Marco Fiorito, Postdoctoral researcher

Biography

I received my BSc in physics in 2010 at the the University of Turin, Italy. Afterwards, I decided to focus on medical physics, obtaining a MSc in 2013 from the same university. During this period, I had the oportunity to spend one year at the University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands, to work on my master thesis. It was this experience that convinced me to further advance in my academic career, and in 2014 I joined the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Medical Imaging at King's College London, UK. After being awarded a MRes in medical imaging and biomedical engineering, I continued my training towards independent research with my PhD, where I focus on MR elastography. Since 2019 I have joined The AMT Center in Basel and I have fully embraced the quest to unwrap the potential of low magnetic field, especially for interventional MRI applications.

My LinkedIn

My current research focuses on the implementation of fast and robust methods for MR thermometry at low magnetic fields (≤ 0.1 T). In a proof-of-concept investigation, I have obtained promising results employing T₁ as a marker for temperature change. Recently I demonstrated that a multi-slice T₁ map in human extremities can be obtained in 10 min at 0.1 T, with a resolution of 180 mm³. Given the quality of these results, we believe that the proposed methodology could find employement in MR-guided hyperthermia treatments.

My main activities consist in:

•         Sequence development on a high-performance MRI console
   
•         Design of experimental protocols for fast image acquisition, to validate the potential use of low magnetic field in interventional MRI
   
•         Building of custom-made RF coils specifically tuned for low magnetic fieldsnumerical simulations
   
•         Implementation of complex image reconstruction pipelines and modelling of of magnetic parameter evolution