNMET NEEDS AND DRIVING COORDINATED SOLUTIONS. THE WORKSHOP HAS THE FOLLOWING THREE AIMS: (1) BRING TOGETHER RESEARCHERS, CLINICIANS, AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO HIGHLIGHT ADVANCES, IDENTIFY KEY QUESTIONS, KNOWLEDGE GAPS, AND OBSTACLES TO THE WIDER CLINICAL ADOPTION OF QSM AND EPT; (2) FOSTER A MULTI-CENTER COLLABORATIVE WORKFORCE TO ADVANCE STANDARDIZATION, HARMONIZATION, DATA SHARING, AND BENCHMARKING ESSENTIAL FOR QUANTITATIVE IMAGING BIOMARKERS; (3) EDUCATE TRAINEES AND EARLY-CAREER INVESTIGATORS, AS WELL AS RESEARCHERS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS AND STATE-OF-THE-ART DEVELOPMENTS IN QSM AND EPT. THE ORGANIZING AND STEERING COMMITTEES CONSIST OF LEADING EXPERTS IN MR PHASE, QSM, AND EPT, INCLUDING MR PHYSICISTS AND ENGINEERS, APPLIED MATHEMATICIANS, BIOLOGISTS, AND CLINICIANS, WITH REPRESENTATIONS OF BOTH JUNIOR AND SENIOR INVESTIGATORS. SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS WILL BE COMBINED WITH DEDICATED PANEL AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS TO ENABLE IN-DEPTH EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, CROSS-DISCIPLINARY BRAINSTORMING, AND ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT ACROSS THE STUDY GROUP. MULTIPLE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES WILL ALSO BE INCORPORATED. INFORMATION ABOUT DISABILITY ACCESS, CHILDCARE AND OTHER FAMILY CARE FACILITIES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE ATTENDEES. THE 2026 EMTP WORKSHOP WILL BE A TIMELY EVENT TO FACILITATE EDUCATION, INTEGRATE ONGOING COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, CATALYZE NEW COLLABORATIONS, AND ACCELERATE SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS AND CLINICAL TRANSLATION OF QSM, EPT.